When you look to a home adaptations company for help to make changes to either yours or a loved one’s property so that you or they can get around the house easier, you need them to do more than just provide and install a stairlift. It is never that simple.
In fact, a stairlift might not even be the best option, so you need to be able to speak to someone who knows what the full range of options is so that they can recommend the right product or combination of products for you or your loved one.
This might be a stairlift but, alternatively, a through floor lift might be a better option. Modular access ramps could also be of benefit, as could the addition of some handrails, some steps, a wheelchair lift or a hoist. Everyone’s needs are going to be unique and different. If the solution is a stairlift, then there is not just one type of stairlift – it is not a one size fits all product. There are a wide range of stairlifts out there, so the person advising the customer needs to have knowledge and experience of all the different options.
Therefore a complete and thorough survey needs to be carried out on the property that the adaptations are to be installed in. This needs to take into account a wide range of issues such as radiators, the width of the staircase, if there are any turns on the staircase, the height of the steps, how many different flights of stairs there are, whether there is anything at the top or bottom of the staircase that cannot be moved, whether there are objects on the staircase such as handrails, electricity or gas meters, or a cupboard. All of these are problems and having a bank of knowledge and experience of installing stairlifts and home adaptation products is essential in finding the best solution.
As part of the survey, the needs of the individual using the adaptation also has to be taken into consideration. What are they capable of doing and not doing? What are their back to knee measurements? How far can they walk or do they have to be transferred from a wheelchair? How tall are they? What is their weight? What are their individual requirements? Will they be able to use a stairlift at all, or is there a specific type of stairlift which they would be able to use that is ideal for them?
So, even though a stairlift just performs the simple function of taking the user up and down stairs, there are a huge number of different options available depending on the individual circumstances of the user.
Knowledge and experience also means getting the job done faster. Ultimately, installing a stairlift, a through floor lift, some ramps or other home adaptation products is going to involve some inconvenience to the end user. Having lots of experience and knowledge of doing it means that the job will get done more quickly and efficiently, thus benefitting the customer, as they can start using their adaptation sooner.
Installing home adaptations can also be very emotive and delicate, so it is important that the company doing so has experience in how to handle this. This can range from an individual knowing they need adaptations but finding it very hard to handle, through to a relative saying adaptations are needed but the individual who needs them refusing to accept that they do. Experience and knowledge are key to help companies like Obam know how to handle these situations.
The key aim of a home adaptation company like Obam is to provide solutions to make sure that the individual can stay in their own home and not have to move out into a bungalow, care home or residential care. Without knowledge or experience, it may be that you are asked to install a stairlift, take a look and say “sorry, I cannot install a stairlift here”, and as a result the individual has to move out. Knowledge and experience means you are familiar with a much broader range of options, you’ve seen problems like this before and you can apply that problem solving ability to find a solution, meaning the individual can stay in their own home for longer.
Ultimately, at the end of the day the products and services provided by the home adaptations company has to be a solution to all of the issues being experienced by the individual and make their life easier, otherwise the job has not been completed and the life of the individual will not have been improved to the extent that it could have been. Having a great deal of knowledge and experience is therefore in the best interest of the customer, which is, at the end of the day, the reason for providing and installing home adaptations.
Obam’s team have a wealth of technical knowledge, product knowledge and market knowledge. Their level of experience is very high, with Directors Steve Butroid, Lee Ogden, Pete Morley and MD Chris Butroid all having a combined total of almost 100 years’ experience of the stairlift and adaptations market whilst Company Sales Manager, Mark Buckley, has over 8 years of experience of the access ramp adaptations industry. Obam is proud to provide an extremely high quality service and always seek to find the best solution for their customers. To find out more about how Obam could help you or a relative, please visit https://obam.co.uk/ or contact our friendly experienced staff who can help you and chat about your options, either by calling 01427 787532 or by email on info@obam.co.uk
