Now this statement is a bit of an oxymoron. A perfect psychic reading is not one that you hear everything you ever dreamed of hearing. A perfect one is a reading that you are told everything you need to know that will affect your life good or bad. Psychics on the World Wide Web are a dime a dozen, but the good ones are like gems in a mine. Just like psychic reading sites themselves. They can be found in the millions on the internet but that does not mean they are all reputable. You have to look hard to find one that is the right one for you. A good psychic will tell you your future with the up most honesty, at the same time as council you on the path you are on. Sugar coating is good in a dessert but definitely not in a psychic reading.
The first thing you need to look for is the reader’s feedback and profile. This will let you know exactly what other clients have expressed as to their happiness or dissatisfaction of their reading itself. You will gain the first hand knowledge of what to expect or not to expect. Are the comments negative? Then move to the next. Do you have a good feeling about this particular reader? Then by all means feel comfortable. The readers profile will help you gain a feeling using your intuition as to what level of trust you can get from the reader itself. You will learn how they are qualified to do psychic readings and their modes of divination like runes, tarot cards, or pendulums. You will also learn what their abilities are like clairvoyant (power to see), clairaudient (the power to hear), and empathic (the power to feel emotions) just to name a few.
Some sites have the ability to try out their services first before you purchase a private reading. Allot of sites today have specials where you can either chat with a psychic in a chat room environment, receive time free before you commit to call, or have a special for first time buyers. It is recommended that you try to see if the psychic can connect with you first before you make that first purchase. Sites that do not offer you a chance to connect or receive a cheaply priced private reading for first time clients should be avoided.
The psychic website that you go to should be viewed with a keen eye. Go into the chat room if they have one and see what other clients think in real time. Talk to them and get a vibe of how the site is and what to expect. If they have live readers in the chat room then build a rapport with them. Get to know them as individuals and treat them as such, since they are human just like you.
Whichever website you choose for your psychic readings I hope that you will go away with the answers to the questions you seek. When you find the right site you will know in your heart by the vibe you get. Psychics these days cost less than councilors, and do twice the work.
Astrological Readings | Psychic Readings Online
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Rays of Light - How they can be harenessed by Greenhouses
Every day, the sun beams down huge amounts of warmth and light onto the Earth, in the form of light waves, or ‘rays’. However, most of these rays are wasted, as we still have few effective ways of harnessing and storing them.
Greenhouses store these rays by using a very simple piece of science to their advantage. Basically, if you make a structure out of glass, then the sun’s rays can pass through the glass to get into the structure, but then get trapped inside.
This happens because of the unique structure of glass that allows light to pass through but not air. When the sun’s rays get into the greenhouse, they heat up the air, soil, rocks, plants and other things inside the greenhouse, which then retain the heat. As the heat that has been absorbed into the air and objects cannot simply escape again, the greenhouse gradually gets hotter and hotter because of the amount of heat that is being trapped inside.
One hot day can keep the inside of a greenhouse warm for several days, and even a normal day will be good enough to keep the greenhouse warm overnight.
By using the heat that is stored in the greenhouse, the plants inside can grow and make food for themselves, even when it’s cold outside. As the temperatures in greenhouses will rise far above the outside temperature in warm conditions, they allow you to grow plants that would usually only grow in a more tropical climate than there is where you live, such as exotic fruits and flowers.
However, because of the way greenhouses work, you need to be careful about how often you go in your greenhouse. Every time you open the door, a huge amount of the heat will escape, and if you’re going in there every day then the greenhouse will be next to useless. However tempting it might be to go in and look at your plants, they will do much better if you plant them and then leave them alone (look through the windows if you have to!), only going in very occasionally to water them.
how to build a greenhouse | build your own greenhouse
Greenhouses store these rays by using a very simple piece of science to their advantage. Basically, if you make a structure out of glass, then the sun’s rays can pass through the glass to get into the structure, but then get trapped inside.
This happens because of the unique structure of glass that allows light to pass through but not air. When the sun’s rays get into the greenhouse, they heat up the air, soil, rocks, plants and other things inside the greenhouse, which then retain the heat. As the heat that has been absorbed into the air and objects cannot simply escape again, the greenhouse gradually gets hotter and hotter because of the amount of heat that is being trapped inside.
