Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological condition that affects movement. Those suffering from Parkinson’s disease often struggle to navigate complex areas of their home, such as their stairs. As the disease develops, it can cause stiffness, tremors, and difficulties with balance.
These tedious symptoms of the disease make it challenging to climb the stairs safely. No one wants to move out of their long-term home because of a disease.
There are ways to improve safety around your home, and installing a stairlift is one of them. To find out more about climbing stairs safely with Parkinson’s disease, continue reading.
What is Parkinson’s Disease?
What is Parkinson’s disease? Parkinson’s disease is a condition that affects the brain, and findings suggest that it’s caused by the degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain. Whether it’s yourself or a loved one suffering from Parkinson’s disease, it’s important to understand how it can affect your safety.
The disease often results in a variety of symptoms, including slow movement and impaired balance, to name a few. Due to the disease’s ability to significantly affect movement, it can make staircase climbing incredibly dangerous.
Additionally, in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease, it can also become difficult to complete simple tasks, like dressing yourself or using everyday items such as a phone or computer. Non-movement-related symptoms can also occur when you have Parkinson’s disease; chronic pain, memory issues, and sleep disturbances are usually experienced.
Seeking medical attention is key when you suspect that you might have Parkinson’s disease. Those suffering from the disease often require help from a physical therapist, no matter what stage they’re at. Physical therapists help individuals to increase fitness levels while maintaining good posture as Parkinson’s develops.
Physical therapy is recommended for people with Parkinson’s disease and comes with an array of benefits for patients. Stair climbing is usually one of the hardest challenges people face when they have Parkinson’s disease, and it’s important to find ways to improve safety across your home to prevent a serious accident from occurring.
Navigating Your Stairs Safely with Parkinson’s Disease
Living with Parkinson’s disease presents many challenges, one of which is safely navigating stairs. Parkinson’s disease and climbing stairs don’t go hand in hand, but overcoming the difficulty of climbing your stairs can be done by implementing techniques or assistive devices.
We all want independence in our homes, with or without Parkinson’s disease. There are some simple ways that can make daily living much easier.
Without effective techniques or handy mobility equipment, there could be an increased risk of an accident occurring. Whether you’re in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease or have been living with it for some time, it’s important to be able to climb stairs safely.
Take Small Steps
Before tackling stairs, it’s essential to assess your current abilities. If you’re still able to get up your stairs at walking speed without experiencing any major balance problems, you should be able to reach the top or bottom of your stairs safely by taking small steps.
Taking small steps will help to maintain control while minimising the risk of tripping or falling. When you take small steps, it’s important to move slowly and take your time. However, if you feel like you begin to need additional support, it might be time to consider installing an assistive device.
Install Handrails
Handrails provide crucial support and stability when you walk up the stairs. Falling and postural control are often linked, and it’s important to maintain the right posture as you travel up the stairs. You can use handrails as support by gripping them firmly as you travel up or down your stairs.
Install a Stairlift
Installing a stairlift in your home is most beneficial for Parkinson’s patients. Stairlifts provide safety and security when it comes to navigating the stairs. Whether you have a straight or curved staircase, these helpful pieces of equipment come with many advantages, especially for those with Parkinson’s disease.
A stairlift eliminates the need to climb stairs manually, offering a comfortable journey to the upper and lower parts of your home. Parkinson’s is known to take away independence from patients; stairlifts allow you to access the top levels of your home without any need for assistance.
Why are Stairlifts Beneficial?
Having to climb your stairs with Parkinson’s disease can be physically demanding, and if you experience fatigue or stiffness regularly, you should consider having a stairlift installed. In general, stairlifts are a great option when it comes to making your stairs easier to navigate.
Stairlifts allow you to focus primarily on operating your device instead of worrying about accidents occurring as you walk up the stairs. Beneficial for older people and individuals with movement disorders, these assistive devices make your daily life much easier.
Are You Interested in Having a Stairlift Installed?
If you’re interested in having a stairlift installed in your home, you’ll be glad to know that you’re in the right place. Here at Halton Stairlifts, we understand the complexities that come with having Parkinson’s disease.
Our wide range of high-quality and luxurious stairlifts are most popular, helping people up and down the country navigate their stairs safely. We have a selection of curved, straight, and outdoor stairlifts available across our site.
Each stairlift will be installed by trusted DBS-checked engineers, who offer support, guidance, and advice throughout. A member of our team will complete a full assessment of your staircase to ensure the right stairlift model is chosen before installation takes place.
Finding your dream stairlift doesn’t have to be a long and tedious process; we aim to have your stairlift up and running as quickly as possible. In addition to our expert services, we also offer stairlift rentals in the UK.
Whether you want to try out our reliable stairlifts before committing to a long-term purchase or have recently endured an injury that affects your mobility, our rental stairlifts give you the chance to try out our handy mobility devices in your home. For further information about our stairlift designs, please feel free to contact us today. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Neil is the founder of Halton Stairlifts. He has years of experience installing stairlifts across the UK. With an eagerness to help those with mobility issues get up the stairs, Neil understands how important it is for a seamless and straightforward approach to installing stairlifts to help those in need quickly.