What exactly is COPD?
COPD, a disease that is little known to the public, is nevertheless one of the most common lung diseases worldwide. But what exactly is COPD, also known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?
Eirik Medbø, Halvor Wold, and Ingrid Lonar were students at the NTNU School of Entrepreneurship (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) when they started their work in the fall of 2011.
“We spoke, among other things, with InnoMed, a national competence network for needs-oriented innovation in the healthcare sector. Here we received input that many people fall on stairs, both older individuals and people who, for example, have balance problems due to an illness or are rehabilitating after fractures,” says Halvor Wold.
Three young students who find a solution to the problem of climbing stairs for older people may not be the most obvious candidates, but it was a problem that affected all three.
“Both Eirik and I had experiences with grandparents who had problems with climbing stairs. We spoke with many different people and agencies. From potential affected individuals to occupational and physical therapists, doctors, and community staff. The feedback we received was that this was a problem that needed a solution.”
The target group of the stair aid also includes those who have stairs at home and have difficulty using them. Previous solutions have been to remodel the house or apartment or install a stair lift. But that is not a good solution, according to Medbø and Wold.
“Elevators and stair lifts are expensive and unaesthetic, and they also make the affected individuals more passive, as they remove a source of daily activity.”
The three recruited two more students, and together they developed the stair aid TOPRO Step for five years, which has been distributed by the sales partner Hepro since 2016 and is now in use in several municipalities.
“We are very pleased that Hepro has also seen the potential to enable those affected to increase their activity and cope with daily life. Thanks to this cooperation, the TOPRO Step stair aid is now available throughout the country,” says Eirik Medbø.
Stair training is used in connection with rehabilitation and is a good form of exercise to maintain leg function. However, there is a big difference between training during rehabilitation and climbing stairs at home. Many people opt for a stair lift or have to move their bed to the living room.
“We have seen that a stairlift is not always the right solution for people who can still walk a bit. It promotes the passivation of the person affected and makes it difficult to maintain leg functions. Our focus was on enabling the person affected to climb the stairs in a safe and easy way, thus keeping them active,” explains Wold.
The stair aid TOPRO Step has now developed a life of its own, but the entrepreneurs are still on the road to visit many of the installations and to educate installers across the country. However, the AssiTech team will not stop there and is working on new clever solutions to make it easier for people to continue living at home.
The occupational therapist in the Skjærvøy community, Karin Hennie Meilandstind, saw a Facebook advertisement for the TOPRO Step stair aid and read more about the product on the website.
“I immediately saw that this could be a tool with good functionality. We have many customers who have problems with stairs, and at that time I was working with a customer who had problems with balance on stairs. The risk of falling was high. Without help, the patient could not use the stairs. We considered a stairlift to be the only option, but when I learned about the stair aid, we decided it was worth a try. The processing and delivery time was short, and Halvor Wold from the company personally came to install the TOPRO Step stair aid. We immediately realized that this was a very good alternative to a stairlift. It helps the affected person to maintain and improve their walking function. If we had installed a stairlift, I would have contributed to reducing the patient’s functionality and in the long run, would have put this person in a worse position. The customer is very satisfied and feels very safe.”
Leiv Reiakvan lives in Naustdal. He has had the stairlift since August 2016.
“This is a fantastic help for me. I wouldn’t be able to go up or down the stairs without help. It was my physiotherapist who recommended that I try it out. The process went very quickly, and I thought if it works as it should, it will be a great help. The stair lift is mounted on two stairs. Along the stairs from the ground floor to the living room and up a stair to the kitchen. Now I can climb stairs without any concerns, and while before I always used my right leg due to problems with my left side, I now use my left leg much more. The stairs give me additional exercise. Even my 92-year-old father-in-law benefits from the stair lift during his visit and praises it highly.”
TOPRO Step information video
To carry out an on-site inspection and receive a quote, make an appointment with us. Once you have accepted the quote, we will carry out the installation, which usually only takes a few hours.
TOPRO Step is TÜV-tested and certified and meets all functional and safety requirements.
TOPRO Step is designed so that it can be easily adapted to your staircase. It can be installed on straight stairs, curved stairs and stairs with a landing.
Ask your health insurance company about the possibility of cost coverage or possible subsidies. Please note that these options are country-specific and individual.
TOPRO Step means TOPRO quality. When you buy a TOPRO Step, you receive a guarantee of up to 5 years.
We measure success by satisfied customers, which is our top priority. We already have over 4,000 satisfied users throughout Europe.
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Would you like a free and personal consultation? Get in touch with our TOPRO Step experts and book a free, no-obligation appointment directly at your home.
TOPRO Step Expert
+47 902 931 00
Monday - Friday
08:00 – 16:00 o'clock.
TOPRO Step Expert
+47 902 931 00
Monday - Friday
08:00 – 16:00 o'clock.
Do you have any questions or would you like to test the TOPRO Step stair climber?
We have compiled all frequently asked questions on the FAQ page
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TOPRO Step
COPD, a disease that is little known to the public, is nevertheless one of the most common lung diseases worldwide. But what exactly is COPD, also known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?
Help with climbing stairs – Our 5 tips: As we get older, more and more people have difficulty walking and sooner or later find themselves facing their own stairs at home and are afraid to climb them without help. There are many products that can be helpful in this case. In this article you can find out more about help with climbing stairs.
Easier everyday life with a stair climbing aid. Tommy Jørstad found the stairs a major obstacle to his daily life. His balance was poor and his knees were in danger of giving out. But with the bedroom and bathroom on the 2nd floor, the stairs have to be negotiated several times a day. “I was simply afraid to use the stairs,” Tommy Jørstad tells us in his living room. (This is a translation based on an article by Anne-Lise Aakervik, originally published in Ergoterapeuten 2nd edition 2017).
Fall prevention: Falls are one of the most common causes of accidents in Germany. Every year, more than 600,000 people fall in Germany. According to the Federal Statistical Office, 12,867 people died from a fall in 2015 alone.
Particularly as people get older, they often suffer serious injuries. The German Medical Association North Rhine estimates that around 80 percent of all over-80s and around 30 percent of all over-65s fall at home every year.
The stair climbing aid has now been installed at the Lamarktunet rehabilitation and retirement center for a one-year trial period. Torstein Lien is 91 years old and now somewhat unsteady on his feet. But now he has the opportunity to practise climbing stairs independently. (This is a translation based on an article by Trond K. Johansen, originally published in Bladet Vesterålen on July 11, 2018)
Jakob Rønningen had no objections when the stair climber was ready for use in the care home. “The device looks good and is robust. I felt safe,” he said after walking up and down the stairs once.
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