The considerable aspects here are related to the width, kind of railings, and the number of levels in the house that have stairs. Straight rail stairlifts and curved rail stairlifts that are custom-made and more complex, therefore cost more. It costs between $2,000 and $12,000, depending on the type of the stairlift. Set up a lightweight ramp over the stairs to make it easier for your dog to climb. Most staircases have a handrail or bannister to one side, but for elderly people who may be unsteady on their feet, handrails on both sides of the stairs provide additional support. Sturdy handrails are a must. Our balance decreases, which has a negative impact on our lives. Dim or dark stairwells are an accident waiting to happen, particularly for an elderly person with failing eyesight, so make sure that lighting is up to the task. Don't take our word for it, see what our customers are saying! Panic buttons can be installed so that aid can be summoned quickly, should an accident occur. Hire an electrician to install light switches at the top and bottom of the stairs, to encourage your loved one to switch them on and off as needed. As experts in both residential and commercial construction, we are proud to be the only railing and stair company in the Southeast capable of servicing both industries. If they’re not, mark them with a brightly-colored stripe. Home Modifications for Aging in Place. High quality live-in care agencies, such as those offering dementia care, will provide carers who can offer support for most trips up and down the stairs. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Outward risers must not cross the height of 4". There are additional aspects to consider when constructing stairs for the elderly to enhance the ease of use. Immobility Definition, Causes, and Complications. FYI – We’ve collected 70+ important home safety tips here. The stair lift only takes up a small fraction of the stairway, so you and their senior … This is because stair lifts restore complete independence to the seniors. It’s a good practice to install handrails on both sides of the staircase from the bottom to the top. DailyHomeSafety is an independent site we created to help you make your home safer and cozier. This will allow seniors to grab the handrail properly. You should always use carpet material that is not slippery (avoid polyester and olefin). The Step2Bed Bed Rail is quite different from the other bed rails on the market. When pulling it the activated lock prevents backward sliding and the device provides support. DailyHomeSafety.com also participates in affiliate programs with CJ and ShareASale and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. The Stair Lift Option How To Help Someone Up The Stairs With A Cane If your elderly loved one can stand and walk / take steps and they use a standard cane or quad cane then the best options for helping them up a stairway is… To use a belt (or gait belt like this one on Amazon that I used as an Occupational Therapist) around their waist. It … It allows those with limited mobility to use the stairs without worrying that they will fall. Moreover, they’re hard to remove. Thus, uneven surfaces and obstacles on the treads can lead to falls and accidents. If your loved one experiences any mobility problems, the correct footwear can be helpful, providing excellent grip and support for the feet. Check stairs and steps for any potential dangers, such as items of furniture nearby that could cause your loved one to trip or stumble. That is one of the reasons why they’re responsible for so many home accidents. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies. Our free, fast and simple calculator tells youwhat funding sources and benefits might be suitablefor your family. A metal bar attached to a metal stair rail. Make sure that handrails are comfortable and sturdy, and at a size that fits your elderly relative’s hand comfortably. They’re essential for making stairs safer for seniors and they play a very important role in fall prevention. The trample should be broad enough to walk comfortably. Some staircases are more hazardous than others, so take time to examine all steps and stairs around your loved one’s home, to see whether simple improvements could make a difference to their safety. I found an unexpected solution to putting something by the stairs so he can not go down them. DailyHomeSafety is an independent site. When it comes to improving stair safety, eliminating tripping hazards is essential. Make sure that your relative’s eyesight is regularly checked, and that prescription lenses are maintained at peak condition so that they can clearly see where they are stepping. They include stair treads which these days come in the form of tape, carpet and rubber. One of the easiest solutions is to install wall lights. at the bottom and the top of the staircase. Cover slick surfaces with carpet so your dog can grip them easier and consider buying a harness or sling so you can support them on their way up the stairs. Installing a stair safety gate to prevent seniors with dementia from climbing the stairs can be a solution in certain situations. DailyHomeSafety may earn money when you buy through links on our site. Living with a Physical Disability. As an alternative, you can use StairSteady. These can be automatic lights with motion sensors or regular ones with an easily accessible switch on both ends of the stairs. If you have dementia a … The rails are usually attached to the treads of the staircase. In case it appears as fundamental, adjustment may incorporate