One hot day can keep the inside of a greenhouse warm for several days, and even a normal day will be good enough to keep the greenhouse warm overnight.
By using the heat that is stored in the greenhouse, the plants inside can grow and make food for themselves, even when it’s cold outside. As the temperatures in greenhouses will rise far above the outside temperature in warm conditions, they allow you to grow plants that would usually only grow in a more tropical climate than there is where you live, such as exotic fruits and flowers.
However, because of the way greenhouses work, you need to be careful about how often you go in your greenhouse. Every time you open the door, a huge amount of the heat will escape, and if you’re going in there every day then the greenhouse will be next to useless. However tempting it might be to go in and look at your plants, they will do much better if you plant them and then leave them alone (look through the windows if you have to!), only going in very occasionally to water them.
how to build a greenhouse | build your own greenhouse
Sunday, March 7, 2010
What You Need to Know Before Buying a Hearing Aid
You finally get up the nerve to go to the hearing aid office and get your ears tested. They break the news that you need a hearing aid. Your mind is swimming with visions of having to wear that huge thing on your ear. How could this have happened? Why me?! And then they start telling you about all of the different types you can get. All that terminology just goes right over your head. Don't they know your in shock! How on earth can you make a decision when you don't even know what they're talking about!
There are hundreds of different hearing aids. It can be a very complicated world of technological terms. Sometimes, those of us that work with hearing aids all the time can forget just how foreign they can sound to you. To make matters worse, the manufacturers like to call things different names, so they sound like something different. No wonder there's so much confusion!
I am going to try to unravel some of the mystery for you. When you get down to it, there are really only a few terms you need to understand.
There are seven primary styles of hearing aids: ITE, Half Shell, ITC, Mini Canal, CIC, BTE, and Open Ear.
In the Ear (ITE) ITE's are the largest custom style of hearing aid. They fill the bowl of your ear and can have the most power and features available.
Half Shell (HS) The Half Shell fills about half the bowl of your ear. They are able to have a good deal of power and features, use a smaller battery, but are more cosmetically appealing.
In the Canal (ITC) The next smallest size is the custom ITC. Harder to see than the larger hearing aids, but also not able to have as much power or as many features.
Mini Canal (MC) Smaller than the ITC hearing aid, the custom mini canal uses a smaller battery and has even less power available. Features can also be more limited.
Completely in the Canal (CIC) The CIC is the smallest custom in the ear hearing aid and very popular due to its cosmetic appeal and ease of use. There are usually no manual controls on a CIC, telephone usage is often better because they are less likely to whistle. Lack of power is the main reason people cannot use this style, though a small ear canal may keep you from being able to wear one also.
Behind the Ear (BTE) This hearing instrument sits behind your ear and is connected to your ear by a tube with an earmold. BTE hearing aids have the most power and features available.
Open Ear (OE) and Receiver in Canal (RIC) This hearing aid is a fairly new style of BTE made available in recent years and are much smaller then a traditional BTE. They are meant primarily for high frequency hearing loss. It is connected to your ear by a very thin tube or wire with a small earbud on the tip. They are called Open Ear because they leave the ear canal less blocked than other styles of hearing aid.
Important Features:
Directional Microphones - These are available on most BTE, OE, ITE, Half Shell, and ITC styles of hearing aids. They are the best feature you can have on your hearing aid for hearing in noisy places, such as restaurants. (They reduce sounds from behind, so that it does not interfere with the sound in front of you) Directional microphones can be automatic; they automatically turn on when the sound level in the room gets too loud. Some are also be adaptive, which means they can follow moving sounds, or reduce several different sounds at the same time.
Noise Reduction - Noise reduction doesn't really reduce noise, it reduces amplification in the frequencies where there is noise and no speech. If there is a fan running in the background, the hearing aid will not amplify it as much as it will speech. When the hearing aid finds both speech and noise at a frequency, you still get both. More advanced the hearing instruments manage noise better by breaking the frequencies up into smaller pieces.
Memories - There are two types of memories available on a hearing aid, manual and automatic. Many hearing aids have a push button that allows you to have different settings (memories) for different situations such as quiet places, noisy places, and music or telephone. The hearing aid beeps when you push the button to let you know which memory you are using. Advanced hearing aids can have memories that are automatic. Instead of pushing a button, the hearing aid does it for you! Some hearing aids can even have a combination of both.
