How Stair Lifts Work A stair lift is basically a chair that travels along and rail or track that is mounted to a stairway. There is a motor within the base of the chair that is usually powered by a battery also within the base of the chair. The stair lift motor turns a gear that is meshed into a geared strip on the track or rail. When the gear turns the chair is moved along the geared strip. When the motor turns the gear the chair moves one direction, when the motor's direction is reversed the chair moves the opposite way. Call/Send switches are used to move the stair lift chair without anyone being on it. This is particularly helpful if two people use the lift and the lift is at the opposite end of the track when a user wants to use it. the user simply calls the lift to come to them using a call/send switch. call/send switch is to send the lift away after use. Some people don't like the look of the lift parked in the main living area of the home and will

send it to the opposite end when not in use. They simply call it back when needed. Although the design and style of stair lifts will vary between manufacturers they all have some basic components common to them all: - The stair lift track supports the chair, provides a mechanism (usually a geared strip) to propel the chair and guides it up and down the stairway just as a train track guides a train. - Some stair lifts offer the option of an overrun at either the top of the track, bottom of the track or both. of a stair lift track overrun is to move the user away from the stairway to safely access or dismount the stair lift in a location where, if they fall, they won't fall on the stairs. - While most stair lifts are battery operated today all model will require a power supply to either charge the battery or power the unit directly in the case of non-battery powered units. Non-battery powered stair lifts draw a lot of power and normally require a dedicated

- Call/Send controls are normally mounted on the wall near each end of the stair lift track to provide a way forwedding chair covers cairns a user to call the chair to them or send it away when not needed. wheelchair van rentals miamiThey can be either wireless or wired to the lift depending on the model.o baby pushchair liner - The stair lift seat is simply a seat for the user to sit on while using the lift. cane swing chair nzDepending on the model it may swivel at the top and/orplastic chairs for sale east rand

bottom of the track and will normally fold up out of the way when not in use.wheelchair van for sale denver - As in a car the stair lift seat belt is intended to hold the user safely seated on the seat while the lift is in use. - The foot rest of the stair lift is a safety feature to prevent the the users feet from hitting the steps while using the lift and a comfort feature to support the user's feet when sitting on the seat. The foot rest will have switches built into them to stop the lift should it hit anything on the stairway and will flip up out of the way when the lift is not in use. - The motor that drives a stairlift chair along the track is found in the base of the seat. - Because the motor rotates at too high a speed to safely propel the stair lift up the track at type of transmission is employed to reduce the speed while increasing the power available.

- Battery powered stair lifts must have a charger of some sort to keep the battery charged. The chargers are normally found under the track or near one end of the track. The charger works automatically with no action needed by the user. - The batteries used in stair lifts are fairly expensive and found within the base of the seat near the motor. will need to be replaced at some time but their life span is measured in years and thier replacement should not be a big concern. Information on the MobilityBasics.ca web site is for informational purposes only and not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by physicians, therapists or other medical professionals. All information is general in nature and may not necessarily apply to everyone as individual needs may vary. For more information see our terms. Products displayed or discussed on this web site are presented to provide examples of products discussed and are not specifically endorsedWe do not receive any compensation for displaying or presenting any products.

This article was updated on: 11/16/2016 Medicare may cover the seat-lift mechanism of your lift chair if you meet certain conditions. Learn how Medicare coverage of lift chairs works. A “lift chair,” also known as a seat lift chair, refers to a chair with a motorized device that helps boost you into a standing position or lower you back into a seated position. It’s meant to help people who have trouble getting up and down from a chair unassisted. A lift chair isn’t the same as a stair lift, which is a seat that lets you ride up and down a staircase. It’s also different from a patient lift, which is a device that helps transfer patients to and from a bed or wheelchair. Lift chairs can be helpful for patients who would otherwise be unable to stand up or sit down from a chair without help. Your doctor may prescribe a lift chair as medically necessary if you have a condition that could benefit from regular movement and your mobility would be difficult without the device.

Medicare Part B may cover a portion of lift chairs as durable medical equipment (DME) in certain situations.  There are two components to a lift chair, the seat-lift mechanism as well as the chair itself.  Original Medicare only covers the seat-lift mechanism, the device that actually lifts the patient from the chair, as only this component meets the criteria for DME coverage. This applies even if the seat-lift mechanism is built into the chair. Medicare may cover the lift mechanism portion of the lift chair if your doctor determines that it’s medically necessary and may help your condition. You may be eligible for Medicare coverage of a seat lift if: Medicare doesn’t cover seat lifts that use a spring-release mechanism or have features that aren’t medically necessary, such as a recliner function. Medicare Part B may also cover medically necessary patient lifts if you need help being moved to and from your bed to a chair, wheelchair, or toilet. Similar to seat lifts, your doctor must verify that the patient lift is medically necessary to improve your medical condition or keep it from worsening.

Getting a lift chair from Medicare suppliers If you need a seat-lift mechanism for your lift chair, you’ll need to get the durable medical equipment through a supplier that is enrolled in the Medicare program, or Medicare may not cover the cost. You’ll also save money if you get the durable medical equipment through a Medicare-participating supplier; these are providers that are contracted to accept the cost set by Medicare as full payment for the equipment. So, if you rent or buy your seat lift chair from a Medicare-participating supplier, you won’t have to pay more than the cost that the Medicare program has set for the equipment – in this case, you’ll pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, and the Medicare Part B deductible applies. Keep in mind that if you have Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) and live in an area that is affected by the Medicare Competitive Bidding Program, you’ll need to get your seat lift chair from contract suppliers, or Medicare won’t cover the cost.

You can visit Medicare.gov to look up whether you live in an area that is part of the Competitive Bidding Program. Your coverage rules and costs may be different if you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. These plans are available through Medicare-contracted private insurance companies and are required to cover at least the same level of benefits as Original Medicare (except for hospice), so you’ll be covered for the seat-lift portion of lift chairs under a Medicare Advantage plan as well. However, your costs may vary by plan. If you get your Medicare benefits through a Medicare Advantage plan, talk to your plan about which suppliers to use when getting your lift chair. Depending on the rules of your plan, you may also need to get the equipment from certain suppliers to be covered. Do you have questions about getting Medicare coverage for the equipment you need? I can tell you about the various choices you might have for Medicare coverage in your area. Go ahead and click the “View profile” link below if you’d like to view my profile.