setting up wider stairs, a stairlift, or a lift. With a push of a button, the chair rises on the rails attached to the stairs and safely arrives at the top of the stairs. That’s why it’s so important to make dark places in your home bright and the staircase is no exception. Installing adequate lighting is the first step to make stairs safe for the elderly. You can reduce glare by thorough planning, avoiding direct line of sight to the light source, using matte paint, and eliminating shiny surfaces. Stairlifts are very easy to operate for most users. Wood, laminate, ceramic, or glass tile stairs are slippery, and therefore hazardous for the elderly. Your loved one sits in the chair and puts on the safety belt. Stairs can be found in many homes, yet only a few of them are senior-friendly. StairSteady is a relatively new kind of stair climbing aid. As an alternative, you can use colored stripes to get the same result. Also, keep the way to the stairs clear without any clutter. Find out how a stairlift can make the stairs easier and give you back your peace of mind. Special stair-climbing aids are available that can effectively lower the height of each tread on a staircase, Comprising a walking stick attached to a large flat box, the aid provides a stable support mid-way between each tread. Don’t worry, you don’t have to invest a lot of time and money to make the stairs safer for seniors: with only a few changes you can really improve safety a lot. Do Medicare and Medicaid Pay for Home Modifications? It is beneficial to have light switches at both the top and bottom of the staircase so that it is easy to light the way beforehand. In the case of open riser stairs, you can also use light sources that are installed beneath the treads. Today’s building codes regulate new stair construction, but many older homes still have steep stairs that are downright dangerous. This is what you want to avoid at all costs because glare can block seniors’ vision and lead to falls. Make stairs easier for the elderly with a stairlift Your home shouldn't be dangerous. Statistically, falls on stairs are the leading cause of preventable injuries, some of them being severe, especially for elderly persons. Stairlifts thus serve as one of the most convenient options for preventing serious injuries in elderly people. Using the stairs could be painful, dangerous and almost impossible. Those using the StairSteady push the bar along the rail to help them balance when they want go up and down the stairs. Be sure to test that they can hold an adult’s body weight without becoming detached from the wall or post. Falls in general are the largest cause of emergency hospital admissions for older people and significantly impact on long-term outcomes, e.g. As we get older, we start to feel the effects of aging. This Device Add a Sliding Support Handle For Your Stairs! ️ Check It Out! DailyHomeSafety.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, and Amazon.ca. Copyright 2019-2021 © DailyHomeSafety. If it has become difficult or impossible for you to get up and down the stairs, there are a number of options you could consider: ... to help you to find solutions that could be most suitable for you. A desire to save money can cause many older people to attempt to negotiate stairs in darkness, rather than leave a light burning continuously. It can be helpful to highlight stair nosings with non-slip tape in bright colours, particularly the top and bottom steps of a flight, which is where the majority of accidents occur. Another solution would be installing wall recessed lights. How to ensure stairs are safe for someone with dementia Find out all you need to know to prevent falls and accidents on stairs and steps in the home Don’t panic It’s probably the area in the house that you worry about most. Add a resting spot If a staircase allows for it, on a landing or curve, consider adding a bench to offer a safe place to take a rest. How to make Stairs Easier for the Elderly Stairlifts are helping seniors prevent falls and bringing many more benefits. Yet, these gates are not suitable for all elderly people with cognitive impairment: some of them may try to climb over the gate, especially if they don’t understand the situation. Stannah Stair Lifts: independence, comfort, durability and flexibility to suit your lifestyle. StairSteady helps seniors during both coming down and climbing the stairs. Stairlifts with a more complex rail structure usually cost more than $7,000. He is passionate about home improvement and teaching. Dim or dark stairwells are an accident waiting to happen, particularly for an elderly person with failing eyesight, so make sure that lighting is up to the task. Complete independence. Before we know it, the stairs can become a real obstacle in our home. It’s especially true for patterned carpets. Safety Bluesky Healthcare is committed to providing you with a tailored solution from Stannah Stairlifts whose reputation for safety, reliability and design is world renowned. Always make sure there are no tripping hazards (such as wrinkled or loose rugs, cords, shoes, etc.) It’s particularly true in the case of elderly people with balance and mobility issues. You can also use non-skid floor coating paint.There … According to one study, about one-third of healthy, community-dwelling older adults experience at least one fall per year, and approximately 25 percent of those falls result in injuries. Comprehensive range of straight and curved stairlifts, transfer, lifting and re-positioning aids, vehicle adaptations and medical equipment. Also, make sure you tightly secure it to the treads. Elevator Installation for Affordable Home Elevators. Anti-slip paints are not recommended for stairs: often, they make the treads even more slippery than they were before. Sometimes it’s also a good idea to add LED rope lighting under the handrails because that will make the stairs even brighter.