Feedback Cancellation - Feedback (or that annoying whistling sound) is the number one complaint people have about hearing aids. Most hearing aid wearers experience feedback when they put their hand over their ear, or use the phone. Feedback Cancellation will take down the amount of feedback (whistling) that you hear.
Bands / Channels - Bands are what we use to adjust the volume in a hearing aid. More bands means more control when we program the hearing instrument to your hearing loss.
Channels are used to adjust the part of the hearing aid that keeps the sound from getting too loud. Channels can also refer to the hearing aid noise reduction system. For noise reduction, more channels is definitely better because the hearing aid can break the sound up into smaller pieces and isolate noise from speech.
These are the main things you need to understand about your hearing aid. If you really want the best one for you, I recommend you focus on telling your professional what benefits you want from your hearing instrument. Let them know what frustrates you to give them a better idea of how they can help you. Their goal is to help you hear better, and when that happens, everyone wins.
What You Need to Know Before Buying a Hearing Aid
You finally get up the nerve to go to the hearing aid office and get your ears tested. They break the news that you need a hearing aid. Your mind is swimming with visions of having to wear that huge thing on your ear. How could this have happened? Why me?! And then they start telling you about all of the different types you can get. All that terminology just goes right over your head. Don't they know your in shock! How on earth can you make a decision when you don't even know what they're talking about!
There are hundreds of different hearing aids. It can be a very complicated world of technological terms. Sometimes, those of us that work with hearing aids all the time can forget just how foreign they can sound to you. To make matters worse, the manufacturers like to call things different names, so they sound like something different. No wonder there's so much confusion!
I am going to try to unravel some of the mystery for you. When you get down to it, there are really only a few terms you need to understand.
There are seven primary styles of hearing aids: ITE, Half Shell, ITC, Mini Canal, CIC, BTE, and Open Ear.
In the Ear (ITE) ITE's are the largest custom style of hearing aid. They fill the bowl of your ear and can have the most power and features available.
Half Shell (HS) The Half Shell fills about half the bowl of your ear. They are able to have a good deal of power and features, use a smaller battery, but are more cosmetically appealing.
In the Canal (ITC) The next smallest size is the custom ITC. Harder to see than the larger hearing aids, but also not able to have as much power or as many features.
Mini Canal (MC) Smaller than the ITC hearing aid, the custom mini canal uses a smaller battery and has even less power available. Features can also be more limited.
Completely in the Canal (CIC) The CIC is the smallest custom in the ear hearing aid and very popular due to its cosmetic appeal and ease of use. There are usually no manual controls on a CIC, telephone usage is often better because they are less likely to whistle. Lack of power is the main reason people cannot use this style, though a small ear canal may keep you from being able to wear one also.
Behind the Ear (BTE) This hearing instrument sits behind your ear and is connected to your ear by a tube with an earmold. BTE hearing aids have the most power and features available.
Open Ear (OE) and Receiver in Canal (RIC) This hearing aid is a fairly new style of BTE made available in recent years and are much smaller then a traditional BTE. They are meant primarily for high frequency hearing loss. It is connected to your ear by a very thin tube or wire with a small earbud on the tip. They are called Open Ear because they leave the ear canal less blocked than other styles of hearing aid.
Important Features:
Directional Microphones - These are available on most BTE, OE, ITE, Half Shell, and ITC styles of hearing aids. They are the best feature you can have on your hearing aid for hearing in noisy places, such as restaurants. (They reduce sounds from behind, so that it does not interfere with the sound in front of you) Directional microphones can be automatic; they automatically turn on when the sound level in the room gets too loud. Some are also be adaptive, which means they can follow moving sounds, or reduce several different sounds at the same time.
Noise Reduction - Noise reduction doesn't really reduce noise, it reduces amplification in the frequencies where there is noise and no speech. If there is a fan running in the background, the hearing aid will not amplify it as much as it will speech. When the hearing aid finds both speech and noise at a frequency, you still get both. More advanced the hearing instruments manage noise better by breaking the frequencies up into smaller pieces.
Memories - There are two types of memories available on a hearing aid, manual and automatic. Many hearing aids have a push button that allows you to have different settings (memories) for different situations such as quiet places, noisy places, and music or telephone. The hearing aid beeps when you push the button to let you know which memory you are using. Advanced hearing aids can have memories that are automatic. Instead of pushing a button, the hearing aid does it for you! Some hearing aids can even have a combination of both.
