Pico Rico wrote:
"Bob F" wrote in message
...
(PeteCresswell) wrote:
Due to neurological issues, descending a staircase is becoming
increasingly problematic for Yours Truly.

Current strategy is going down sideways holding the railing, but a
collapsed knee could defeat that.

If I take a header, seems like the best outcome would be a quick
death... but the most likely outcome would be long term disability.

That being said....

Is anybody familiar with assistive devices to mitigate the risk?

A mini-elevator seems like overkill to me - and also a space-eating
PITA.

Ascending, no problem... worst case a bruised knee or something.

I'm starting to think in terms of some kind of quick-on-quick-off
harness attached to a spool whose speed of unwinding is governed.

You put slip the harness on around the chest, start going down the
stairs, start to take a header, and the inertial brake on the spool
kicks in reducing the header to something more like a straight-down
fall on to one's butt or knees.

There are fall protection devices designed for workers to prevent
injury in falls from height.

You could string a rope along the stair wall, and use a prussik knot
to it on a line that clips onto your belt. You walk up/down guiding
the prussik knot along with your hand. If you fall, the prussik knot
tightens and stops moving on the guide rope, stopping your fall.

I thought of that, but I don't know that this technique will prevent
you from falling the one or two feet you might fall to hurt yourself
on the stairs. Sure, it would keep you from tumbling all the way
down the stairs, but I don't think that is enough.

As long as you don't guide the prussik down further than needed, it should stop
you within a few inches. The length of the prussic line would need to be
correct, and the guide line it attaches too would need to be strongly attached
and reasonably tight.