Illness or disabilities aside, at what age did your parents become unable to cope with stairs in their house?

[bibbitybobbityyhat]

Just asking because house hunting and thinking 20 years into the future .

One at about 80 the other still ok at 90 but preferred to live in a ground floor flat anyway

Sorry, a probably seems inappropriate there. Obviously its not funny when you can't do stairs any more, I'm more smiling ruefully at the thought I'm now so old (mid 50s) that I have to think about these things.

My mum is 85 and still managing stairs but she's had a few falls so we have recently persuaded her to have a stairlift put in.
MiL moved into a bungalow at 60 because her knees couldn't cope with stairs.
I'm 57 and still running up and down, hopefully will be for a long time yet.

My parents are still doing the stairs at 75 without a problem.

If you are going for a house and you wanted to 'future proof' I would advise straight stairs with a space at the bottom and top. Avoid stairs that are in the middle of the house or have doors near them.

All these make it a lot easier to get a stairlift fitted (though still possible with)

A downstairs loo is also helpful. Nothing with huge number of steps at the front as well.

As for age, you don't know what is round the corner.

If you are future planning, a 2storey house is still a fair bet, especially if it doesn't have loads of steps to access, has (or potential for) a downstairs toilet, straight flight of stairs (easier for stairlift if needed), is not horrendously remote and rural.

Lots of people live to a ripe old age without losing their mobility, but if you have health conditions likely to deteriorate, or a strong family history of problems like cardiovascular disease it is a thought worth bearing in mind

Dothehappydance snap!

Early 80s. They could still manage - just - and resisted the stair lift, now they would hate to be without it. Technically they can still get upstairs under their own steam, but they are a lot safer on the lift and are happy to go upstairs as necessary instead of just when they absolutely have to.

My parents turn 75 & 71 this year, they're both coping with stairs just fine. They have a downstairs toilet which reduces trips, and have a single sofa-bed in the downstairs study in case of emergency (not used yet!)

Mum died at 76, was still fine with stairs Dad was 79, also fine - did all his own housework,shopping etc.MiL died in her mid 80s,and my Gran was 93 - she had heart failure but was still able to do stairs slowly till the end.I see lots of older people at work,we are upstairs and many of them cope just fine,even in their 90s,if they can take their time.
I don't think you can tell what the future'll bring