Four solutions depending on what is needed
Stairlift
Seat on a rail along the staircase. For someone who can walk but finds stairs painful or exhausting. Fastest installation, minimal impact on the house.
Inclined platform lift
The wheelchair platform runs on a rail alongside the stairs; after parking, the staircase remains passable. Suitable for straight and curved staircases, indoors and outdoors.
Vertical platform
Connects two levels (garden and ground floor, ground floor and first floor) without a shaft or cabin. Slow, quiet, plug-in operation. Suitable for wheelchairs, walking frames and prams.
Full-sized lift
When dealing with multiple storeys, daily use by the whole family or comfort comparable to an apartment building, the answer is a home lift with a cabin. For wheelchairs we recommend an internal cabin size of approximately 1.1 x 1.4 m, automatic doors and controls at a height reachable from a seated position. A comparison of technologies can be found on the page home lift.
Contribution from the Labour Office
Persons with severe impairments of the musculoskeletal or locomotor system may, under Act No. 329/2011 Coll., apply for a grant for a special aid. Recognised aids include stairlifts, vertical lifting platforms, stair-climbing devices and ceiling lift systems. Eligibility criteria, co-payment and maximum amounts depend on the individual's health status and household income, so we make no advance promises. We will verify what is feasible in your situation and prepare the technical documentation for the application.
What we consider during the survey
- Door width and manoeuvring space in front of them for a wheelchair.
- Height of controls, button contrast, station voice signalling.
- Emergency control and connection to family or an assistance service from the cabin.
- Lift destination: ideally directly to the bedroom and bathroom, not into a hallway with stairs.
- Future-proofing: today a walking frame, in five years perhaps a wheelchair.