I live alone in a 2 floor house. All three bedrooms and the only bathroom is upstairs. To get upstairs, there is a 13 step narrow, carpeted staircase. There really is no room to add a bathroom or bedroom on the main floor.
Stairs are no problem for me now at 56 and I think it's probably good for me to be running up and down the stairs all day long. Someday the stairs may become a problem. Should I plan to move soon (in the next 5 years) or can I plan to age in place in my current home at least for a while (perhaps 20 years).
A teenage girl in the UK invented the StairSteady System that basically adds a weight-bearing handle to the staircase, so you can use it to "steady" yourself as you go up or down the stairs. Watching the videos, I feel that if I can move around enough to cook for myself, I could also climb the stairs using this device. I realize that if I am in a wheelchair or have dementia, this won't help.
I think it looks ok since the handle folds away when not in use and since it is simple, I think the costs would be reasonable. Right now, this device is available throughout Canada and the UK, but not in the USA.
There is a similar device called AssiStep stair walker that does not look as nice and would cost more and is also NOT available in the US.
I do not think I would install more complicated systems like stair lifts. When I can't make my home work, I would just move.
Any thoughts? Do you think the Stair Steady system would buy me some extra time to age in place? Is anyone aware of similar "simple" solutions to make stairs easier to handle?
Am I worrying over nothing? Maybe stairs will never become an issue for me
Stairs are no problem for me now at 56 and I think it's probably good for me to be running up and down the stairs all day long. Someday the stairs may become a problem. Should I plan to move soon (in the next 5 years) or can I plan to age in place in my current home at least for a while (perhaps 20 years).
A teenage girl in the UK invented the StairSteady System that basically adds a weight-bearing handle to the staircase, so you can use it to "steady" yourself as you go up or down the stairs. Watching the videos, I feel that if I can move around enough to cook for myself, I could also climb the stairs using this device. I realize that if I am in a wheelchair or have dementia, this won't help.
I think it looks ok since the handle folds away when not in use and since it is simple, I think the costs would be reasonable. Right now, this device is available throughout Canada and the UK, but not in the USA.
There is a similar device called AssiStep stair walker that does not look as nice and would cost more and is also NOT available in the US.
I do not think I would install more complicated systems like stair lifts. When I can't make my home work, I would just move.
Any thoughts? Do you think the Stair Steady system would buy me some extra time to age in place? Is anyone aware of similar "simple" solutions to make stairs easier to handle?
Am I worrying over nothing? Maybe stairs will never become an issue for me