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Overview
How Much Are Stair Lifts?Stair lifts are a major home expense. Insurance and Medicaid often do not cover the cost of the entire construction. Curved stair lifts are particularly expensive, as they need to be custom built and installed. Small, straight stair lifts can cost under $2,000, but the expense can rise above $15,000 for purchase and installation.
Function
Stair lifts are most often sold through medical equipment vendors that specialize in stair lifts. You have the option of either purchasing a standard model that can be adjusted to fit the dimensions of the stairs in your house or to have one custom constructed, which often proves to be more expensive. Many vendors do take health insurance payments, but it is often only possible to have insurance pay for the purchase and construction with justification from a doctor.
Features
Almost every stair lift vendor has affordable financing options available. Loans to purchase stair lifts can be secured in a fashion similar to an auto loan. In addition, the installation and purchase of a stair lift counts as a home improvement for tax deduction purposes. A home equity loan could be used to purchase the stair lift, and the interest on it would be tax deductible. Financing is usually available directly from the vendor as well.
Considerations
For people who only expect to be disabled temporarily, stair lift rentals are available. These installations are much less expensive than purchasing and installing a permanent stair lift. Installing a stair lift securely does take some professional experience, but the installation and removal do not take very long. Renters will often need to pay a deposit along with rent for the first month, and may be liable for any damages incurred while renting the machine. Most such rentals may be had for $100 a month, although it depends on the stair lift, the company and the difficulty of installation.
Features
Pre-owned stair lifts are also available to help to cut down on the cost. Many used stair lifts cost 25 percent as much as new ones, although the wear and tear that they are subject to may reduce the function and quality. Only contract with a reputable medical equipment dealer. If you can, ask for references from other customers who have had stair lifts installed by the used stair lift company. Stair lifts that would cost more than $8,000 new often go for less than $2,000 used. Some used stair lifts can be purchased for under $1,000.
Benefits
In many cases, the alternative to purchasing a stair lift is to sell a house and move into a single-floor apartment. This can be a shocking change for many elderly and disabled people. Even though stairs do pose a significant danger to health and safety of the disabled, stair lifts can help to almost eliminate the chances that they will hurt themselves climbing up and down stairs. The expense of the stair lift may save a much larger expense of a dangerous fall or that of moving residences.
