Stair chair

A stair chair is a light, padded chair with straps and carrying handles that is used to carry patients safely up and down stairs. It is used when a building has no lift or the stairwell is too narrow for a stretcher or wheelchair, and it is always handled by two trained people.

Also called: carry chair · evacuation chair · stair transport · stair chair transport

The person sits down in the stair chair in their flat and is secured with straps. Two staff members carry the chair — one above, one below — down step by step. Some models have tracks that glide over the edges of the steps and take the weight. At the bottom, the patient moves onto the stretcher, into the wheelchair or straight into the vehicle.

What matters is the teamwork between the two carriers: calm, announced movements and a secure hold give the person confidence. That is why at Mobimed the stair chair is never handled by one person alone.

In addition to the classic stair chair, there are electric stair climbers that move step by step on their own. They are particularly suitable for regular journeys in the same building. A permanently installed stairlift is a solution for everyday life, but it requires planning, a permit and time.

For the interim period — for example after an operation, until the stairs are manageable again or the stairlift has been installed — stair chair transport is the simplest solution. It needs no installation and can be used flexibly on every journey.

Incidentally, the stair chair is used not only in residential buildings but also in older medical practice buildings, holiday flats or anywhere there are a few steps between the entrance and the lift. Even a few steps can be insurmountable for a weakened patient — with the stair chair they are managed in seconds, without risk for patient or staff.