Stairlifts! Would like to hear people's experiences please?

OnAndUp

Hiya!

Unfortunately I am now at the point where I need a stairlift.

I have spoken to my local Social Services who have added me to their waiting list they are currently assessing people from June which means I would have to wait say 3 months to be assessed and then maybe another 2-3 months for a means test and to get it installed etc.

As I am not on any of the relevant benefits to get it free and have a little savings I rang up the department who deal with means testing and after explaining my income (Incapacity Benefit and DLA Higher rate mobility / low care) and savings the figure they came up with for my contribution was £1500 :eek: I was shocked as this is mainly based on my income and I only get those 2 benefits! I think my age goes against me (for some reason?) as I'm in my 30s.

I'm really desperate and can't possibly wait that long, nor do I see the point if I will have to pay that much anyway.

So I have been looking into buying myself one probably a reconditioned model they start from £700 at my local dealers. Luckily I have a straight stairs as the others are way more expensive!

This is all new to me and I have no idea what sort of things I need to be thinking about considering. So I would appreciate any help and advice from other people who have stairlifts. I'm in North Wales / Cheshire area if anyone has any recommendations too.

Many Thanks

sunnyone

OnAndUp wrote: »

Hiya!

Unfortunately I am now at the point where I need a stairlift.

I have spoken to my local Social Services who have added me to their waiting list they are currently assessing people from June which means I would have to wait say 3 months to be assessed and then maybe another 2-3 months for a means test and to get it installed etc.

As I am not on any of the relevant benefits to get it free and have a little savings I rang up the department who deal with means testing and after explaining my income (Incapacity Benefit and DLA Higher rate mobility / low care) and savings the figure they came up with for my contribution was £1500 :eek: I was shocked as this is mainly based on my income and I only get those 2 benefits! I think my age goes against me (for some reason?) as I'm in my 30s.

I'm really desperate and can't possibly wait that long, nor do I see the point if I will have to pay that much anyway.

So I have been looking into buying myself one probably a reconditioned model they start from £700 at my local dealers. Luckily I have a straight stairs as the others are way more expensive!

This is all new to me and I have no idea what sort of things I need to be thinking about considering. So I would appreciate any help and advice from other people who have stairlifts. I'm in North Wales / Cheshire area if anyone has any recommendations too.

Many Thanks

Battery backup is really important for me as are remote controls and a folding seat, if you live in the sticks like me electric interuptions are frequent in the winter so I must have rechargable batteries, my husband is now also disabled so remote controls are a must and due to the lay out of our stairs a folding seat means more room.

I never use the seat turner, I used to until I fell down the stairs.

I buy reconditioned stairlifts now, I did buy new ones but reconditioned ones are very good now, relyable and cheap, you can rent if you cant afford a reconditioned unit for as little as a fiver a week now (things have changed soooo much in the 20 years Ive been disabled and I was way younger than you back then)

OnAndUp

Thanks sunnyone. :T

Appreciate your advice as I'm really clueless about the whole thing! I would need a folding seat as there's not much room on the landing. It looks like I would be able to get one private and installed in the same week! which would be a godsend instead of a 6 month wait. So I need to learn as much as possible asap so can go ahead and buy one the sooner I can get it installed the better.

Do you find them reliable overall (except powercuts! :eek:) as I know they have extended guarantees etc. I'm thinking of taking my chances and hope I don't need one and then if anything does happen I will just have to pay to get it fixed.

aeb_2

Hi, I agree, reconditioned is the way I would go. My parents had one new costing £2020 for a straight stairs in a 1980's house so very easy fit. After 10 months they downsized. Mum rang the company and they offered her £230 for it.
Someone will get a very good reconditioned stair lift

onetomany

do you have young kids? i was asking as im a home carer and stupid me the other day went up someones stars and grabed the rail thinking it was a hand rail and nearly cut my hand on the bit underneath, stair lifts are great just think about space what you need standing or sitting etc i hope you get one soon one of my service users had to pay half £1500

OnAndUp

Thanks for replies - I was having reservations about reconditioned (not sure why!) I'm sure if it was anything else that would be the option I would go for but I just felt uneasy with a stairlift? So you have put my mind at rest.

No kids to worry about.;)

Have people had to get rid of the handrail as I would like to keep in case I am able to walk up and down occasionally, otherwise I would never be able to walk upstairs without it.

sunnyone

onetomany wrote: »

do you have young kids? i was asking as im a home carer and stupid me the other day went up someones stars and grabed the rail thinking it was a hand rail and nearly cut my hand on the bit underneath, stair lifts are great just think about space what you need standing or sitting etc i hope you get one soon one of my service users had to pay half £1500

My son once managed to get his hand trapped in my stairlift, the fire brigade were useless as they didnt want to damage it but my son is much more important to me than any appliance.

My reconditioned units have been much more reliable than my first stairlift ever was, I had numerous tracks/carridges before I got one that the whole thing worked, it was an american make thats no longer on sale here now.

I have the original banister still in place, not that I could use it even in an emergency but i think it looks better with it.

onetomany

omg sunnyone im glad ur boy is ok i didnt get traped just kind of ran my hand up the sharp bit as it was a new thing i did automaticly silly me

aeb_2

re: handrail
my mum had the hand rail raised up so she could still use it

Chorlie

I'm also in Cheshire....

I've had my Stairlift for 18 months now, I'm disabled and got to the stage where I couldn't get upstairs (I fell down them a couple of times trying to get up).

I had to get an OT who assessed everything, get 3 quotes and she submitted which she thought was the best for my needs, it was a curved one £4000, it runs on batteries and charges when not in use, so will work in a power cut (about a dozen up / downs).

All my income, saving ect was assessed and since I was on Disability Tax Credits I got a Grant for the full amount of the lift. It took in total about 9 months.

I will PM you the link to the company that fitted my chair.

alandbailey

I went via AGE UK and they kept their promise of pricematching when I told them I could get the same chairlift fitted cheaper, so they knocked £400 off their price of £1800.
Apart from the motor ceasing to function 3 hours after installation (replaced within 24 hours), everything has been fine - also AGE UK get a commission! :beer: