Happy 2008 to Everyone
I was wondering if anyone has had experience with stair lifts/glide rides for stairs? We are living in a 2-storey house, with bedrooms and main bathrooms on the upper level. My husband is currently able to manage going upstairs on his own, but with much difficulty, and I am thinking that installing one of these aids is in the not-too-distant future. Any advice/feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! ~ Robbie

Good afternoon, I do not have any person experience, but a friend has installed the lift in their home for their mother and it works great. The back-up battery system is a needed feature. We also have a friend that use to sell and install these lifts. He is no longer in the business, but highly recommends them yet today.

I have had a stair lift in each of my last 2 residences. Here's my experience:

PROS: Reliable; almost maintenance free; mentally and physically appealing since it allows me full access to the whole house.

CONS: Can be expensive depending on height, angle, curves and landing area space; most units may look unattractive with the existing decor; holes may need to be drilled which can ruin wall or hardwood floors; can be a bit noisy; sales provider can be pushy; in some cases the unit is custom made and cannot be reused in other areas.

All in all, I'm pretty happy with what I've got. My only recommendation would be to do some evaluation on the person's needs and then deal with a reputable local dealer that can provide maintenance and emergency services.

Bruce and loshimo1 - thanks very much for the feedback re the stairlifts - much appreciated! So far, I've only found one distributor in Canada and they are at the other end of the country, so we'd be on our own as far as installation and services go That makes me somewhat hesitant, but the product does look good. Their website is very informational and includes installation and maintenance instructions - looks pretty straightforward. www.acornstairlifts.com The price she quoted me was $2700.00 (CAN), without installation. We are giving it serious consideration, and if we do go ahead, I will report back here with our impressions. Thanks again!

One more thing I forgot to add is that if you're in the US, the cost and installation is a valid expense which if followed correctly may result in tax savings.