topic Re: Chairlifts in Wellness

Chairlifts

Krimpette — Wed, 08 Jan 2020 17:03:42 GMT

A friend of mine could definitely benefit from one of those chairlifts where you can "ride" up and down the stairs. He won't even look into them because he's sure they're too expensive. Does anyone have any experience with these? Are they very expensive? Does medicare cover any portion? I'd appreciate any input. (I hate to do a google search, for fear that I'll then be innundated with phone calls, e-mails, etc.). Thanks so much.

Re: Chairlifts

phoenixbrd — Wed, 08 Jan 2020 17:07:19 GMT

My thought is if he is interested in purchasing one he would google and find out if it too expensive or would benefit him. But it is certainly kind for you to be concerned.

Re: Chairlifts

froggy — Wed, 08 Jan 2020 17:17:10 GMT

My parents had one in their two story house where there was a two part stairway with a landing between the two sections, therefore required two sections of stair lift. I believe it was several thousand dollars.

Re: Chairlifts

millieshops — Wed, 08 Jan 2020 17:17:54 GMT

A friend had one for her second-floor apartment stairs. No idea what she paid to have it installed, but I do know that when her co-op was sold to someone who didn't want the stairs, they were removed and sold to a neighbor - for some thousands of dollars, 5 is the number I'm pretty sure I heard.

Also no idea what help there is to pay for them although if Medicare does that would be super easy to find out.

Re: Chairlifts

HLP — Wed, 08 Jan 2020 17:18:12 GMT

@Krimpette wrote:
A friend of mine could definitely benefit from one of those chairlifts where you can "ride" up and down the stairs. He won't even look into them because he's sure they're too expensive. Does anyone have any experience with these? Are they very expensive? Does medicare cover any portion? I'd appreciate any input. (I hate to do a google search, for fear that I'll then be innundated with phone calls, e-mails, etc.). Thanks so much.

Yes I have one, they run about $4,000.00. Cheaper than a fall. A God sent!! My Son bought mine, so don't know about medicare.

Re: Chairlifts

duffy2 — Wed, 08 Jan 2020 17:20:16 GMT

there are some that are available for rent. my aunt rented and the company came and installed it and taught her how to operate it. she only paid about $100 a month and when she to leave for a home the company came and took it out no charge. also if your dr write a script for the lift medicare will pay , not sure what medicare requires. but call around to medical supply places

Re: Chairlifts

Krimpette — Wed, 08 Jan 2020 17:27:47 GMT

Some really good information! Thanks so much! I never thought about the possibility of renting one! Appreciate the input!

Re: Chairlifts

Zhills — Wed, 08 Jan 2020 20:09:11 GMT

My friend has one that the VA bought for him. He said it is synced with "Alexa" in his house.

Re: Chairlifts

CelticCrafter — Wed, 08 Jan 2020 20:59:29 GMT

My mother in law paid $3,000 for hers many years ago.

The batteries are expensive, around $300 when they need to be replaced.

Re: Chairlifts

Peaches McPhee — Wed, 08 Jan 2020 21:26:24 GMT

They are very expensive, and made to order, so finding a usable used one is unlikely. Easily $10K at least. I don't think Medicare pays, but I am not 100% sure either.

Re: Chairlifts

Carmie — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 00:33:33 GMT

I know several people who have these in their homes including a cousin of mine who has a leg amputation above the knee.

My husband installed this for him. He ran an electrical line to the stairs from the basement, installed the rails to the wall and hooked it up to the electricity. Then he installed the chair to the rails. He did all of this in a few hours with no help except for me. I read the directions to him aloud while he worked.

It was not all that expensive. The kit was about $2000. My cousin is a big man so he needed one rated to hold his weight. If you are of an average weight, they are less expensive.

If you can find someone to install it, which is easy. The cost is not bad at all. If you have to pay for installation, that might cost you a lot more.

These are not medical devices and not covered by insurance.

Re: Chairlifts

Anniedog — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 00:35:37 GMT

We purchased ours from Ameriglide. It's a no-frills version but gets the job done in our 2-story home and has run well for almost 6 years. It was about $1500 when we got it but they're about $1700 now. It has allowed us to remain in our home and is worth every penny.

Re: Chairlifts

Krimpette — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 00:35:50 GMT

Thanks again, folks, for such helpful information!

