Stair lift

dingbat77

I am due to have both hips replaced one at a time and I am looking for aids that may be useful . I live in a house with a straight staircase about 12 steps.

I am wondering if will be worth renting a stair lift , I'm 48 and other than the hips and a knackered prostate in good health.

Do people who have had hip replacements have them as a matter of course or will I be able to use crutches to get up and down stairs, I live alone so another consideration is safety.

What have others done ???

I have found a company called AST who will fit one for a year for £580 all in , others are charging a £380 fitting and removal free then £40 a month which seems a lot , anyone recommend a good company in Hertfordshire.

Apologies if this question already asked somewhere else

stickywicket

All I can tell you for sure, dingbat, is that, after a normal (ie single) THR, they won't let you home until you have shown them you can manage steps. A full flight is a lot of steps but a lady who was in hospital with me once persuaded them to let her home within the week as she told them her many grandsons would help.

Two THRs together, however, is a different matter. We've have a lady on here who's just had the op (weajean). I doubt she'd have been leaping up stairs afterwards though. Could your GP advise?

PS Sorry, I've just re-read this and you do say one at a time. In which case, I guess it's your choice. You might feel safer with a lift.

hileena111

Hi
I've had one THR and supposed to have another one.....stairs are no problem. As sticky says they wont let you leave hospital until you can prove to the physio that you can do a flight of stairs.
You use one crutch and one bannister going up and coming down.
They refer to the bad leg and the good leg.....the bad leg being the one that has just been done....The way our authority tell you to do it is.....
good leg up to heaven and bad leg always down to hell
In other words good leg {one not done} goes up first then the bad leg.
It is reversed coming down.....sounds complicated but its not really
But its your decision....you might feel safer with a lift.
Always carry your mobile with you......no matter .....even if its only a short distance between rooms.....you never know you might need it....thats being pesimistic ...but its safer to have it.
Any questions just ask ...someone will answer you and then you can make your own mind up
Love
Hileena

elnafinn

Just a thought, if you do decide on the stairlift that would perhaps get you out of practice with using stairs/steps generally which may not be a terribly good thing. As others have said, before you leave hospital one of the tests to "pass" is being able to "do" stairs. I have not had a THR but TKR's done at separate times and the same test applied with stairs before they let you home. It is also good exercise, in itself, to climb up and down the stairs.

Elna x

dingbat77

Cheers

May have a problem with the good leg bad leg, I have two knackered hips and a left knee I can't bend , he is going to do my worst hip (right) first , so will assume the operated leg the badder of the two.

I have already spoken with the physio at the hopital whilst in for the prostate , she thought I was in having my hip done as had some physio with her last year for the knee so she explained re the requirement to do the stairs test before being released, she did say I would only be in for three to four days , BUPA tend to ship you out pronto.

I have sent off for a free stair lift survey, now't to lose.

I agree re the phone and will also arrange for a door key to be available so if I need help a "rescuer" can get into the house.

It's nice to have a forum for advice and support, Elna I did think about the balance of using a chair lift over negotiating and getting used to stairs , but for the sake of £500 may be worth having it just in case I can't manage and suppose it's a bit different if you have someone to help you ie stand behind you to stop you falling.

hileena111

BHi
Another reply......just to say both my hips have gone.....OK my knees are OK at the minute :roll: but it didnt pose any problems having 1 THR and one that still needed a THR. {as far as stairs were concerned}
I think NHS ship you out pronto as well
I went in on Fri for THR, had it Fri afternoon, spent Sat having a couple of blood transfusions so they wouldnt let me up on Sat, Sun they had me up and walking and kicked me out first thing Mon so 3 days is fairly average.
If the stair lift gives you confidence you go ahead and get it.....just try not to use it all the time once you are recovering because it is good exercise....let us know how it goes.....shout when you get a date for the THR as well and we'll be there to support.
I know when I was told I had to have 2 THR's I hadnt a clue and this forum was great at helping me, giving me advice etc
Love
Hileena

tjt6768

it might be worth asking either your physio or ot advice as it may not be suitable at all. When sat on a stairlift safely and correctly you have to bend the hip and be sat upright. I'm not sure but maybe this could be problematic..
Wishing you all the best..

stickywicket

Ah yes. Tony's right, Dingbat. I was once told it'd be dangerous for me to have a stairlift installed because my knee wouldn't bend sufficiently to get it on the foot rest.

If you're still thinking of one, is there anywhere you could try one out? Our local disability shop has one for just that purpose.

dingbat77

More replies the better ................I have no idea of a date as need to wait until prostate heals before consultant will consider first THR told could be up to 12 weeks for that to happen and on week 6 and still sore.

