In short
- An occupational therapist assessment through your council is free and is usually the first step towards a grant.
- Smaller changes such as a second banister, grab rails and better lighting may be enough, and councils should pay for minor adaptations below a set cost.
- A stairlift needs the user to sit, stand and transfer safely. If that is likely to become difficult, a through-floor lift or living on one floor may last longer.
- Tenants normally need their landlord's consent, and leaseholders usually need the freeholder's consent, especially for anything on a shared staircase.
- Fire safety rules for shared stairs in blocks of flats mean a stairlift on a communal stair needs the agreement of whoever is responsible for the building.
Begin with an occupational therapist's view
An occupational therapist, often called an OT, looks at how someone manages everyday tasks at home and suggests changes that would help. The NHS says a home assessment from the council is free, and an occupational therapist will visit you at home. In most of Kent this is arranged through Kent County Council's adult social care team. In Medway, Medway Council provides the service itself.
An assessment is useful even if you plan to pay for a stairlift yourself, for several reasons.
- It looks at the whole picture, including getting in and out of bed, washing, using the toilet and getting in and out of the house, not just the stairs.
- It can identify whether a stairlift is safe for the person, given their balance, strength, eyesight, memory and how their condition may change.
- It is usually the first step towards a Disabled Facilities Grant, and the council will normally only fund what the occupational therapist recommends.
- It can lead to smaller pieces of equipment and minor adaptations being provided quickly.
Smaller changes: a second banister, grab rails and better lighting
For some people the stairs become manageable again with a few simple changes. They cost far less than a stairlift, can be fitted quickly, and don't stop anyone else using the stairs.
- A second banister or stair rail, so there is something firm to hold on both sides. The NHS lists a banister on the stairs among common adaptations.
- Grab rails at the top and bottom of the stairs, and beside the front door, toilet or bath.
- Brighter lighting on the stairs, with switches at the top and bottom, and contrasting edges on the steps for anyone with poor eyesight.
- Removing loose rugs and clutter near the stairs.
- A half step or extra rail on a particularly steep or awkward step.
The NHS says the council should pay for each minor adaptation below a set cost limit (the costs guide on this site gives the figure), which in practice usually covers things such as grab rails and stair rails if the assessment shows they are needed. If smaller changes are enough for now, it is still worth discussing with the occupational therapist what might be needed later, so you are not starting from scratch if things change.
Living on one floor: moving a bedroom downstairs
Some families decide that the simplest answer is not to use the stairs at all. Turning a dining room or front room into a bedroom can work well, especially if there is already a toilet downstairs. It can be done quickly, it doesn't depend on the person being able to use a stairlift safely, and it leaves the stairs free for everyone else.
The questions to think about are mostly practical. Is there a toilet and somewhere to wash on the ground floor? If not, could one be added, for example in a utility room or an extension? GOV.UK lists building an extension such as a downstairs bedroom, and level-access showers, among the things a Disabled Facilities Grant can help with. Would the person feel cut off from the rest of the home, or would they welcome it? Is there enough space for a bed that suits their needs, and for carers to help if needed?
Living downstairs can also be combined with other options. Some people use a ground-floor bedroom during a period of recovery and decide later whether a stairlift or home lift is needed. An occupational therapist can help you weigh this up.
Through-floor home lifts
A through-floor lift, sometimes called a home lift, is a small lift car that travels vertically between the ground floor and the floor above, through an opening cut in the ceiling. Some models carry a seated or standing person, and larger ones carry a wheelchair user in their chair.
- It can suit people who can't safely transfer onto a stairlift seat, or whose needs are likely to progress to using a wheelchair.
- It doesn't use the staircase, so the stairs stay clear for others.
- It needs space on both floors, usually a corner of a downstairs room and a bedroom above, and the ceiling opening involves building work.
- Structural work may need Building Regulations approval, so ask the installer how this will be handled and whether a structural engineer is involved.
- It generally costs considerably more than a stairlift and takes longer to arrange and install.
Through-floor lifts can be funded through a Disabled Facilities Grant where an occupational therapist recommends one. If you rent or own a leasehold flat, you will need permission from the landlord or freeholder before any structural work.
Platform lifts and step lifts for wheelchair users
A stairlift carries a seated or perching person, not a wheelchair. If the user relies on a wheelchair and the wheelchair needs to go with them, other kinds of lift are designed for that.
- Inclined platform lifts run on a rail up a staircase, like a stairlift, but carry a platform big enough for a wheelchair. They need a wide staircase and space at both ends, so they are more often found in larger homes or public buildings.
- Short-rise or step lifts raise a wheelchair a short height, for example from a garden to a back door or between two levels inside the house.
- Ramps, where there is enough space, may be a simpler answer for a few steps at the entrance.
