TABLE 2.

Data extraction of included studies in the literature review and results. (Rapid review, Switzerland, 2014–2024).

Author(s) and year	Country	Population	Study design	Study objective and relevance of lift system	Key findings regarding health outcomes related to lift systems
Heller et al. [32]	Sweden	Elderly people	Systematic review	Investigation of the relationship between physical housing features, accessibility of housing and various aspects of health Presence of an elevator	- A higher level of perceived accessibility and usability of the home was significantly associated with higher level of life satisfaction - No association was identified between reduced physical function and older adults living in a multi-story building without an elevator - Having stairs at the entrance increases the risk of going outside independently - Older women living in a high-rise building are less likely to have a decline in I-ADL ((instrumental) activities of daily living) compared to men - No correlation was identified between the decline in I-ADL and living in a multi-story building without an elevator - Stakeholders should focus more on the planning of accessible housing and strive for political solutions at regional, national and international level to support ageing at home
Fotteler et al. [33]	Germany	Elderly people living at home	Cross-sectional study using a written survey	Use and benefits of information, communication and assistive technology for older adults living at home Lift as a potential assistive technology	- A personal lift was used to a greater extent by non-ICT users than ICT users (7.56% vs. 1.61%). This is associated with functional deficits and multimorbidity, which is consistent with the findings that non-ICT users are older and have more comorbidities - Those who had a greater interest in the technology reported that they derived greater benefit from using it
Ainsworth et a [34].	Australia	Elderly people and people with disabilities	Interpretative descriptive interview study	Exploring the experience of home modifications most valued by older adults and people with disabilities Effects of installing a stairlift and other undefined home adaptations	- Participants who appreciated the home changes because they felt they were important to cope in the home generally described positive emotional - Those who were initially ambivalent were surprised by the positive changes - Those who were initially apprehensive often described more disruptive outcomes - The non-involvement of those affected in the home adaptations was seen as negative - Most participants described that the changes enabled them to lead a rich and fulfilling life at home and in the community - After the home adaptation, there were positive outcomes in terms of mental and physical health and wellbeing
Chandola and Rouxel [35]	UK	Older people with significant mobility restrictions	Longitudinal panel study	Investigating whether external and internal housing adaptations reduce the risk of a range of disabilities in older adults Presence of a lift or stairlift	- External housing adaptations (widened doorways, ramps, automatic doors, parking spaces and lifts) help to reduce a range of disability outcomes (falls, poor health and pain) - External housing adaptations reduced the likelihood of not engaging in social activities by 6% and the likelihood of moving by 4%, even for people without mobility impairments - External home adaptations can reduce the risk of falling
Beyazova et al. [36]	Turkey	Elderly people	Cross-sectional multicenter study using an interview survey	Highlighting problems faced by older people in their neighborhoods, buildings and public spaces Presence of a lift and its evaluation	- 76.4% did not have a lift - 10.8% rated the elevator in their building as unsuitable for older people because the (elevator) space is too narrow, the lighting is inadequate, the buttons are not in the right place, or because they have difficulty reading the numbers and signs - (Unsuitable) lifts can cause more falls or cause people to stay at home
Mulliner et al. [37]	UK	Elderly people	Literature review and cross-sectional online survey	To identify the key housing and environmental features associated with the health and wellbeing of older people and to determine preferences for these features through a survey of UK residents aged 55+ The stairlift was considered as part of potential home adaptations	- Home adaptations (such as retrofitting a stairlift) for living in old age were rated as medium to high importance - There is a strong preference for the desire to age at home, which becomes even stronger with increasing age - Age, gender and geographical context had different effects on preferences for housing and environmental characteristics, and education and income were not key factors in housing preferences - The preference for an independent and handicapped-accessible home with an elevator and on one floor increased with age
O’Malley et al. [38]	UK	Patients who have fallen due to a stairlift and are between 40 and 100 years old	Secondary data analysis of a dataset	Investigation of the incidence and pattern of injury in patients diagnosed with a fall from a stairlift Stairlifts	- The overall mortality rate after falling from a stairlift was 15.7% - The most common site of injury (49.2%) was the extremities and the most serious injuries were to the head - The mean fall height was calculated on the basis of the average stair height and amounted to 2.29 m - The fall height is significantly related to the injury of the thorax and the spine
Tural et al. [39]	USA	Elderly people	Sequential mixed-method study using a cross-sectional survey and focus groups	Investigation of changing the environment of stairs with stair mobility aids to support active living for older people Intention for the installation of a stairlift	- The main reasons for using stair mobility aids are product aesthetics, fear of falling and customization of the aid to the environment - Older age and a lower self-reported activity level predict the use of a stairlift - Perceived financial affordability is significantly related to positive attitudes towards stair mobility aids - Possible support from other household members can negatively influence attitudes towards stair mobility products
