I have had a stair lift installed also for my elderly mother. As long as you have a standard stair case, nothing narrow as in some new townhomes, the track gets installed close to the wall and the chair neatly folds at the bottom of the stair case. There is plenty of room for normal movement about the stairs if you decide to install this device. Please be aware that this is a large investment. If your mom's health declines like my mom's, she was only able to use this device for a few months and then we just had to design a place for her on the lower level of her home. This is an expensive undertaking so think before you purchase and install.