What alternatives are there to stair lifts?

Many of us have through own knowledge or family and friends, experienced the obstacle and difficulties a stair can entail. There are usually multiple underlying causes to this. Traditionally the normal ways to compensate for these issues have been through:

• Installing a stair lift or platform lift in your home
• Rebuilding your home so you can live on one floor only
• Moving away from your home

Research shows that the vast majority of us want to live in our own house as long as possible. Many of us have lived our whole life there, so it's not difficult to understand that most people want to continue doing so.

Some of the most normal causes as to why the stair becomes a challenge, are diseases such as stroke, Parkinson's, MS and fractures.

On the other hand, some people have increased difficulties with the stair due to muscular issues, for example Andrea who has the muscle disease Neuropathy, and by that she has reduced strength and balance, making stair climbing a difficult task without additional support.

The stair is also a big problem for people suffering from the lung disease COPD. Walking steep hills and climbing stairs is strenuous on the breath. Oddbjørn (68) for example, has installed the AssiStep stair climbing aid down to the basement of his home to make it more secure and safe to continue using his whole house.

Stair lift cost: Shaft elevator and platform lift

Shaft elevators are usually priced in the price range of $20,000 - $30,000 + installation.
These can be a good alternative for people who are dependent on wheelchairs, and need to get it between the floors of their house.

A platform lift is an alternative to a shaft elevator and is a simpler and somewhat cheaper option.
Both these solutions however, require quite a bit of space available in your house. Platform lifts are usually most used in public buildings since it takes up a lot of space in the stair.

The stair lift cost ranges usually between $3000 - $15,000

For straight stairs the price range is usually $3,000 - $5,000 and for curved stairs it starts at around $10,000.

The final price depends on how many landings, curves and turns the stair have, since the railing then needs to be tailored to your specific home. This also ruins the re-sell value, since a tailored stair lift can't easily be re-used in another staircase.

AssiStep is a new and revolutionary stair climbing aid.

It is 100% mechanical and is moved by pushing the light but strong aluminium handle in front of you - like a rollator. When the handle is pulled downwards, it automatically locks, keeping you safe and giving support for each step you take. If you lose balance on your way down the stairs, The AssiStep provides you with a physical barrier preventing a fall.

Since the product was launched in 2015, the user base has grown rapidly, and the AssiStep is today available in over 20 countries world-wide. It's a more affordable and active solution for most people, and compared to stair lifts, it is typically around half the cost to install the AssiStep instead of a curved stair lift.

Due to its minimalist design, it's also a lot more reliable than a stair lift, and normally there is no service required at all.

• Seniors
• Children with CP
• Parkinson's patients
• MS patients
• COPD-patients
• Muscle diseases
• Hip fractures or spinal cord injuries
• Stroke patients
• Amputees

The AssiStep is not a replacement for a stair lift, but a simpler, more affordable and more active solution for people who wish to stay healthy as long as possible, and to maintain or improve gait function, while staying safe.

The results since the launch in 2015 speaks for themselves: There are numerous examples of people sitting in a wheel chair and still being able to use the AssiStep while walking stairs. There are also many examples of stroke patients who have improved their walking abilities while training with the AssiStep, so they're able to live without it after 6 - 12 months of training and rehabilitation.

• Only 2 weeks delivery time
• No need for yearly service and inspection like for stair lifts
• No need to apply for construction approval from building authorities like with stair lifts
• Reliable and durable due to it being 100% mechanical
  
• Environmental friendly with no use of grease, oil or other hydrocarbons. (Our assembly line runs on 100% renewable hydropower as well)

We receive many calls from customers asking, "How much does the AssiStep cost?".

AssiStep represents an affordable alternative to the electric stairlift, for people who plan to stay active on a daily basis

However, it is difficult to give a precise estimate of its price. Several factors can influence the cost of the installation: type of staircase (landing, curved, straight) the length of the stairs, the nature of the wall, the conditions on site, etc. The price will generally be higher for winding and landing staircases than for straight staircases.

There are two main reasons how we're able to keep the prices much lower than stair lifts:

1. The AssiStep is a 100% mechanical product, keeping it simple and reliable. There's usually no need for service, and it still works if the power is out in your home
2. The AssiStep is a 100% module based system. This means that we don't need to tailor our handrail system to your stair, but can instead use finished high quality modules and adapt it to your stair on sight. This reduces labor intensive work and makes it possible for us to install the product in your home quickly.

The AssiStep is available in over 20 countries world wide. Click the links below to find more information and contact details to our representative in your country.