Stair lift

[Mva]

My husband has been in rest bite care for 2 weeks and although mobility was'nt good when he went in , ( he used a rolator and walking stick ) his legs have gone completely .since being in the care home has fallen eight times , fell twice on returning home and is now in hospital . We've just had a wet room put in the upstairs bathroom , and a hospital bed has been delivered , which is all useless if we can't manage stairs , funds are limited so any feedback on stair lifts would be gratefull,
Also is this lack of mobility a deteriorating of vascular dementia.

 

[Izzy]

We had a stairlift put in our last house for my mother (vascular dementia) and kept it in after she died. I'm glad I did as my husband used it for the two or so years we were in the house. I think it's not normally advised to have a stairlift for someone with dementia due to safety reasons. I managed to persuade the Occuoational Therapist that my mum would never use it unsupervised. I operated it when she was on it and walked up the stairs using the remote control as it went up. I did the same for my husband.

 

[Beetroot]

I have one for Mum as I have a steep nineteen thirties staircase. Mum finds descending too nerve wracking following a fall (heart blipped while she was walking up and she came down headfirst). She took quite a while to get used to the lift - put the seat down, turn it, put the foot rest down and put the seat belt on, then slide the switch to move it. She's fine with it now, even on her more confused days.

Having fan steps at the top or bottom of the staircase makes the lift a lot dearer because the rail has to be custom made to fit the fan. I went with Stannah as their rail went closer to the wall round the fan than the other one I liked due to configuration and type of rail. The rail bolts to the steps, not to the wall; you need an electrical socket nearby for the plug. Rails run on direct current to charge the battery in the chair so they come with a much bigger charger than a mobile phone that has to be accommodated.

You can save a bit by having a second hand, refurbished chair, and a refurbished rail if the staircase is straight.

The lift is serviced annually and that's another cost.

The three companies that came to quote all asked if Mum's dementia would allow her to operate it safely or they wouldn't install it. I said yes, but as Mum was in hospital at the time, they didn't meet her. The hospital OTs thought it a good idea once they saw my stairs, but warned me there would come a time when she wasn't safe to use it on her own. You can lock them with a key and remove the key to stop the pwd using it at all when you're not there.

The remote control is useful if you want to send heavy stuff up and down the stairs - I balance my ancient and heavy sewing machine on it and full suitcases. Every child who comes to the house will have to have a go on it!

 

[GrandmaBarb]

I can't help with the stair issue, Mva, but I do know that deteriorating mobility can certainly accompany vascular dementia. My husband has had vascular dementia for years. He has also had many strokes (from a blood clot-filled aneurysm in his brain) but none in over a year. He went from walking without assistance to using a walker in the past year. In the past three weeks he has gone from walking with a walker to not being able to walk at all. He has been in the Hospice Solace Center for the past two weeks and is in "global decline", according to his doctor. He has been out of bed and in the recliner one time in those two weeks. He is 6-feet tall and weighs 260 pounds so it is very difficult for the staff to get him out of bed. Took three people to accomplish it and getting him back to bed was even more difficult. He has no sense of balance and is very weak. He can not even sit on the edge of the bed without falling backwards. Five falls in the 19 days preceding his entry to the Center prompted his admission. Yes, lack of mobility can, and often does, come from vascular dementia in the late stages as more blood vessels in the brain become affected.

 

[Rheme]

Before you buy one outright have a look at renting one.

Didn't know this was possible when buying mums and as she only used it for four months before going into a nursing home it would have proved more cost effective.

The rental costs should also include the annual servicing costs, something to bear in mind when buying outright.

Talk to Social Services about your husband's requirements you just might end up getting one fitted free. Diminishing mobility is a symptom of vascular dementia. My mum can no longer stand up or weight bear at all.

Good luck.

 

[stanleypj]

Have a look online, ebay for example. A number of companies refurbish stairlifts, sell them on and fit them. We did this. It was fitted the next day and guaranteed for a year. It was an awful lot cheaper than a new one would have been.

 

[Mva]

Thank you for your reply ,sorry to hear about your husband , my husband is still in hospital and has not been out of bed for I a week , I think I will hold off with stair lift for a while . Take care

I

I can't help with the stair issue, Mva, but I do know that deteriorating mobility can certainly accompany vascular dementia. My husband has had vascular dementia for years. He has also had many strokes (from a blood clot-filled aneurysm in his brain) but none in over a year. He went from walking without assistance to using a walker in the past year. In the past three weeks he has gone from walking with a walker to not being able to walk at all. He has been in the Hospice Solace Center for the past two weeks and is in "global decline", according to his doctor. He has been out of bed and in the recliner one time in those two weeks. He is 6-feet tall and weighs 260 pounds so it is very difficult for the staff to get him out of bed. Took three people to accomplish it and getting him back to bed was even more difficult. He has no sense of balance and is very weak. He can not even sit on the edge of the bed without falling backwards. Five falls in the 19 days preceding his entry to the Center prompted his admission. Yes, lack of mobility can, and often does, come from vascular dementia in the late stages as more blood vessels in the brain become affected.