Feedback Cancellation - Feedback (or that annoying whistling sound) is the number one complaint people have about hearing aids. Most hearing aid wearers experience feedback when they put their hand over their ear, or use the phone. Feedback Cancellation will take down the amount of feedback (whistling) that you hear.
Bands / Channels - Bands are what we use to adjust the volume in a hearing aid. More bands means more control when we program the hearing instrument to your hearing loss.
Channels are used to adjust the part of the hearing aid that keeps the sound from getting too loud. Channels can also refer to the hearing aid noise reduction system. For noise reduction, more channels is definitely better because the hearing aid can break the sound up into smaller pieces and isolate noise from speech.
These are the main things you need to understand about your hearing aid. If you really want the best one for you, I recommend you focus on telling your professional what benefits you want from your hearing instrument. Let them know what frustrates you to give them a better idea of how they can help you. Their goal is to help you hear better, and when that happens, everyone wins.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Hearings aids for home living
There are a number of products which can be purchased to make living at home easier for the hard of hearing. Below are examples of such products.
Wake up alarms
Door lights
Smoke Alarms
Phone signallers
Alarms to wake up the user
It is common practice to remove hearing aids at night prior to sleeping. It may therefore be necessary to have an alarm clock which caters for the heard of hearing. Such alarms use different systems to wake the user including flashing lights, vibration and loud sounds. Depending on the users level of hearing one of the systems may be more suitable than the other. The vibrating system can be placed under the pillow or mattress.
Door Alarms to signal a visitor.
If the user hearing aids are of or turned down then a door alarm will be required. The most common system uses lights to make the user aware of a visitor. Other systems are wireless and use a pager to inform the user that they have a visitor.
Smoke Alarms
Smoke alarms are a very important safety feature that will emit a very loud sound or flashing lights to inform the user of the danger. A single alarm can be connected to several receivers, which can be placed in all the rooms of the house to inform the user wherever they are. Such systems can be installed professionally or purchased in a plug in form.
Telephone Phone Signallers
To inform the user that the telephone is ringing a phone signallers can be installed which operates by a flashing light or very loud ringing. The system is connected to the telephone line and then connecting a light to the signaller, which then flashes when a call is received. Remote systems are also available to transmit the phone signal to other rooms.
Hearing Aids Albuquerque NM
Wake up alarms
Door lights
Smoke Alarms
Phone signallers
Alarms to wake up the user
It is common practice to remove hearing aids at night prior to sleeping. It may therefore be necessary to have an alarm clock which caters for the heard of hearing. Such alarms use different systems to wake the user including flashing lights, vibration and loud sounds. Depending on the users level of hearing one of the systems may be more suitable than the other. The vibrating system can be placed under the pillow or mattress.
Door Alarms to signal a visitor.
If the user hearing aids are of or turned down then a door alarm will be required. The most common system uses lights to make the user aware of a visitor. Other systems are wireless and use a pager to inform the user that they have a visitor.
Smoke Alarms
Smoke alarms are a very important safety feature that will emit a very loud sound or flashing lights to inform the user of the danger. A single alarm can be connected to several receivers, which can be placed in all the rooms of the house to inform the user wherever they are. Such systems can be installed professionally or purchased in a plug in form.
Telephone Phone Signallers
To inform the user that the telephone is ringing a phone signallers can be installed which operates by a flashing light or very loud ringing. The system is connected to the telephone line and then connecting a light to the signaller, which then flashes when a call is received. Remote systems are also available to transmit the phone signal to other rooms.
Hearing Aids Albuquerque NM
Monday, March 1, 2010
How to Pass Your Medical Assistant Training
Although certification is not mandatory for a medical assistant, remember that it is never wrong to gain an accredited certification for your profession by passing the course the best you can. Medical assistant has gained its popularity over the last few years and the demand for medical assistant is high with very attractive job prospect and lucrative pay.
So if you have considered all the necessary, and really believe that that this is the career for you, then get yourself enrolled in one of the best school with their medical assistant program would be the right thing to start with. Medical assistant training is one of the greatest parts of the certification program because it focus a lot on the hands-on activity, while keeping the theoretical knowledge aside as good source of reference and guidance.