Andersson et al. [40]	Sweden	People in late adulthood from the age of 55	Cross-sectional study using a questionnaire	The extent to which housing situation preferences are related to age, gender, socio-economic status and geographic area is investigated Lift as a potential home adaptation	- Preferences that increase with age include: 1) the apartment is located in an area where the respondent feels at home, 2) the apartment is handicapped accessible, 3) the apartment has an elevator (if it is higher than the second floor) 4) and the apartment is single-story - Women found it most important to live close to family, have a balcony/terrace, have an elevator and live close to public transportation
Granbom, et al. [41]	USA	Elderly people	Prospective study based on longitudinal data from the representative national health and aging Trends Study	Investigation of whether the accessibility of interior rooms, accessibility of the entrance, safety features in the bathroom, type of apartment and condition of the apartment are related to a move within the community or to a care facility Presence of a lift or stairlift	- The likelihood of moving (to age-appropriate housing) was lower among older adults who lived in a single-story home; had an elevator, stairlift, or had the bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen on the same floor - An apartment with an (stair) elevator can support older adults in aging in place - Installing an elevator can be more challenging and costly than implementing other aids such as handrails
Pettersson et al. [42]	Sweden	Elderly people	Secondary data analysis of two cross-sectional data sets	Assessing the impact of the targeted removal of environmental barriers in the normal living environment Lifts in general	- “Stairs as the only way at entrances” (no elevator/ramp) as an environmental barriers to be eliminated were significantly less common in apartment buildings and single-family homes - The results show that of the current 2.3 million apartment buildings in Sweden, more than 1 million have entrances with steps without a ramp or elevator. The proportion and actual number of single-family homes is even higher
Pérez-Hernández et al. [43]	Spain	Elderly people living at home	Prospective cohort study using telephone interviews and home visits	Investigation of the influence of poor living conditions on the functional status of older adults Presence of a lift	- There is an increased risk of reduced physical activity due to the lack of a lift
Slaug et al. [27]	Sweden and Germany	Elderly people living alone and at home	Simulation of policy changes regarding the elimination of hindering housing features in Sweden and Germany by means of a survey with a 12-month follow-up	Testing the hypothesis whether the new directive to remove potentially disabling housing features can maintain older people’s independence in relation to I-ADL and thus reduce the overall need for home services Lift as a potential environmental barrier	- The simulations predicted that new measures to remove potentially disabling housing features could improve I-ADL performance of older people and reduce the need for home-based services - The results suggest that policy change can contribute to positive effects in terms of I-ADL dependency among older people and a reduction in societal costs
García-Esquinas et al [44]	Spain	Elderly people living at home	Cross-sectional study using telephone interviews and physical examination	Relationship between housing conditions and physical functional limitations in older adults Presence of a lift	- The lack of an elevator in apartment buildings can prevent some older adults from leaving their homes, which is associated with higher mortality in patients with heart failure - Not leaving the home may be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease or diabetes when physically inactive. This may also limit access to a balanced diet. - Not leaving the home can increase the risk of feelings of loneliness and depression
Granbom et al. [45]	Sweden	Elderly people	Secondary data analysis of three datasets	Identify the environmental barriers that cause the most accessibility problems for subgroups of the ageing population with different combinations of functional limitations Presence of a lift	- Stairs are very often the only way (no elevator/ramp) at entrances, which confirms the social relevance of supporting active and healthy ageing - The recent government commission on housing for the ageing population in Sweden has proposed that owners of apartment buildings should receive financial support of up to 50% of the cost of installing elevators in existing apartment buildings
Aplin et al. [46]	Australia	Clients and their families who have made changes to their living space	Qualitative descriptive study	The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of changes to housing on the experiences of clients and their families in their homes Lift as a potential home adaptation	- The changes (including the installation of the lift) made everyday life easier and the participants were able to live in their home without strain. They were able to carry out their daily activities more easily - The physical dimension of the home, in particular the living environment, was more often negatively than positively influenced by the adaptations at home - Public accessibility standards (e.g., building regulations) and the limitations of service providers or restricted budgets - Standard procedures and guidelines were constraints, so some participants were not able to bring their home to a level they considered acceptable - Participants felt the work was unfinished, with missing towel rails, unpainted areas and elevators and ramps that needed to be covered with awnings
Mattie et al. [47]	Canada	Users of the lift: occupational therapists and wheelchair users	Description of technical development and user experience inclusion in the design process	Development of an integrated stairlift “ARISE” for the house entrance Newly developed stairlift	Feedback from occupational therapists - In terms of cost aspects, the price must be manageable and financing options must be available - Safety: the lift must not be dependent on an external power supply, even if it is self-powered - The physical and mental health of the end users and the voice of the care staff are important factors when deciding on home access options - The design must be ‘inclusive’ so that there is no stigma associated with accessible products Feedback from end users (wheelchair users) - Maintenance costs must also be low - There must be enough space to turn around and possibly be accompanied by a caregiver - In terms of aesthetics, the lift should look “unobtrusive” and “blend in” with the overall appearance of the building