Hello, I just found out about this product I think might be helpful for our family but am having a hard time finding a US seller. Does anyone know? It’s called “stairsteady” and it’s a handrail with sliding bar that flips down in front of the person so they can hold onto it using both hands while walking up and down stairs, and which locks into place when the person applies pressure to pull themselves up on each step. It was invented in the UK and there might also be a Canadian manufacturer. Hoping someone has some seller info on this.
Also, when I purchased it, the orthopedist caring for my knees had told me that if I were to buy a 2-story house, if I didn't get a stair glide, he wouldn't retain me as his patient! At that time, I lived in a 2nd-floor apartment, so I was not having mobility issues, but I was putting stress on my knees. Your mother might find that the stair glide saves a lot of wear-and-tear on her knees, allowing her to stay mobile much longer. Again, she could still walk up and down when she preferred and was comfortable doing so.
There are other uses of a stair glide that the stairsteady does not have. A woman rarely goes up and down the stairs without bringing something with her, such as her purse. With a stair glide, you just keep it in your lap. I wouldn't want to try to have a purse over my arm or shoulder while using a stairsteady. You can also use a stair glide to send large/heavy objects up or down the stairs, using the remote that comes with it. Of course, if you are alone, you would then need to walk up or down the stairs to retrieve the object, but you wouldn't have to try to carry it up or down. This may seem like a trivial point, but I did this quite frequently.
Companies that sell stair glides often sell home elevators too, so you could look for stair elevators if you are not having luck finding a localstair glide distributor. Two major (national) distributors in the U.S. are Bruno and Acorn; I had a Bruno. I didn't check, but you could probably find local distributors through their websites. I purchased mine so long ago that I found the distributors in the Yellow Pages!
Finally, I would suggest again that the stairsteady may not ever be approved for use in the U.S. Since your mother is not yet in the market, you can wait to see, but it just seems too risky to me to be a good idea! I'd also mention again that a stair glide, if recommended by a physician (doesn't have to be in writing), is deductible as a medical expense, and I timed my purchase to be able to deduct it, which helped reduce the expense. A home elevator, by the way, is considered a capital improvement and can be added to the cost basis of one's house rather than being deducted as a medical expense.
Plus the risk of falling backwards when trying to slide the bar upwards. Those with knee or hip issues might find this challenging trying to stand on each step, where just walking up the stairs is fine as there is momentum. Here's an idea, walk up/down the stairs but pause on each step and see how comfortable, or not, that is.
For myself, I found having two sets of stair rails on either side works perfectly. We had them at my office and it was great, now I want them at home :)
Our own decisions are that I hang on to the handrails on each side of our fairly narrow stairs, carrying anything difficult in a cloth bag over my shoulder. It’s good exercise if you can do it. If you only have a hand rail on one side, it might help to fit one to the other side.
We have put a scissor lift outside, currently used mostly for furniture installation following our house move, but eventually usable (and actually intended) for me. For personal access it needs to get the entry level adjusted (we need to dig a pit to put the base into). That was $12,000, compared with my disabled sister’s internal lift of $75,000.
Try to get an idea about the time frame for your mother’s current state of mobility, before you spend a lot of money on the current stage. Think about what will happen in the next stage of ageing, and also on the impact of property value if it involves dry wall attachment.
Good luck! You have my sympathy about looking at a blurb that sounds quite good, but not being able to see the real thing. Yours, Margaret
I just spoke with my mom and she says she’s not ready for a stair glide yet. She says she’s staying very careful with her approach to the stairs.
Good point about considering likely time frames and relative costs. Will do.
My parents relied on their two stairlifts to get around their three floor house for ten years. Without them they never could have stayed in their home as long as they did.
Mobility can change very quickly…yes that seems true. My mom has tried a stair lift a couple times at other people’s homes and says she’s not ready for one yet. I guess we’ll wait till she’s more ready. There seem to be some offered on eBay and Craigslist but most are local pickup only for obvious reasons I guess, so we’ll just hope there’s one for sale nearby at the right time for us. Thanks for your feedback.
I’m not sure I understand what your complaint about stairsteady is. I guess it might not work for everyone but I feel I don’t know enough yet to say whether it might work for my mom. My initial concern would be about the transition point when she reaches the top, her balance may be too far gone for that already. She’d probably need another grab bar or something to steady herself there before she is able to move past the top step and lift the pull bar up out of the way. I’m just trying to look at options for her. I’ll consider the stair glide, that would be good if it were not too expensive, but, my sister thinks it takes up a lot of room and would get in my dad’s way on the stairs since he takes the stairs too. I’m just not sure. I’d like to know more about both options and I’m having a hard time finding specific contact information or reviews about the stairsteady although I know it won the inventor some awards in England.
If anyone has actual experience with this kind of device would love to hear about it. Thanks for your feedback.