www.thevillagenews.co.za
5 February 2020
Mobility solutions for the elderly W hen we built our home more than 20 years ago, I never thought the stairs would become a problem. Truth be told, I didn’t even think I would still be here,” chuckles 84-year-old Bryan Burnside, who lives in Hermanus Heights with his wife, Megan. The couple recently had a private Lifta home lift installed in their house, and they could not be more pleased with the results. “We had started looking at single-storey properties but couldn’t find one we liked as much as our present home,” says Bryan, which is why they were overjoyed to find that there was a solution to hand. “The guys from Lifta were amazing and it took only two weeks from the day I first contacted them. The installation was completed in one and a half days and the technicians worked in a meticulous manner – no fuss and no mess.” Their attractive and stylish new home lift not only complements the interior of their home, but enables the Burnsides to bypass the staircase and glide smoothly to the upper storey of their house. Their double-volume
entrance hall provided the ideal space for the lift, but thanks to its self-supporting system, the Lifta home lift can be installed just about anywhere. Because of its small footprint, the lift requires very little space and the unique self-supporting system with integrated motor eliminates the need for a lift shaft. It can even be fitted into a storeroom or wall unit. Customers can choose between the Lifta DUO, which requires less than 1m² and can accommodate up to two people, or the Lifta TRIO with a footprint of 1.3m², which has room for up to three people and even a self-propelled wheelchair. This is what the Burnsides opted for. Apart from the attractive high-quality design, it incorporates several safety features such as a clear and user-friendly control panel, remote control and automatic obstruction protection. The TRIO also offers two doors so that the lift can be accessed from both sides, which offers flexibility when it comes to installation and usage. The ambient light inside the lift offers not only safety but also saves energy,
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as it operates on LED technology and automatically switches off after use. In fact, project manager Robert Schnetzer says the lift, which runs off your home’s main power supply, uses less electricity than a toaster. And in the case of load shedding, the battery back-up will ensure that the lift does not stop when in use but will safely complete your journey, be it up or down. The good news is that Lifta home lifts are now available in the Overstrand. With 40 years of experience in mobility solutions, including home lifts and stair lifts, Lifta offers a one-stop solution for the elderly or disabled who are not able to navigate a staircase. Contact Dewald on 066 114 7511 for a free appointment at your home or visit the website www.lifta.co.za
Bryan Burnside gets to test-drive the new Lifta TRIO home lift that was installed in his home last week. He has nothing but praise for the “meticulous job” done by project manager Robert Schnetzer and technician Christian Happel. PHOTO: Hedda Mittner