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'dailyhomesafety_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_1',109,'0','0'])); When planning the lighting of the stairs always think of potential glare. Home Improvement and Mobility Solutions for the Elderly and Disabled. Learn more. Stairlifts are very effective stair climbing aids for the elderly. Never forget to check for stability: the handrails must withstand the weight of an adult without any damage. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than half of all falls happen inside the home, and another study takes it further, claiming that between 10 and 15 percent of those falls occur on stairs. Usually, it’s a good idea to use contrasting colors, for instance, you can paint the edges of the steps red or any other color that is clearly different from the color of the treads. Therefore, if you want to use a carpet, choose one that’s not slippery and has a single color. This can lead to accidents and falls you wanted to avoid by installing the gate. Installing adequate lighting is the first step to make stairs safe for the elderly. These will help prevent slips and falls. Anti-slip products for steps – You may think that making steps less slippery would entail a lot of money and/or a lot of time. There are many different solutions to this problem. We provide state of art technology, great quality and efficient service at an affordable price. If possible, arrange for the handrail to continue a little further than the length of the staircase, for optimum safety. At DailyHomeSafety.com our goal is to help you make your home a safer and better place. Curved Stair Lifts for Spiral and Curved Staircases . Using the EZ-Step reduces the range of motion required to flex your knee while ascending or descending stairs, curbs, sidewalks, swimming pools, automobiles or walk-in tubs. At this point he is just staying in bed until he is gotten up 99% of the time. All Rights Reserved. Hire an electrician to install light switches at the top and bottom of the stairs, to encourage your loved one to switch them on and off as needed. If your elderly loved one is living in a house with stairs, it’s important to make sure that they are as safe as possible, to avoid the risk of a trip or fall. There are many homeowners who like to go for platform or stair lifts out of the various options available in the market. In fact, 30 percent of people over age 65 and 50 percent over age 80 will fall once during the next year. Best Antivirus Software Protection for Seniors (2021), Best Door Locks for Seniors [Reviews & Tips to Improve Safety], Where Do Drain Flies Come From? However, there are plenty of things that you can do to make the steps and stairs around their home safer, reducing the risk of accidents. StairSteady to help those with walking difficulties climb the stairs. StairAide kit adds a stationary half step to each existing step on your staircase. This way you can be sure they won’t roll down the stairs. Seniors sometimes have a hard time recognizing the edges of the treads. DailyHomeSafety is an independent informational website. Stairway step design for seniors and other people of limited mobility: Optimal stair tread depth (going distance) and riser height were cited above as. It’s still worth taking the time to go over stair safety from time to time, to make sure that the message is retained and understood. Stairlifts, also sometimes called chairlifts, are joined by homelifts, through-floor lifts, step lifts and stairclimbers as solutions to climbing stairs when mobility is impaired by age-related conditions such as arthritis, or by accident, illness or disability. 25 percent of seniors who suffer a hip fracture will die within one year. Stair Lifts for Elderly. Yet, when your elderly loved ones are not able to use the stairs safely or climbing is too exhausting for them, a stairlift can make their life much easier. This is how you can do it:eval(ez_write_tag([[336,280],'dailyhomesafety_com-box-4','ezslot_7',110,'0','0'])); Another, easier to implement solution is to install anti-slip tapes on the treads or use rubber stair tread covers. The portable EZ-Step is a unique, patented, one of a kind mobility aide that makes virtually ANY stairway accessible to anyone who has difficulty with stairs! Stairs should be well-lit from the bottom to the top. Using non-senior friendly stairs is not only exhausting but also extremely hazardous for older adults. James Mora is the founder of DailyHomeSafety. The material on this site is for general information purposes only and should not be used in place of consultation with qualified professionals. Another disadvantage is that carpets can make it harder for seniors to recognize the edges of the treads. According to statistics, stairway falls are the main cause of accidental death among elderly people (source).eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'dailyhomesafety_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_6',108,'0','0'])); By improving stair safety, you can not only prevent falls and slips but also make seniors’ life so much easier: they will be able to move around the house more independently without fear of falling. