Stairlift vs bathroom downstairs

[CLau256]

My Grandma got diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a few years ago. She is in the mild stage I would say - doesn’t always retain the conversation and forgets a few things about the day but she’s not severe yet. She does however forget she has Alzheimer’s so does not factor this in her decision making. Unfortunately her legs have started to give up on her ever since lockdown and she now uses a zimmer and struggles to get up the stairs. She lives with her partner who does the caring albeit he’s also over 80.

We are having the family debate of stairlift vs adding a bathroom downstairs (more like a wetroom). Her partner is nagging us to buy a stairlift - I think because he’s scared of her falling down the stairs and it’s inconvenient for him to have to stand behind her every time when they go upstairs. There’s also an option of adding a downstairs bathroom which will reduce the need for her to go upstairs in the day so adds practical value in the future if she comes to losing the use of her legs & requires a wheelchair and being moved to live downstairs.

Her partner is a bit of a nuisance and is obsessed with getting a stairlift although I think he is thinking about the now and not the future. I think he spends all day whispering in her ear about how she needs a stairlift and would never want to live downstairs (she might not have a choice one day!).

Does anyone have experience of something similar or has been through the same situation and can advise what they found best? At the moment everyone is arguing about it so I would be grateful for the opinions of others who have been through this. I should add I’ve recently referred my Grandma for an at home assessment with an OT via the council.

 

[Jessbow]

I guess if its partners home too,he gets the last word. A stair lift would perhaps benefit him too. Could a compromise be met ( downstair loo)

Is the issue that the cost will be high and you'll expect them/him to pay?

 

[jennifer1967]

does your mum rent or is it her own home as you say about the OT via the council?

 

[CLau256]

does your mum rent or is it her own home as you say about the OT via the council?

It’s her own home, I just had to go via council to arrange an OT assessment.

 

[lollyc]

Sadly your Grandma is unlikely to be able to work a stairlift herself, and there is a very real risk of falls if she does. Her partner will still have to supervise her. They can be operated remotely - and probably best that Grandma is NOT shown how to operate it herself - and locked when not in use. We hired one, intial cost £250, plus a rental of £7.50 per week. Minimum rental period 6 months. So, roughly £500 outlay, whether it works or not. Cheaper than a bathroom.
Her mobility will doubtless deteriorate, and a move downstairs , and therefore bathroom,may be necessary. However, is her partner going to be able to manage her care if she becomes less mobile? I think perhaps there needs to be a discussion of how he sees her long term care being managed.

 

[CLau256]

I guess if its partners home too,he gets the last word. A stair lift would perhaps benefit him too. Could a compromise be met ( downstair loo)

Is the issue that the cost will be high and you'll expect them/him to pay?

Technically not - my Grandma is widowed and is the sole person on the mortgage and house etc & has been for 40+ years. Her partner has always paid ‘rent’ in a way so technically it is not his house to make decisions on etc.

 

[Louise7]

Hello @CLau256 welcome. I think it will be best to wait to see what the OT says after they have assessed your Grandma and the house. As mentioned above, stairlifts are not generally recommended for those with dementia due to safety reasons, and as your Grandma is already struggling to use the stairs, and her decision making is impaired, the OT may well recommend that moving downstairs will be the safest option for her.

Edit: Just to add that there are grants available via the local authority for adaptations such as a downstairs bathroom (regardless of whether the house is council owned or not). The OT was in the process of organising a downstairs bathroom for my Mum but unfortunately she went into hospital and then a care home so it didn't happen in the end.

 

[Banjomansmate]

20 years ago the LA paid for our bathroom alterations (full size bath removed and replaced with shower cubicle and smaller bath) and a stair lift fitted for my husband when his mobility was affected when he had lung cancer. That was after an OT visit and we owned the property.
Whether the funding is available now I have no idea but they paid for The Banjoman’s bathroom to be converted to a wet room when his mobility was deteriorating but that was in a Housing Association property ( originally Council owned) where other flats had been converted at an earlier date. He had refused to have his done during the earlier changes but an OT visit advised the alteration and he realised he couldn’t get in and out of the bath himself.

 

[Rosettastone57]

My husband used to work for a national stairlift company and it was their policy not to fit a stairlift for a person with dementia. The problem is safety whilst the lift is in use. The company had a case where even when supervised, the lady on the lift misjudged when to get off due to spatial awareness issues and stepped off before the lift had finished falling and injuring themselves.

 

[Sarasa]

Hi @CLau256 and welcome to Dementia Talking Point. I think a visit from an occupational therapist would be a start. Although a downstiar bathroom sounds a good idea, how disruptive would it be? My In-laws were thinking of installing one for their mother, but I don’t think there is anyway it could be done without her moving out while the work was completed.

 

[CLau256]

My husband used to work for a national stairlift company and it was their policy not to fit a stairlift for a person with dementia. The problem is safety whilst the lift is in use. The company had a case where even when supervised, the lady on the lift misjudged when to get off due to spatial awareness issues and stepped off before the lift had finished falling and injuring themselves.

