Need A Stairlift For Disabled Child Can Anyone Advise

lukiesgirl

My son is disabled and cannot manage the stairs. We have been carrying him up and down but he is 6 years old and quite heavy so I am unable to do this for much longer. I am only 5' tall and 7 stone! We are thinking of having a stair lift fitted but cannot seem to find any that are specifically for small children.

Can any of you helpful little bunnies on MSE help?

Thankyou :A

Lukiesgirl
xx

[threadbanner]box[/threadbanner]

Poppy9

Contact Social Services and ask them to assess your needs. They should also help with the installation of any disabilty aids required.

lukiesgirl

Thanks Poppy9. I am on the waiting list but I have just had a letter to say there are staff shortages so I will have to wait 6 months!! I phone once a week in the hope that things have changed:rolleyes:

SailorSam

My mum had an Acorn one, the chairs not that big , my nieces use to play going up and down on they're own, when they were only 3 and 5. We had to hide the key.

lukiesgirl

thanks sailorsam. Was it small enough for a full childs buggy type harness to be attached to it? Most of the lifts I have seen seem quite big and my son cannot hold himself upright without support. Did it have a remote control? I am grateful for all suggestions so many thanks!
Lukiesgirl

Poppy9

lukiesgirl wrote: »

Thanks Poppy9. I am on the waiting list but I have just had a letter to say there are staff shortages so I will have to wait 6 months!! I phone once a week in the hope that things have changed:rolleyes:

There is a shortage of Child Social Workers but even so this doesn't help you.

If you cannot manage your son then 6 months wait is unreasonable for an essential item. Next time you ring as the person to send you details of their complaints procedure. They have to have them. You can look on their website probably for details but if they are aware you are now at complaining stage they might pull their finger out. Each dept. has their own complaints procedure plus a corporate complaints system. Depending on the LA the corporate complaints might be quicker as you don't have to go through departmental complaints to use them.

You can also enlist the help of your local councillor. Just ring them and tell them what you need etc. the time you've been waiting and ask them if they can help.

Have you tried getting in touch with some local charities that help disabled persons (or even non local). I know a person in work was told he had to wait 6 months for a special car seat for his child but a charity he contacted (not local) sent him the seat he needed within weeks.

If you are in council housing then you can contact the housing dept. and tell them your issues.

Look out for second hand too if you can install. We couldn't give away one that was in my Aunties house and was in excellent condition as it had only been used a year. It was a straight run and no one would take it off our hands, not even local charities. Such a waste, I would have thought the council would reclaim it as they installed it but no. It was dumped

Lorian

Poppy is right.

Don't wait 6 months to be fobbed off again, you need to complain to whoever is in charge.

If you should need to procure any aids yourself this company services south wales and is reputable:

http://www.tpgdisableaids.co.uk/Subcat.asp?TITLE=Stair%20Lifts

I have no connection with them other than knowing someone who is a satisfied customer.

lukiesgirl

Lorian wrote: »

Poppy is right.

Don't wait 6 months to be fobbed off again, you need to complain to whoever is in charge.

If you should need to procure any aids yourself this company services south wales and is reputable:

http://www.tpgdisableaids.co.uk/Subcat.asp?TITLE=Stair%20Lifts

I have no connection with them other than knowing someone who is a satisfied customer.

I will take a look thanks Lorian!

Poppy9

Charity that helps with equipment/aids

lukiesgirl

Hope you got the reply to your PM. I am not in council housing but it just so happens that the leader of the council lives behind me! I feel an email coming on:mad:. I dont know why I didnt ask for help before and I am going to instigate the complaints procedure. I think that us carers of disabled loved ones are so used to being told 'no' that we just accept things because we are too tired to fight. THE WORM HAS TURNED :T

SailorSam

lukiesgirl wrote: »

thanks sailorsam. Was it small enough for a full childs buggy type harness to be attached to it? Most of the lifts I have seen seem quite big and my son cannot hold himself upright without support. Did it have a remote control? I am grateful for all suggestions so many thanks!
Lukiesgirl

Morning Lukiesgirl,
The chair is about the same size as a normal kichen chair and is tip up, with tip up arm rests, and a tip up foot rest.
The seat is 16"deep and 14"wide.
The distance from the footrest when own up to the seat is 17"
The distance from the top of the armrests when they are down to the seat is 8", and they are about the same depth as the seat itself 16", so you are fully enclossed.
When my mum had the kids staying and they were all going to bed, she would sit in the chair with her feet on the footrest slightly apart then the kids, one at a time would stand facing her on the footrest, so standing between her knees and they just held her hands or the armrests and went up and down togethor.