It’s still the case that when people think of stairlifts, they think of the elderly.
Yet we’ve long been supplying stairlifts across the North of England to people who prove that’s very far from the complete picture.
Motor Neurone Disease is a cruel and curious condition. One of the (many) problems associated with it is the time taken to diagnose.
An article in The Independent shines a light on the financial realities of living with MND.
As the article shows, diagnosis typically takes a year.
That’s a result of the condition’s relative rarity – GPs may only encounter it once in their careers.
And it’s a result of there being no test for MND – you diagnose it by eliminating everything else and eliminating everything else takes time.
That gap in diagnosis can create real problems for people who want to work but can’t.
In the Independent piece, Zeb Nassar talks of falling down the stairs at the onset of her condition, but then being unable to fund a stairlift or get council help to prevent her from becoming depressed and trapped in her house.
The cost of MND
The article goes on to explore the financial impact of living with MND.
It’s about £12,000, split between ongoing needs (carers etc), so-called ‘enhanced costs’ (increased energy bills, for example, and one-off equipment costs, such as stairlifts.
82% of MND sufferers said the condition had moderately or very negatively impacted their finances.
Overcoming the costs
It’s a thought-provoking article and well worth a read.
Yet whilst stairlifts are only one element of the costs involved, there are things you can do to bring the costs down or get help in meeting them.
Disability allowances can help, although they cover little more than half of the real costs.
The MND Association provides a range of services, from carers to loans to grants towards things like wet room installations.
And your stairlift company can help too, with reconditioned models at a fraction of the cost of brand new models (but every bit as reliable).
Stairlift for MND patient
“I contacted two stairlift providers for my wife who has MND and whose mobility was increasingly compromised. I was impressed with the agent from Leodis who was not pushy and wore a mask throughout his survey visit. The options given seemed right for my wife. Once the decision was made and the order placed it was only a few days before the installation. The stairlift was installed in about five hours and the installation engineer was polite and helpful, wearing a mask throughout his visit. I was not contacted or pressed between the two visits but left with sufficient information to make a judgement on which to choose. Having used the lift now for almost a month I have found it suits my wife. Visitors to our home have all remarked on the installation and how good it looks. We are well pleased with all aspects of this installation which has occurred at a difficult time both in respect of the Pandemic and the diagnosis of the MND.” 
Customer in West Yorkshire January 2022