Re: Chairlifts

september — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 00:54:21 GMT

They are not too expensive, if you can get a family member or local handyman to help with the installation. But as mentioned, they work best with a single stairway without landings.

In my parents former home, they had two landings on the way to their upper level. This would not have worked for them.

Re: Chairlifts

PrettyWoman1952 — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 17:22:25 GMT

What we are talking about is a stairlift, not a chairlift. I have a two-story home and did not want two separate rails due to having to get off and on at the landing to continue to the main floor. To me, that was too dangerous having to get on and off with a laundry basket or groceries. Mine was custom made and curves around the landing. Mine was installed in July 2018 and the cost was $10,400 and worth every penny. If you only need a straight, prefab straight rail, it's considerably less expensive. Medicare doesn't cover stairlifts. I've been in my home for 44-1/2 years and wouldn't be able to age in place without it.

Re: Chairlifts

chrystaltree — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 20:57:40 GMT

Google doesn't have a mind of it's own, Google can't stalk you or tell the world that you looked up stair lifts...LOL My cousin recently put one in her home because the bedrooms are all upstairs and she has a serious spine condition. The costs varies, it depends on the number of stairs and how straight the staircase is. She said she was fortunate because she had less than 20 steps and her staircase goes straight up with no corners or bends. Still, it cost her just under $7000. They aren't covered by Medicare or Health Insurance.

Re: Chairlifts

Barbara in Virginia — Sun, 12 Jan 2020 11:52:48 GMT

We got one for my husband a short while back and have been more than happy with it. After doing considerable research, we bought a Bruno in the larger and more comodious model. It was highly rated for quality, durability, and follow up should we need it. Ours is for a straight line stairs, but in an historic house where nothing is regular! Ours was custom ordered and came in about two weeks. A Bruno certified installer did the installation, which included putting in another electrical line. He did an excellent job and did come back to fix a minor glitch.

As I remember, our total cost was around $3500, probably less than it would cost in more urban areas. Our Bruno lift has been a game changer for my husband and worth every penny.

Re: Chairlifts

violann — Sun, 12 Jan 2020 12:16:42 GMT

After having spent the last several years caring for very dear, very frail, very elderly relatives, I've observed that when stubbornness and anxiety combine with aging, the importance of self care can be put on the shelf and forgotten.

If you and/or your dearest are cognitively intact, relatively able to manage physically, and financially capable of maintaining your home for the foreseeable future, the stair lift becomes a requirement for your life AND NOT a frill.

I'm seeing FAR TOO MANY people who would truly BENEFIT from this kind of home adaptation denying themselves, then REGRETTING that they did so, and sometimes having to sacrifice the pleasure and comfort of homes in which they want to continue to live because of their beliefs about adaptive devices.

If you worked hard your whole life, ask yourself- what's important to me in my retirement years? If you can answer that question by saying -"I NEED SAFE AND CONVENIENT ACCESS TO BOTH FLOORS OF MY HOME", then DO IT!

Re: Chairlifts

gardenman — Sun, 12 Jan 2020 13:37:25 GMT

Just an aside here. Friends of my parents got a stairlift but were annoyed that it moved too slowly and never used it other than to ferry laundry up and down the stairs. Neither of them was especially young and spry, but both agreed that it always seemed to be at the wrong end of the stairs (upstairs when they were downstairs or vice versa) and it moved so slowly that they had no patience for it.

Re: Chairlifts

SahmIam — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 01:57:58 GMT

My neighbors have a stairlift for his father. It was not cheap. Because we live in a townhouse community, there are breaks in the stairs due to the landing in the entry-way. They had to have it specially made as no can lift him (they have home health aides in daily plus he and his wife each work from home one day a week) plus his mother is with them and she now has hip issues. They also had to have it installed on the outside stairs of their house (that stairlift is made just for outdoor use and has a special cover for the chair).

It cost them around $60,000 for all of it. I know because he had to apply for permission from the HOA for the outdoor lift and asked me (HOA President) what we would need. His wife joined us and we started discussing the cost of care for someone who is disabled, the cost of many things (not just money) for a family when you are caregivers and well, the price was mentioned. They figure that once his father passes on, his mother will use the chair for many years to come. This is in addition to what they've had to do their bathrooms as well....NONE of it covered by any agency.