I’m seriously considering installing a stair lift for my mom. Just wanted to know if you folks had good experiences using this type of device with your parent. The alternative is to bring her bedroom downstairs, and I really think that the rearrangement of her house with provoke agitation and confusion. Thoughts?
Don't buy one from a private party. You need to know exactly what length of track you need, and they aren't something most people know how to install. You need a power source at the bottom of the stairs, but that's not a big deal. The medical supply place we bought ours from even brought along an electrician to install the electric socket.
If you can swing the expense, I say go ahead and do it. It was important for my mom to be in her own bed at night, and near her bathroom. She had spent some time downstairs after a hospital stay several years before, and it just turned the whole house upside down. Once she was strong enough to climb the stairs again, she slept better and improved much faster.
The track that the chair rides on should not extend into the walkway at the bottom. Ours does but the company has a feature that allows a section at the bottom of the track to fold up out of the way. It is only folded down when my wife goes upstairs.
Make sure to get the one that has a battery that will allow it to still work so you can get her down if the power goes off. Another plus is that you can use it to carry a bulky item up or down like those boxes of Christmas decorations that are stuffed into upstairs closets.