So here, I will share with you on what does it take to pass your medical assistant training with flying colors.
a. Ensure that you are ready and you have the absolute desire and passion to be a medical assistant. It is not surprising that people who love and are enthusiastic in their jobs will excel in their profession and career.
b. Make the learning fun and enjoyable for yourself; don't take it as an obligation so as to put unnecessary pressure on yourself. Make sure you enjoy every moment of the new learning and to really be assure that this is the right career for you.
c. Focus and provide your full attention during lecturers and participate enthusiastically in all the tutorials' working session and class discussions.
d. For any given assignments, don't procrastinate and keep it until the last minute. Last minute work is hardly of good quality. Plan out your work accordingly when works and projects are assigned by the faculty. If you really want to do well in your examination, make sure you are committed and serious in your given assignments by start preparing them as soon as you possibly can.
e. Consistently revising on the topics and areas which were taught in the classes. Work hard and get focus is the key to success. Kickoff with good momentum and consistently working diligently and seek for advice and further explanation from your lecturers if there are any area which you are not clear or have questions with.
f. Get yourself to the libraries and find any related information relating your course or search the online library where anything under the sky can be found through the Internet today. Stuff yourself with useful information and additional knowledge, other than those taught in the class. The better equipped you are in terms of the areas of examination; the more confident you shall have in yourself when it comes examination.
g. Keep up with the positive attitude and mindset. Try your best in everything you have been assigned for and expect for the best you will obtain. However anticipate for occasional failure during the training process as this is part of the learning process. Learn from the mistakes and move on to strive the best for the medical assistant training.
Read here to know how to build certified medical assistant career Everything you should know about medical assistant training
So if you have considered all the necessary, and really believe that that this is the career for you, then get yourself enrolled in one of the best school with their medical assistant program would be the right thing to start with. Medical assistant training is one of the greatest parts of the certification program because it focus a lot on the hands-on activity, while keeping the theoretical knowledge aside as good source of reference and guidance.
So here, I will share with you on what does it take to pass your medical assistant training with flying colors.
a. Ensure that you are ready and you have the absolute desire and passion to be a medical assistant. It is not surprising that people who love and are enthusiastic in their jobs will excel in their profession and career.
b. Make the learning fun and enjoyable for yourself; don't take it as an obligation so as to put unnecessary pressure on yourself. Make sure you enjoy every moment of the new learning and to really be assure that this is the right career for you.
c. Focus and provide your full attention during lecturers and participate enthusiastically in all the tutorials' working session and class discussions.
d. For any given assignments, don't procrastinate and keep it until the last minute. Last minute work is hardly of good quality. Plan out your work accordingly when works and projects are assigned by the faculty. If you really want to do well in your examination, make sure you are committed and serious in your given assignments by start preparing them as soon as you possibly can.
e. Consistently revising on the topics and areas which were taught in the classes. Work hard and get focus is the key to success. Kickoff with good momentum and consistently working diligently and seek for advice and further explanation from your lecturers if there are any area which you are not clear or have questions with.
f. Get yourself to the libraries and find any related information relating your course or search the online library where anything under the sky can be found through the Internet today. Stuff yourself with useful information and additional knowledge, other than those taught in the class. The better equipped you are in terms of the areas of examination; the more confident you shall have in yourself when it comes examination.
g. Keep up with the positive attitude and mindset. Try your best in everything you have been assigned for and expect for the best you will obtain. However anticipate for occasional failure during the training process as this is part of the learning process. Learn from the mistakes and move on to strive the best for the medical assistant training.
Read here to know how to build certified medical assistant career Everything you should know about medical assistant training
Stairlifts – A Guide For The Disabled And Elderly
Many elderly people face a difficult choice in their later years, as their ability to tackle the stairs in their houses becomes more difficult. Do they sell the houses they love and move into a bungalow or sheltered accommodation or do they convert their dining room to a bedroom and live downstairs, assuming they have a bathroom on the ground floor. Of course, there is a third option, which is to provide safe and secure access to their upstairs facilities by using installing a stairlift.
The purchase of a stairlift is quite a daunting prospect since it is something that you have probably never done before and will never do again. What should you look for in a stairlift and do you understand all of the facilities available and which ones are most important to you? There is also the cost factor, how much do you pay to get peace of mind and should you consider second-hand or reconditioned stairlifts.
