An Affordable and Safe Stairlift Alternative

Statistics show that more than 30% of seniors above 65 years old experience falling every year. Accidents related to falling is the second leading cause to injury among seniors, only after automobile incidents. Stairs can be particularly difficult and risky for seniors, since a potential fall in the stairs could have dramatic consequences.

Scientific research done among 36.000 individuals in Norway, Sweden, the UK and USA show that the largest deciding factor to your physical and mental health is your activity level. One of the consequences of inactivity is increased risk of falling and fall related injuries. Research furthermore shows that the activity types that reduces the risk of falling, are activities that stimulate balance and strength.

Climbing stairs independently, is therefore highly important in order to remain in good health during your senior years. Individuals who continue to climb stairs themselves with added support, could therefore expect to have better health quality as well as increased life expectancy.

A stairlift is a motorized seating unit coupled to a customized railing system that is installed into the steps of your staircase. Stairlifts come in different sizes and shapes, but all of them have quite a few drawbacks that you need to keep in mind before making a purchase.

The fact that stairlifts are installed into the steps of the staircase might not sound too bad. Stairlifts are dimensioned to carry around 150 kg / 330 lbs of weight, so it's understandable that this does require secure fitting to your staircase.

The issue with this however, is that once the stair lift installation is completed, you will not get your staircase back to the condition it was in before the stairlift was installed.

Most homes have either carpet or wooden steps. This means that once a stairlift is installed, it will leave significant holes and marks in the staircase steps. The staircase steps will therefore not come back to its original shape with simple Wall Putty.

There are good reasons to why stairlift dealers usually only offer a short warranty period of 1 year as standard. One of the reasons to this is that stairlifts are known to require frequent service. Stairlifts typically need fresh grease for the wheel bearings and railings, which has to be added from time to time. Stairlifts also use old fashioned 12 volts Lead Acid batteries that typically run flat every 12 to 24 months.

These services have to be done by trained installers as well. The short warranty period therefore means that you as a consumer, have to budget for annual service costs to keep the stairlift operational.

The number one alternative to a stairlift is the Stair Walker AssiStep.

Unlike stairlifts, the AssiStep enables you to remain active, but at the same time get the needed extra support while climbing stairs.

You get the extra support needed to continue climbing stairs using your own muscles. The AssiStep is an affordable and less intrusive solution compared to stairlifts. It is installed as a normal handrail system, extending less than 10 cm / 3,5 inches out from your wall. It will also not leave any marks in your staircase steps, like stairlifts do.

5 key benefits of the AssiStep compared to stairlifts:

1. Promotes good health by allowing you to remain active
2. Reliable and low service need, since it's a simple and mechanical solution
3. Can be installed in both straight and curved stairs
   
4. Aesthetically appealing, with its award winning Scandinavian design
5. Affordable to both purchase and operate, compared to stairlifts

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.