Mobility Planet

Platform lifts have improved the way the disabled cope with their daily routine. Today, people can even afford to install lifts in their own home. These machines greatly reduce the risks and dangers associated with limited mobility and will be more important since more and more individuals are entering retirement each year. Choosing a platform lift will require you to do some careful study and research first. Here are the available types.

The 3 Types

There are 3 main kinds of platform lifts available for people to install in their own house: vertical platform lifts, inclined platform lifts and stair lifts. Each type offers special advantages according to the specific condition and case of the user.

Vertical platform lifts or through-floor lifts are the most commonly used, especially by people on wheelchairs. These can be lowered and raised on a platform that moves through the floor, giving it its name. The lift can take the person vertically from one area to the next. Although most models are only good for two floors, there are other versions that can take the person to several floors, depending on the structure and type. The look is very simple and can easily be accessed by people on walkers or wheelchairs without compromising their position.

Inclined platform lifts make use of a platform that moves on a system to go up and down. The difference is that it moves at an incline and not vertically. This is ideal for moving up and down the stairs, although the stairs has to go only in one direction without any turns and twists. This is convenient during installation since holes don't have to be cut. The system is generally placed to a load-bearing wall.

The stair lift is the third type and is also commonly used among platform lifts. It also travels up and down at an incline. Compared o the inclined platform lift, there is an attached seat on the wall that moves the user up and down. This is ideal for people who have limited mobility but do not use wheelchairs.