Firstly, my recommendation is that whether you buy new or reconditioned that you go to a reputable supplier who can advise you on all of the issues, especially installation. If someone has passed away in you locality and their stairlift is for sale cheaply, it is tempting to buy it. However, remember that there are strict safety standards to adhere to, and that installation may not be straight forward. Just consider the tracking for a moment, is it a straight run, is it on the same side of the stairs, are the stairs the same dimensions, or is the tracking actually curved. With stairlifts you are not just buying a mobility product, you are also buying peace of mind. Make sure you deal with suppliers who have years of experience in advising customers and installing their products.
When considering actually what type of stairlift you require, most people opt for the seated version of the product although other types are available including a standing stairlift and one with a large platform to accommodate a wheelchair. For the rest of the article we will consider the most common type, the seated stairlift.
Seated Stairlift
These tend to be the most common type used in a domestic setting. The majority of users are able to walk, but find it difficult to negotiate the stairs. The person must be able to sit safely on the seat during transit and transfer on and off at the top and bottom of the stairs. A swivel seat and lift-up armrests will make transfers onto and off the seat easier.
The swivel seat can be manually or electrically operated. It is preferable that the user can transfer independently; however, in some situations it may be possible for the carer to carry out an assisted transfer in conjunction with a piece of small handling equipment. The ability of the carer to transfer the user at the top of the stairs should be very carefully considered and avoided if at all possible.
Seating Position
There is a choice of fixed seats, fold-down seats, perching seats and seats which slide forward to assist access in and out of the lift. Some companies will fix the seat at the most appropriate height for the user.
Some of questions you should consider prior to purchase are:
• Will the standard seat provided be the correct size for the user?
• Will the user need a special seat for a child or a harness for a more severely disabled child? A seat unit or moulded seating system will have to be removed before the seat can be folded.
• Which direction will the user need to face? Most seats face sideways, but if the user has a stiff knee he/she may need to face forwards to give them more room.
Installation Design Considerations
If your staircase has a sub-landing at the top, with a few steps to the left or right, most companies can fit a manual or motorised folding platform which bridges the gap between the top of the stairlift and the landing, although the number of stairs and the amount of available headroom will need to be taken into consideration. This allows the user to get off the stairlift and walk straight onto the landing, avoiding the need to have a curved or two straight stairlifts installed.
Some people may find the platforms unnerving as they are quite high up over the staircase. If the track for the stairlift cannot continue beyond the bottom or top step of the staircase, usually because it will obstruct a door, some companies can provide a fold-up, hinged rail to overcome this problem. Can other members of the household easily use the stairway when the lift is folded against the wall?
How will the stairlift be controlled and powered
Will the user be able to operate the standard controls, usually push button controls sited on the end of the armrest, or is an alternative method required, for example joystick or toggle controls? Will the controls need to be sited in another position? Wander leads allow the user to operate the controls from the most comfortable position or a carer to operate the lift independently. Remote controls, for a carer to operate, are also available from some companies. Lifts are available with an audible signal to alert blind and partially sighted users that the lift is at the top or the bottom of the track.
Straight stairlifts are available with a battery backup option in case of power failures. Most standard straight stairlifts are powered from the mains. Most curved stairlifts run from rechargeable batteries, which are continually topped up from charging points at the top and the bottom of the stairs. This needs accurate re-siting at the charging point because of a warning bleep if it is in the wrong place.
Maintaining your stairlift
Most major companies guarantee their stairlifts for one year. After this it is recommended that they are inspected every six months and serviced annually. Some companies offer an emergency call-out facility. However, check that they have fully trained service engineers on call 24 hours per day. On completion of your one year warranty most companies will offer to re-guarantee the lift for a charge. It is advisable to check these charges before purchasing.
So, in summary, my advice is to consider all of the points above and then contact a reputable supplier of stairlifts and go and discuss your requirements with them. Most have expert staff on hand to answer your technical queries and build a tailor made solution to fit your needs. Products to make someone more mobile are often bought by, or for, the vulnerable or infirm - take the risk out of the purchase and talk to experienced care advisors that have been specially trained to understand their customer's needs and requirements.
used stair lifts
used stairlifts
The purchase of a stairlift is quite a daunting prospect since it is something that you have probably never done before and will never do again. What should you look for in a stairlift and do you understand all of the facilities available and which ones are most important to you? There is also the cost factor, how much do you pay to get peace of mind and should you consider second-hand or reconditioned stairlifts.