Well I have read the same on the internet that it’s not recommended for people with Alzheimer’s due to safety issues so that is my worry. She has one small step to get out of her house but in her eyes, she views it as a big drop rather than a little step. Knowing my Grandma, I don’t think she would use it or she’d find it a bit ‘scary’ like some sort of fair ground ride. From my perspective, if she’s struggling to mobilise I’m thinking what happens when she gets to the top? How does she go from there - she can’t pull herself up very easily from the sofa for example she has to lean on something.

 

[Tilly13]

I have found this thread really helpful - both my parents have Dementia , they are in their 80s. Dad has Alzheimer's and Mum Vascular.
Due to Mum starting to have a few falls in the past week we've started to talk about safety in their home on the stairs. I'd been looking at a second banister or a stairlift but I can now see stairlift difficulties.
Can I ask how to go about getting an OT assessment please ?
Is it a Care Assessment through the Council Adult Social Care or something different ?
Thank you

 

[CLau256]

Hi @CLau256 and welcome to Dementia Talking Point. I think a visit from an occupational therapist would be a start. Although a downstiar bathroom sounds a good idea, how disruptive would it be? My In-laws were thinking of installing one for their mother, but I don’t think there is anyway it could be done without her moving out while the work was completed.

Thank you! Yes I agree, although with COVID I’m not sure when the visit will take place. We are lucky to have a family friend who is a builder and can complete the works in 5 weeks - her partner is complaining it will be disruptive but again I think he is only looking from a selfish point of view.

 

[CLau256]

I have found this thread really helpful - both my parents have Dementia , they are in their 80s. Dad has Alzheimer's and Mum Vascular.
Due to Mum starting to have a few falls in the past week we've started to talk about safety in their home on the stairs. I'd been looking at a second banister or a stairlift but I can now see stairlift difficulties.
Can I ask how to go about getting an OT assessment please ?
Is it a Care Assessment through the Council Adult Social Care or something different ?
Thank you

I just rang up our local county council - ours was North Yorkshire as I had to ring for the county rather than the local council. I asked to speak to a member of the social care team and explained what I was trying to do and he put me through to a member of staff who filled out a referral with me over the telephone asking me a quite a lot of questions about my Grandma and her mobility.

 

[Rosettastone57]

Well I have read the same on the internet that it’s not recommended for people with Alzheimer’s due to safety issues so that is my worry. She has one small step to get out of her house but in her eyes, she views it as a big drop rather than a little step. Knowing my Grandma, I don’t think she would use it or she’d find it a bit ‘scary’ but like I say other people in the family think they know otherwise. From my perspective, if she’s struggling to mobilise I’m thinking what happens when she gets to the top? How does she go from there - she can’t pull herself up very easily from the sofa for example she has to lean on something.

I asked my husband about the seats on the lifts when they reach the top. They rotate at the top of the stairs so they no longer face the staircase. They can be rotated manually by the person on the chair or remotely by someone supervising. This may reduce any anxiety from the person with dementia . However the lift can be set up so the seat is higher than the top of the stairs so the person can then slide off onto the landing. If the space is there on the landing the rail and track can be built further away from the top of the stairs so the person feels safer before getting off. All these bespoke options of course cost money . There are through floor lifts available for just one person, but again getting a person with dementia to use it and be comfortable with it is another matter. Supervision is the key to all of this.

 

[CLau256]

I asked my husband about the seats on the lifts when they reach the top. They rotate at the top of the stairs so they no longer face the staircase. They can be rotated manually by the person on the chair or remotely by someone supervising. This may reduce any anxiety from the person with dementia . However the lift can be set up so the seat is higher than the top of the stairs so the person can then slide off onto the landing. If the space is there on the landing the rail and track can be built further away from the top of the stairs so the person feels safer before getting off. All these bespoke options of course cost money . There are through floor lifts available for just one person, but again getting a person with dementia to use it and be comfortable with it is another matter. Supervision is the key to all of this.

Unfortunately there are bedroom doors right at the top of the stairs either side.

 

[Izzy]

I agree that supervision is the key when using a stairlift. I had one fitted for my mother (who had vascular dementia) a number of years ago. After she died my husband’s dementia deteriorated and I started using the lift with him. Neither of them could have operated the lift independently. I tried it out myself and I must say I found it quite scary when it got to the bend in our stairs before it reached the top! Luckily neither my mum nor my husband would/could have tried to use it by themselves.

 

[Tilly13]

I just rang up our local county council - ours was North Yorkshire as I had to ring for the county rather than the local council. I asked to speak to a member of the social care team and explained what I was trying to do and he put me through to a member of staff who filled out a referral with me over the telephone asking me a quite a lot of questions about my Grandma and her mobility.

 

[Tilly13]

Thanks I will make a few phone calls ..

 

[MartinWL]

I echo the comments above about the concern that she may not be able to operate the stairlift. I am noticing a gradual reduction in my dad's ability to remember how to operate any sort of equipment and this seems to be common.

On the bathroom might it actually be a good investment that would add value to the house? If so depending on the financial issues that might be s consideration. It might help both of them, too.