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Home: Safety: Elderly
Adjustable Banister   (+5)  [vote for, against]
Railing, adjustable, safer stairways for the infirm and elderly

An idea just occurred to me that might be useful. Instead of just a static railing on a staircase, why not have it mounted on recessed brackets, that can be adjusted outward, to narrow the path up the stairs? Furthermore, why can't the railing be adjustable in terms of its height from the steps?

Put one of these babies on one or both walls, and set them to the desired path width and railing height. Perfect for those who don't quite need a stair chair or whatever they're called, but might feel and be more secure navigating the steps alone.

Optionally, you could skyrocket the cost by sticking electronics on it to connect it to the cloud, so it can monitor everything you do and have some centralized server tell it how to automatically adjust to your optimal width and height better than you could have guessed yourself. But then you'll be paying for a f^cking subscription service, or be forced to watch ads every time you trudge up and down the steps.
-- Size_Mick, Mar 28 2019

(?) Potter's wheel https://www.google....JzWxrN8ZFOD4xbU2nov
Best thing on TV ever [not_morrison_rm, Mar 31 2019]

This is actually a really good, practical (and saleable ) idea ...
-- 8th of 7, Mar 28 2019


So every time I reach for it in the wee hours to tromp down half-awake for coffee, it'll be in some different location? No thank you. Muscle memory is a handy thing.
-- RayfordSteele, Mar 28 2019


So every time I reach for it in the wee hours to tromp down half-awake for coffee, it'll be in some different location? No thank you. Muscle memory is a handy thing. — RayfordSteele

You could buy the manually adjusted version, which was really the idea. The last paragraph, although techno-sociopaths that run Silicon Valley would drool over it, was just for the absurd factor that I know you folks enjoy around here. Plus it's a reflection of my cynicism. I suppose you could make them have a soft glow-in-the-dark look for when you have to make potty at night.
-- Size_Mick, Mar 28 2019


// techno-sociopaths that run Silicon Valley //

Oooh, you say such lovely things ...
-- 8th of 7, Mar 28 2019


LED lighting or similar is an excellent addition to the idea, for use following cataract surgery, or in case of low-light conditions as during the Apocalypse.

I would've liked one of these after my foot surgery; no one else in the house was elderly and/or infirm, so I could've modified the banister to suit my hobbling self, with everyone else just blithely walking on up/down without even touching the sides.
-- Sgt Teacup, Mar 28 2019


[+], though I suspect a banister is not the most effective form factor for pottery wheel task lighting.
-- notexactly, Mar 29 2019


Can I put plea for the Potter's wheel, I might actually start watching TV again. Link.
-- not_morrison_rm, Mar 31 2019



random, halfbakery