The Stair Lift Fits the Stairs You Have: Measure the Rail, the Landings, and the Seat Before You Order

A stair lift is sized by your staircase, not by a brochure. Before anyone quotes you a seat, go up and down the stairs with a tape and a pencil and write down what you find. The numbers decide whether the lift fits at all.

Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.

Measure the stair itself

Measure the clear width at the seat position, from the wall to the handrail, and measure again at the narrowest point. Note the depth of each step and the number of steps. Check whether the stairs turn or have a landing at the top or bottom, because a turn changes the rail length and where the chair parks. Mark the spot where the seat will fold when it is not in use. If that spot blocks a door, a closet, or the path you walk at 2 a.m., the lift will fight you every night.

Check the seat against how she sits now

Size the seat by the way she sits on an ordinary day, not on her best day. Ask the installer how wide the seat is and how far the armrests and footrest reach. Have her sit in a chair of similar height and see whether she can swing both legs in, including the weak side. If the footrest hits the next step or the seat is too narrow for her hips, the lift will be hard to use and she may refuse it. Ask whether a different seat or a different model would fit the same stair, and write the answer down.

Ask about power and the controls

Ask what happens when the power goes out and whether the chair has a battery backup. Ask how long the backup runs and whether the seat can be moved by hand on the rail if the battery is dead. Ask who calls for service, how fast they come, and whether the chair stops on its own if something faults. Test the controls yourself from the bottom and from the top. If you have to stretch or lean to reach them, you will not like the chair at 6 p.m. when you are tired.

Plan the transfer at the top and bottom

The lift moves her along the stairs. It does not replace hands-on help where she gets on and off. Decide before installation who will be at the top, who will help her off the seat, and whether a second person is needed. Do not try to lift her out of the seat yourself. Ask her therapist or the installer to show you the safe way to help at each end, and ask them to watch you do it once.

What to get in writing

Before you sign, ask for the model, the weight limit, the seat and rail measurements, the power backup details, the service call number, and the name of who owns the warranty paperwork. Keep those papers with the day sheet. If you are not sure whether your stairs or your budget can carry a lift, the local help listings on this site are a place to start the calls.

Read Local Help for Husband Caregivers for people in the area who answer questions like these.