Asking for help is never easy.  First you have to accept you need help and then you need to find the courage to ask for it. Recognising when its time to get support with mobility and asking for it is even harder, but as Patrick Stannah explains his customers often wish they had sooner.

We have been manufacturing and supplying stairlifts since 1975 and over the years we have regularly heard the same thing ‘why didn’t I do this before?’ At Stannah, we know that making a decision to buy a stairlift is often a decision that has been agonised over for months, sometimes even years.

No-one likes to think of themselves getting older and using mobility products is often wrongly seen as a sign of succumbing to old age.  Our experience has shown us that this isn’t the case and often getting a stairlift re-energises our customers and enhances their independence.  Rather than dreading any jobs that need them to climb the stairs, they can get on with those jobs without worry and still have energy to enjoy a little gardening, walk the dog or play with grandchildren.  It is genuinely heart-warming to see what a positive impact installing a stairlift can have.

When you see how quickly people become comfortable using a stairlift it can be hard to imagine how difficult life was before.  We take calls from, or on behalf of, people who are being helped up the stairs, who go up on all fours, on their bottom or simply are unable to go upstairs at all.  Not only is there this very British attitude that we just need to carry on and not make a fuss, but also people in these situations feel they have lost their independence or dignity and so reject any discussion of the subject.  Friends and family are often left frustrated because they can see a loved one struggling but feel they can’t intervene above and beyond a few encouraging and humorous remarks about how useful a stairlift would be.

Even once a discussion or thought process has started there are still a number of concerns that can serve to put off finding out more.  Common issues raised include ‘my stairs are too narrow’, ‘the landing is awkward’, ‘the walls wouldn’t take the weight’ and so on.  Lifts are fixed to stairs not walls, can cope with almost any curve, bend or landing and fit surprisingly narrow staircases. In fact, these days there are very few situations where we can’t find a solution to fit!

My advice to you if you are struggling with the stairs is to think about all you could do if dealing with the stairs was no longer something to contend with. Make some calls, look on the web, get some personal recommendations. Find a solution to fit you and get your new lease of life!

• In the spirit of taking a new lease of life why not apply to the Stannah Think Again Fund? The fund helps the over 50s realise lifelong ambitions to take part in amazing experiences they otherwise could not pursue. Visit www.thinkagainfund.co.uk for more information.Patrick Stannah is a director at Stannah, a business founded in the 1860s by Joseph Stannah. As part of the fifth-generation in the family business Patrick is a proud torchbearer for the group’s long-held values and traditions.