Residential elevators have had a revolution in technology in the past decade, and are now the affordable, practical and desirable solution to moving between floors in the home for those with mobility issues.
At Stiltz Home Elevators, we see a wide range of customers including seniors, parents with young families, those looking to future-proof their homes, and ever increasingly, a specific type of customer; adults looking to buy a residential elevator for their senior-age parents. Here, we look at the main reasons these customers give for wanting their parents to have an elevator in their home.
Peace of mind
One of the most difficult things about having older parents is the worry: worry about their safety in the home, worry about if they get ill, and worry about what the future will bring in terms of mobility. Installing a home lift in the parents’ home can help ease these concerns. By removing the need for stairs, which is a major hazard for many older people the residential elevator can make older people feel much safer in the home, and in turn give their offspring peace of mind. And in addition to this, installing an elevator before it is truly needed can be an excellent defense in future-proofing the home, taking away the worry about future mobility needs due to illness or age.
Retaining the family home
As people age, in many ways the home environment becomes more important than ever. Emotionally, the family home often contains many happy memories, and on a practical level it often has evolved over decades to meet the needs of the family, with décor to suit personal taste. In addition to this, the parental home is often at the heart of family gatherings, and a base for everyone to return to.
Installing a residential elevator in the family home often means that seniors can age in place, reducing the need for the upheaval of a move into a care home or single-story living, or even just the moving around of rooms within the home, for example converting a first-floor reception room into a bedroom. Staying in the family home brings a sense of continuity for older people, and because Stiltz home lifts are neat and compact the home does not feel full of unsightly mobility devices – unlike with a stair lift.
Maintaining independence
Those with older parents often say that keeping their parents’ independence is one of the most important things for them. Many seniors have youthful minds and spirits but are frustrated with their lack of mobility. With the help of a two-person home elevator keeping the home as accessible as possible, older parents can retain their independence from their adult children and carers for longer. Customers report that this helps to preserve the parent-child balance, even into later years of life, and the relationships benefit as a result. There are also wheelchair elevators available for parents who are wheelchair users.
Security
Another factor which comes into play for those with older parents is that of security and safety. The offspring of seniors are increasingly turning to technology to help protect their parents’ security, be this video doorbells, remotely accessed security cameras, and alarms for emergencies. Being able to move more easily around the home keeps it safer and being able to get downstairs when needed is vital, so another reason people are persuading their parents to install a residential elevator is the control they give seniors over their home and its security.