Firstly, my recommendation is that whether you buy new or reconditioned that you go to a reputable supplier who can advise you on all of the issues, especially installation. If someone has passed away in you locality and their stairlift is for sale cheaply, it is tempting to buy it. However, remember that there are strict safety standards to adhere to, and that installation may not be straight forward. Just consider the tracking for a moment, is it a straight run, is it on the same side of the stairs, are the stairs the same dimensions, or is the tracking actually curved. With stairlifts you are not just buying a mobility product, you are also buying peace of mind. Make sure you deal with suppliers who have years of experience in advising customers and installing their products.
When considering actually what type of stairlift you require, most people opt for the seated version of the product although other types are available including a standing stairlift and one with a large platform to accommodate a wheelchair. For the rest of the article we will consider the most common type, the seated stairlift.
Seated Stairlift
These tend to be the most common type used in a domestic setting. The majority of users are able to walk, but find it difficult to negotiate the stairs. The person must be able to sit safely on the seat during transit and transfer on and off at the top and bottom of the stairs. A swivel seat and lift-up armrests will make transfers onto and off the seat easier.
The swivel seat can be manually or electrically operated. It is preferable that the user can transfer independently; however, in some situations it may be possible for the carer to carry out an assisted transfer in conjunction with a piece of small handling equipment. The ability of the carer to transfer the user at the top of the stairs should be very carefully considered and avoided if at all possible.
Seating Position
There is a choice of fixed seats, fold-down seats, perching seats and seats which slide forward to assist access in and out of the lift. Some companies will fix the seat at the most appropriate height for the user.
Some of questions you should consider prior to purchase are:
• Will the standard seat provided be the correct size for the user?
• Will the user need a special seat for a child or a harness for a more severely disabled child? A seat unit or moulded seating system will have to be removed before the seat can be folded.
• Which direction will the user need to face? Most seats face sideways, but if the user has a stiff knee he/she may need to face forwards to give them more room.
Installation Design Considerations
If your staircase has a sub-landing at the top, with a few steps to the left or right, most companies can fit a manual or motorised folding platform which bridges the gap between the top of the stairlift and the landing, although the number of stairs and the amount of available headroom will need to be taken into consideration. This allows the user to get off the stairlift and walk straight onto the landing, avoiding the need to have a curved or two straight stairlifts installed.
Some people may find the platforms unnerving as they are quite high up over the staircase. If the track for the stairlift cannot continue beyond the bottom or top step of the staircase, usually because it will obstruct a door, some companies can provide a fold-up, hinged rail to overcome this problem. Can other members of the household easily use the stairway when the lift is folded against the wall?
How will the stairlift be controlled and powered
Will the user be able to operate the standard controls, usually push button controls sited on the end of the armrest, or is an alternative method required, for example joystick or toggle controls? Will the controls need to be sited in another position? Wander leads allow the user to operate the controls from the most comfortable position or a carer to operate the lift independently. Remote controls, for a carer to operate, are also available from some companies. Lifts are available with an audible signal to alert blind and partially sighted users that the lift is at the top or the bottom of the track.
Straight stairlifts are available with a battery backup option in case of power failures. Most standard straight stairlifts are powered from the mains. Most curved stairlifts run from rechargeable batteries, which are continually topped up from charging points at the top and the bottom of the stairs. This needs accurate re-siting at the charging point because of a warning bleep if it is in the wrong place.
Maintaining your stairlift
Most major companies guarantee their stairlifts for one year. After this it is recommended that they are inspected every six months and serviced annually. Some companies offer an emergency call-out facility. However, check that they have fully trained service engineers on call 24 hours per day. On completion of your one year warranty most companies will offer to re-guarantee the lift for a charge. It is advisable to check these charges before purchasing.
So, in summary, my advice is to consider all of the points above and then contact a reputable supplier of stairlifts and go and discuss your requirements with them. Most have expert staff on hand to answer your technical queries and build a tailor made solution to fit your needs. Products to make someone more mobile are often bought by, or for, the vulnerable or infirm - take the risk out of the purchase and talk to experienced care advisors that have been specially trained to understand their customer's needs and requirements.
used stair lifts
used stairlifts
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