When you think of a stairlift you picture a chair which is mounted to a rail which is in turn fixed to the stairs. You sit on the chair and at the touch of a button it carries you up or down the stairs.
For most people that’s a great solution, but what if pain in your knees, hips or back make it painful or even impossible to sit in a conventional straight-backed chair? If that’s you, then you might understandably assume a stairlift would be no good, because you’d be unable to sit on the chair.
There are many conditions which make it painful or even impossible to sit in a conventional position, including various types of arthritis affecting the knee and hip joints, or a range of lower back problems. They make it difficult to get around, especially up and down stairs, so a stairlift would be an invaluable home aid.
That’s why we offer the Acorn Sit-Stand Stairlift as a versatile and practical solution for those who find it difficult to sit or bend their knees. As its name suggests, the ‘Sit-Stand’ can be used either in the conventional sitting position or standing up. This versatility also makes it a great option for settings such as a care home, where multiple people with differing needs will use the stairlift.
People who find it difficult to sit can instead stand on the carriage’s sturdy fold-down foot platform, facing the wall immediately behind the stairlift, and gain extra support by holding onto the robust additional handrails fixed securely to the rear of the stairlift carriage. The stairlift can then be operated in the normal way using the ergonomic paddle controls placed on each of the stairlift arms, or by using the remote control, two of which are supplied as standard with every Acorn Stairlift.
If using the armrest controls, the best way is to hold onto the main grab rail handle with your right hand and use your left hand to operate the paddle switch on the armrest nearest the top of the stairs. This switch will operate with the arm in the folded up position, putting it at the optimum position for use while standing. The armrest nearest the foot of the stairs needs to be in the down position (as a safety feature) when using the armrest controls, but the stairlift will operate with both arms folded up if you choose to use the remote control.
All Acorn Stairlifts are designed to set off and come to a halt extremely smoothly, without any sudden ‘jolt’ or ‘judder’, and to glide at a steady even pace up and down the stairs, so standing on the foot platform and holding onto the secure grab rails remains a very safe option. If necessary, small modifications can also be made to the stairlift rail at the top or bottom to ensure the stairlift delivers you to a safe and level point for simply stepping on and off.
Because our Sit-Stand model is a simple but effective modification to our standard stairlift carriage, the cost is kept to a minimum. The only non-standard parts needed are the bolt-on extra handrails for additional support – meaning a significant saving in manufacturing cost which we pass on to you, the customer.
The most effective solutions are often the simplest, and we’ve found our Sit-Stand model is just that. It combines all the great features found on every Acorn Stairlift with a simple and cost-effective modification which makes it the ideal solution for those who find sitting difficult. If you thought a stairlift wasn’t for you because you can’t sit in comfort, think again… think Acorn!
• For more details of the Acorn Sit-Stand Stairlift or to arrange a free, no-obligation home survey and all-inclusive quote, call us free on 0808 223 4871 or click on the green ‘Quick Free Quote’ button at the top right of this page.