There is a disability shop in town may try and see if they have one , I can bend my knee but painful when walking up stairs, the only thing I was told was to avoid low seating, I was hoping someone who has had a hip op and has used a stair lift may offer some advice if worth having one.

Any advice re other useful aids welcome ie raised toilet seats etc. I have managed to blag a bath lift and have an all singing and dancing bed that raises and lowers. I don't want to buy stuff I don't actually need.

My other question is driving , how many weeks or months before people on here have driven in the UK (having had right hip done) have an auto so left THR shouldn't be such a problem, I am worried about how I will get back from the hospital squeezing into a mates car ,and I'm considering getting a large taxi ie people carrier back with leg room, probably worrying too much.

hileena111

Hi Again
There is a 90degree angle that you have to stick to for 6 weeks after the hip operation....they will explain that....eg I could sit on the setee and reach over to the coffee table which is slightly lower....not much for a coffee...no bending forward from a sitting position...its such a nuisance....all the things you normally do.
As for equipment....dont buy anything yet.....your OT dept will supply most of what you need.
I can only tell you what happened to me....they took me into a mock kitchen and bathroom in the hospital {pre op} and showed me the various things...
what they gave me was a chair, I only have 2 setees which they considered too low,
i got 2 raised toilet seats and supports round the side {1 upstairs and 1 downstairs}
I was given sticks, some got crutches
Long handled shoe horn,
A grabber to pick things up without bending
A trolly {you should ask about that if not offered because you are on your own} You use that in place of your sticks and push it into the kitchen to make a meal or even a cup of coffee.....excellent thing i found.
A perch stool
Longhandle back brush
I'm sure there were more things....but thats ll I can think of at the minute
The main thing is check with your OT dept before buying anything.
Love
Hileena

stickywicket

I couldn't managed without my raised toilet seat, dingbat, but that's more to do with knees than hips. If you need one, when you go home from hospital, I would imagine they'd give you one although, if it's BUPA, I don't know. In our NHS hospital the OT comes and checks out what you might need. One thing you have to do is sleep on your back and not cross your legs to ensure you don't dislocate it before the muscles get strong again.

As I recall, it's 6 weeks before you can drive but that might be TKRs. Have you seen the booklet that Arthritis Care produce on surgery? It might help. Top right of the page. 'Publications and Resources' then scroll down to Booklets.

hileena111

OOooppppps sorry you did ask about driving.
Mine is a manual car......6 weeks I was told ...after that I could try driving.
It was winter weather and icey so it was a bit longer than 6 weeks before I got behind the wheel again. more like 10 or 12 weeks but that was my decision.....short journeys at first because of lack of confidence :oops:
Not sure that you will be able to use the bath lift during this 6 week period???? but check it out....dont take my word for it.
As for being in someone elses car......you need to be sitting with your bottom and legs level....does that make sense? not your bottom lower than legs. So before it happens try the cars you might be in {including your own}
You have to be very ladylike getting into them
Your Back to the passenger door put your bum down and swing your legs in gently...keeeping your knees together and at the same height as your bottom
You really need to check this out with your physio.....I'm sure the physio you are seeing now would be able to help even if shes not the one that will be doing physio after your THR
Love
Hileena

dingbat77

Thanks again, all very useful info, great hearing from people sho have experienced it

Not sure there is a OT department at the hospital I know I can get £500 physio per year , I also have access to a works rehab centre and get two weeks of intensive physio, but will wait until both hips done.

I already have most of the pick up thingys and shoe horns , still can't work out the 90 degree limit thing , assume sitting down with back straight ok just no bending down or forwards. Due to hip pain find it difficult sleeping on back but once hip done should sort that problem out, don't sleep well anyway due to pain unless pain killered up.

I have a hospice that cared for my mother at end of road so once healed from both hips can donate what i don't need ie bath lift

I am well versed in the a&^e in first, leg swinging into cars as have hardly any play in my hips so a daily thing.

tjt6768

you might be as well getting transport home. If that's available.
You should really have an assessment before a stairlift is fitted.
We were moved in my medical grounds to our last house by the council purely because it had a stairlift. I always struggled with it because I couldn't bend my knees enough to put them in the foot plate. When we put in to move again the woman who came to do the assessment went mad as I had not been assessed for it.. I should never have been using it and they should have moved us to a single storey place like where we are now. That's what made me think about the assessment etc.
Good luck

dingbat77

Hopefully I will get some pre op advice , re transport I can if I need it get a private ambulance (have that cover in my policy) but don't think that will be needed unless we are under 3ft of snow when dischaged and need to be carried Probably order a large mini cab .

dreamdaisy

Stair lifts can be quite bulky and I think they need room at the top and bottom for a track to be fitted so you can safely embark/disembark. We have two flights of twelve treads but both staircases are just less than 29" wide and there is no room at any of the ends for the track. DD