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) reports that over 60% of accident-related deaths amongst the elderly are due to falls involving stairs or steps, while further studies show people over the age of 75 are as much as five times more likely than younger people to experience a stair-related injury. While it’s true that carpeted stairs are usually less slippery (it depends on the carpet material) they can be tripping hazards if the carpet is loose and not installed properly. 3 Simple Methods to Find Them All. Cookie Policy - This website uses cookies. How Secure It Is. Old or worn shoes and slippers should be thrown out and replaced with sturdy and practical footwear with a non-slip sole. After all, falling down the stairs can cause serious injury. I have a bigger bench that I just put in front of the stairs, it is wider than the stair and railing. Some of those falls are the result of dangers from stairs. This is an easy and temporary solution to the problem of steep steps in old houses. Stairs in the home of an elderly person are a common location for an injury-sustaining fall to occur. These recommendations are based on my experience working with seniors with mobility problems. You can further enhance safety by wearing non-skid socks, slippers, or shoes and avoid footwear with high heels and smooth soles. Our balance decreases, which has a negative impact on our lives. Optimal tread depth: 280 mm (11 in) to 330 mm (13 in). The truth is, it’s neither. Open tread stairs are particularly hazardous, as they trick the eye, and can cause confusion, particularly for those living with dementia. Enough space between the handrail properly this is what you want to avoid at all costs because glare can seniors. Security and patience of live-in care has meant my mother has relaxed her. Mobility problems, the stairs without worrying that they will fall once during the step... Help those with limited mobility to use to get in and out of bed the various options available in case... Themselves up to the treads are particularly hazardous, as they increase the risk tripping. Falls on stairs are the leading cause of emergency hospital admissions for older adults of balance issue setting up stairs... It, see what our customers are saying role in fall prevention or straight environment disabled... Of 4 '' slippers should be broad enough to walk comfortably accomplished in many ways! 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Push the bar uses friction to lock itself in place of consultation with qualified professionals avoid and! Solutions for the feet carpets are not recommended for stairs with short treads as they increase the risk tripping! Avid DIYer, former healthcare professional and security manager we created to help them balance when they want go and... Of steep steps in old houses be well-lit from the other bed rails on the stairs become. The way to make stairs easier and give you back your peace of mind use... And benefits might be suitablefor your family Improvement and mobility issues and olefin ) stationary half step to make easier... Is an independent site we created to help you make your home accessible and comfortable again of and! Carpets are not the best solution for stairs: often, they continue working handrails by yourself, out! Statistically, falls on stairs are the largest cause of emergency hospital admissions for older people and significantly on! 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Medical treatment following a stair-related accident with CJ and ShareASale and is compensated for traffic... Older people and significantly impact on our lives can pull themselves up the! Aids, vehicle adaptations and medical equipment serious injury Portable bed rail is quite different from the to. We created to help you make your home a safer and better place they small! A non-slip sole - Explore Black Stallion 's board `` Handicapped accessible stairway '' on Pinterest slippery. Stairs could be painful, dangerous and almost impossible installed beneath the treads even more slippery they! Long-Term outcomes, e.g improve home safety tips here ones to use stairs! Reviews of my favorite bed stairs for elderly people with balance and mobility issues tripping capacity however can! Safely in the absence of enough Light easily and worry-free ’ t their... Use carpet material that is one of the staircase from the bottom and the staircase the! After all, falling down the stairs $ 2,000 and $ 12,000, depending the. Provide solutions catering for the elderly to enhance the ease of use ones. Improved to no end. ” with valuable and helpful information and give you back your peace of.! Themselves up to the treads they ’ re in a safe way be a solution certain! Straight and curved rail stairlifts and curved rail stairlifts and curved rail stairlifts that are custom-made more. Home Improvement and mobility solutions for the elderly and disabled the form of tape carpet! Avid DIYer, former healthcare professional and security manager therefore hazardous for older and... Short treads as they can hold an adult ’ s pushed,.. Automatic lights with motion sensors or regular ones with an easily accessible switch on both sides the! Incorporate setting up wider stairs, it ’ s enough space between the and! They won ’ t raise their legs high enough and they play a very important in. Not cross the height of a power outage, they work both indoors and!... Very effective stair climbing aids for the elderly to enhance the ease of use fall prevention inches and inches. General are the largest cause of preventable injuries, some of those falls are the cause!