Stair Lifts to Improve Mobility of Patients with Parkinson’s Parkinson disease (also known as PD or shaking palsy) is a progressive disorder of the nervous system primarily affecting movement. The disease slowly starts with a noticeable tremor in just one hand causing stiffness or slowing of movement. People get affected by this disease usually after the age 50. Reports say that about one million people in the United States and an estimated four million worldwide suffer from this neurodegenerative condition. It is found that men are one and a half times more likely to have Parkinson's than women. The general symptoms associated with this disease may vary from mild to severe and include difficulty in movement, impaired posture and balance, loss of automatic movements, speech changes, tremor, and rigid muscles. It can significantly affect people’s lives, severely limiting their mobility to perform their routine tasks and making their everyday lives more difficult. Stair lift – Helpful Device for the Mobility Impaired Parkinson’s disease affects the muscles as a result of which movement can become very difficult. Climbing stairs can become impossible. Assistive devices can help to improve the mobility of seniors in such situations and stair chair lifts are a perfect option. These accessibility devices help to improve the mobility and independence of people by allowing them to travel over the stairs in a seated, standing or other convenient position. Leading dealers offer various types of stair lifts from leading manufacturers. Systems from brands such as Harmar, Acorn, Savaria and Bruno come with advanced technical and safety features. There are devices for winding staircases and those with multiple landings, round corners or steep angles. To understand their features, let’s look at a premium quality stairlift in the market – the SL400 Vantage Stair Lift. SL400 Vantage Straight Stair Lift This model from Harmar provides safe and smooth access over a flight of straight stairs. Integrated with a rack and pinion drive system along with speed regulator, this device provides a consistent drive speed as it ascends or descends. The Vantage is also easy to install, operate and maintain. With an upholstered seat and anodized rail system, this straight stair lift can match any home décor. It comes with covered gear tracks that keep the stairs clean. The device is compact and folds to allow others use the stairs. The device is easy to operate and comes with a number of safety mechanisms such as footrest obstruction sensors, cut-off switch and final limits / seat belt. The safety design complies with ASME A18.1, CAN/CSA B44.1, and ASME A17.5 standards. Other key features of this device include
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Swivel seat - 90° at top
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Weight capacity - 300 lbs
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Travel speed - 19 feet/minute
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Simple and durable design using 20% fewer parts
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Rail install 5” from wall; mounts on steps
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Powerful for stair inclines up to 45-degrees
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Motor output - 14 amps
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Includes 2 wireless remotes
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DC drive system can operate several cycles during power outages
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Compact, folds to 13.6” to allow others to pass by
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Braking - self-locking gear box
Purchase from a Reliable Dealer in Accessibility Equipment Purchasing your accessibility device from an established elevator and lift company offers many advantages. Browse online to find information about the products available and the dealers offering them. Compare dealers to find one that can provide you with a quality stairlift that can make life easier for your loved one with Parkinson’s. Make sure that the product is competitively priced and that reliable post-purchase is available.