Installing a Passenger Lift in a Care Home

Current growth estimates suggest that in the UK there will be 12.7 million people aged 65 and over by the end of 2022. This represents annual growth of 1.6% as a result of our ageing population. As a result, there will be a need for around 60,000 more care home places by 2024. We’re going to see continued growth in this sector throughout the rest of the decade.

As the number of care homes continues to increase, so will the demand for high-quality vertical transport. Installing a passenger lift in a care home requires an awareness of the standards set out by the Equality Act 2010, and the ability of designers to create bespoke passenger lifts that fulfil the specific needs of elderly users and their carers.

Passenger Lifts for Care Homes

In most care homes lift users will range from those needing a low-level of care to those in wheelchairs, mobility equipment or requiring 1:1 care. Ideally a passenger lift installation in a care home will cater to all the needs of residents and care staff. This may include the transport of multiple wheelchair users, or a care bed with an attendant.

Given the importance of vertical transport in a care home, it’s good practice to provide two lifts. This guarantees that in the event of repairs, or break down, there will always be lift access available.

Bespoke Passenger Lift Design for Care Settings

When designing and installing passenger lifts in care homes, Tower Lifts engineers always start with the size of the building, the number of residents, and the kind of care that they are receiving. We’ll need to assess how critical lifts are for residents to access essential areas, and how many are required to facilitate optimal flow.

Design elements that can be customised include:

Lift Finish for Cabin and Exterior. We can apply branding, themed colours, or metallic finishes.
Floor. This can be custom designed to help sight-impaired users find their way easily from the corridor to the lift cabin.
Control Panel. The control panel and lift buttons need to be within reach of all users, easy to understand, and include braille for partially sighted passengers.
Lighting. Providing a calm cabin interior is our goal. We avoid bright, glaring neon but ensure that lift buttons are easy to identify.
Handrails. We position handrails to steady passengers when the lift is in motion. These are finished in a different colour from the walls, so that they stand out.
Communication. There are two modes of communication required in a lift cabin. One which announces the floor number, and the door action. The other is a handset which is available for emergency calls.

Working With Tower Lifts

The Tower Lifts team has been working with care homes over the past two decades. We can also create bespoke ‘dementia aware’ cabin environments for clients. Once your care home lift is installed, we provide ongoing support for maintenance and emergency repairs.

Would you like to speak to a Tower Lifts engineer about installing a passenger lift in a care home? Call us today on 01525 601099.

Tower Lifts carry out design and installation on a varied range of lifts throughout the UK including:

Domestic Lifts • Food Lifts • Bespoke Platform Lifts • Service Lifts • Platform Lifts • Goods Lifts • Scenic Lifts • Heavy Duty / Car Lifts • Passenger Lifts • Dumbwaiter Lifts • MRL Lifts • Fire lifts • Residential Lifts • low-Headroom Lift