The same safety standard, BS EN 81-40, covers stairlifts and inclined lifting platforms for people with impaired mobility. As with any lift, ask for a survey, a written quote and clear servicing arrangements.
When moving home is worth considering
For some households, the honest answer is that the home itself no longer suits. That is a big decision and it shouldn't be rushed, but it is worth thinking about alongside a stairlift, particularly if several parts of the home are becoming difficult.
- A bungalow, a ground-floor flat or a home with a lift avoids stairs altogether.
- Retirement housing and extra care housing can offer level access and support on site.
- Councils and housing associations may be able to help with a move if you are their tenant, or if your current home can't reasonably be adapted.
- A move may bring the person closer to family, shops and services, or it may take them away from neighbours and routines that matter.
A stairlift can still make sense while a move is being considered, and renting one or choosing a reconditioned lift can keep the cost down if it may only be needed for a while. Talk it through as a family, and involve the person whose home it is in every decision.
Renting your home: asking the landlord
If you rent, you normally need your landlord's written permission before a stairlift or any other adaptation is fitted. Most tenancy agreements say so, and the landlord is responsible for the building.
- Private tenants: for many private tenancies, section 190 of the Equality Act 2010 says that where a tenant asks to make an improvement that would help a disabled person living there, the landlord must not unreasonably withhold consent, must give reasons in writing if they refuse, and may attach reasonable conditions, such as making good when the lift is removed.
- Council and housing association tenants: ask your landlord first, because many social landlords have their own process for adaptations and may arrange the work themselves.
- Disabled Facilities Grants: tenants can apply, and the council will normally involve the landlord before the work goes ahead.
Because most stairlift rails fix to the stair treads rather than the walls, removal usually leaves only screw holes that can be filled. Mentioning this to a landlord, along with an occupational therapist's recommendation, often helps.
Leasehold flats and shared staircases
Leaseholders, including people who own a flat or maisonette, usually need the freeholder's consent for alterations, and the lease will say what is allowed. Check the lease and ask the freeholder or managing agent early, before you pay for anything.
A stairlift inside your own maisonette, on a staircase that only you use, is usually a matter for the lease and the freeholder's consent. A stairlift on a shared staircase in a block of flats is very different. The communal stairs are usually the escape route in a fire, and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to the common parts of blocks of flats. The responsible person, usually the freeholder, landlord or managing agent, has to assess fire risks in those areas and keep escape routes available.
- Ask the freeholder or managing agent before getting quotes for a shared stair.
- Expect them to consider whether a parked lift or rail would narrow or obstruct the escape route, and they may need advice from a fire risk assessor or the installer.
- Other leaseholders may need to be consulted if the stairs are shared.
- If a shared-stair lift isn't possible, ask the occupational therapist about other options, including a move to a ground-floor flat.
Questions to weigh up as a family
If you are helping a parent or relative decide, these questions can make the conversation easier. The most important voice is that of the person who will live with the result.
- What is hardest right now?Is it climbing the stairs, coming down them, carrying things, or getting tired? The answer points to different solutions.
- How might things change?Think about the next few years, not just the next few weeks, and ask the GP or occupational therapist if you are unsure.
- Can the person use a stairlift safely?They need to be able to sit, stand, turn and use the controls, and to understand how to use it. The occupational therapist can advise.
- What would they prefer?Some people want to keep using their own bedroom at any cost. Others would happily move downstairs. Neither is wrong.
- What permissions are needed?Landlords, freeholders, and the council if a grant is involved, all need to agree before anything is ordered.
Get quotes from local stairlift installers
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Sources
- NHS: Home adaptations: www.nhs.uk/social-care-and-support/care-services-equipment-and-care-homes/home-adaptations/
- GOV.UK: Disabled Facilities Grants: www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants
- GOV.UK: Disabled Facilities Grants, how to apply: www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants/how-to-claim
- Sevenoaks District Council: Disabled facilities grants: www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/dfg
- Medway Council: Adapting your home: www.medway.gov.uk/info/200151/housing_advice/80/adapting_your_home
- legislation.gov.uk: Equality Act 2010, section 190 (improvements to let dwelling houses): www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/190
- GOV.UK: Check your fire safety responsibilities under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022: www.gov.uk/government/publications/check-your-fire-safety-responsibilities-under-the-fire-safety-england-regulations-2022/check-your-fire-safety-responsibilities-under-the-fire-safety-england-regulations-2022
- BSI: BS EN 81-40:2020, stairlifts and inclined lifting platforms intended for persons with impaired mobility: knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/safety-rules-for-the-construction-and-installation-of-lifts-special-lifts-for-the-transport-of-persons-and-goods-stairlifts-and-inclined-lifting-platforms-intended-for-persons-with-impaired-mobility