Stairlifts

[canadian]

Has anybody had experience of an advanced Alzheimer sufferer using a stair lift. My husband's mobility is failing and we have a lot of stairs. I have a choice to have a bed downstairs, but no washing facilities other than the kitchen, leave him upstairs in the bedroom ( still a short staircase down and up to the bathroom), move to a bungalow or try a stairlift. Any advise He is doublie incontinent so toilet not an issue, just showering.
Any advise?
Canadian

 

[PeggySmith]

Lots of threads on here about stairlifts and, in the main, it's pretty much a no no. We dithered and dothered and finally got one for MIL. Didn't really work as she thought she could manage the stairs just fine without it. She could never have managed to use it on her own but it did help the carers to get her up to bed at night and down again in the morning, it was just the times in between that were a problem as soon as we turned our backs.

 

[Izzy]

My husband's dementia is quite far advanced and we use a stairlift. It was originally installed for my mother and we didn't remove it when she died. Gradually I have been using it for my husband more and more.

I think that Occupational Therapist advice is that a stairlift should not be used for an person with dementia. Having said that mum's OT finally approved it and she got a grant to have it installed in our house as she lived with us.

Neither my mum nor my husband operate/d the lift by themselves. Neither of them would have remembered how to use it. I walk up or down the stairs with the lift while pressing the lever which operates the lift. I know that this is not recommended either (on health and safety grounds). My mum was compliant an so is my husband so this has never been an issue. My husband happily sits on the chair and allows me to put the belt round him and then transport him upstairs. We do have a fixed control both upstairs and downstairs but it wouldn't be practical for me to stand downstairs and operate it while he moves upstairs. I have looked at it and I think it might actually be a remote control device which has been fixed into the holder. I suppose I should try to get it out of the holder!!