Parkinson’s Disease and Stairlifts – Providing the Disabled with a Better Quality of Life

Can a stair lift be of help to a person with a Parkinson’s disease? In fact, a stairlift may be one of the best ways to improve the quality of life for a person with this type of disorder.

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative condition, and its main symptoms comprise of the following:
- Difficulty initiating and completing voluntary movement.
- Tremors in the hands and feet.
- Rigid stiff muscles that often get worse during motion.
- Poor balance, often resulting in falls in persons with Parkinson’s disease.
- Unsteady walk with a tendency for leaning either forward or backward.
- Small shuffling steps.
- Trouble initiating walking, and freezing in mid-stride.
- Difficulty trying to make a turn.

Stair lifts are special mobility devices that can be installed on straight or curved staircases, attached to the stairs or to a wall. The chairs are equipped with safety belts, which would securely lift a person up the stairs or provide a safe ride down the stairs. Stair lifts can aid people with Parkinson’s disorder that is unable to walk up or down stairs, as well as they can aid caregivers in their supervision of the person with Parkinson’s disease.

When looking for a stair lift for a person with a Parkinson’s disease, make sure that the stair lift of your choice features the following:
- A safety belt that would protect the passenger from falling down.
- Safety sensors that would stop the chair if there was any obstacle in the way of the unit.
- A joystick and a remote control to allow more flexibility with the lift control.
- Padded armrests and a comfortable footrest.
- Battery backup that would allow the unit to operate even with a temporary power outage.

There are several popular stairlift manufacturers that can provide you with a smooth and safe stair lift that would well suit the needs of a person with Parkinson’s disease. The most popular quality stair lifts’ manufacturers include: Bruno, ThyssenKrupp Access, and Savaria Concord.

Parkinson’s disease and stairlifts – these units are a good option for providing a person with this neurodegenerative disorder with a better quality of life.