Stay safe in your home

Coronavirus means many of us will be staying in our homes for the foreseeable future, so now more than ever it’s vital to remain independent and mobile at home.

If you already own an Acorn Stairlift, we aim to offer the same comprehensive service we always have.

If you need an Acorn Stairlift installed, we’re exploring all options to achieve this quickly and efficiently while minimizing direct face-to-face contact, including a new 'virtual survey' of your staircase.

In either case, contact Acorn by phone or online in the first instance. If it’s necessary for someone from Acorn to visit your home in person, you can rest assured our staff will observe strict hygiene protocols. These include:

• Avoiding any physical person-to-person contact (such as handshakes)
• Observing social distancing – staying at least two metres from you, although in many cases you won’t even need to be in the same room
• Regularly washing our hands and using hand sanitizer products
• Using equipment such as disposable face masks and gloves whenever appropriate
• Cleaning equipment and tools before and after each home visit
• Any Acorn staff member experiencing any symptoms has been told to self-isolate immediately

Advice for people at high risk

If you’re at very high risk of getting seriously ill from coronavirus, you should take extra precautions. If you are in this group, there are extra things you should do to avoid catching the virus. These actions are collectively called ‘shielding’, which is a much enhanced version of ‘social distancing’. They include:

• Not allowing visitors to your home unless it is necessary for your health and wellbeing
• Avoiding face-to-face contact with people from outside your home, except essential personnel who will observe strict hygiene protocols
• Contact your healthcare provider to ask about obtaining extra necessary medications to have on hand in case there is an outbreak of COVID-19 in your community and you need to stay home for a prolonged period of time
• If you cannot get extra medications, consider using mail-order for medications
• Avoiding close contact with people you live with and who are still going out, and making sure both you and they follow all hygiene advice, such as washing hands regularly and thoroughly
• Stay in touch with the outside world remotely using the telephone or internet
• Shop online or ask others to do it for you and arrange for deliveries to be left on your doorstep
• Keep watching/listening to news bulletins for the latest coronavirus news and advice
• If you experience any symptoms of coronavirus, such as a high temperature or new continuous cough, call your healthcare provider.

Current Acorn Stairlift owners

If you already own an Acorn Stairlift, you can continue to contact us by phone, email or via our website with any queries. If your stairlift develops a fault, there is a good chance it can be rectified remotely using the digital diagnostic display which is standard on all Acorn Stairlifts. It enables us to understand what the problem is and how to fix it. In many cases this is possible without the need to send someone to your home.

If it is necessary for an Acorn Stairlifts representative to visit your home carry out a repair, he or she will observe strict hygiene protocols. This includes regular use of hand sanitizer products, eliminating physical greetings such as handshakes and frequently cleansing equipment they carry.

You can expect our representatives to limit their time in your home to the minimum necessary and to remain some distance from you while they are there. In most cases you won’t even need to be in the same room.

If it is necessary for an Acorn Stairlifts representative to visit your home (to survey your staircase, install a stairlift or carry out a repair), he or she will observe strict hygiene protocols. This includes regular use of hand sanitizer products, eliminating physical greetings such as handshakes and frequently cleansing equipment they carry.

All Acorn Stairlifts employees have been instructed to self-isolate immediately if they experience any symptoms of Coronavirus and should not come into direct contact with our customers.

For more help and advice on all aspects of the coronavirus crisis:

• click here to visit the dedicated CDC website pages
• click here for the latest updates and advice from the government