Lift chairs and/or recliners

LadyTexan

If your loved one uses either, what are the pros and cons?

Ed1937

My wife doesn't use either, but some of the recliners can be hard to get out of.

ladyzetta

When my DH was home, he had a recliner he had for years. We took it to MC along with him. It was the kind that had the handle on the side to recline the chair. When the chair broke, we replaced it with one that had a hand control. That was not a good thing to do, he had no idea what it was he thought it was the TV control and a few times the aides found him on the floor he used the control and stood the chair Stright up and he slid off onto the floor. I recommend sticking with what he is used too. Hugs Zetta

loveskitties

It really depends on what your need is.  My dad likes to nap in the chair so a recliner is the better choice...he needs some help getting it in position...it also is a wing back so that when he naps his head is supported to the side.

They also have a lift chair from when my sister was sick.  It is a bit bulky and right now no one needs the help to get out of the other chairs.

One thing I noticed in looking for new of both kinds is that it is important to know the depth of the seat (front to back) so that the legs are supported but not to the point of dangling or of the circulation being cut off.

LadyTexan

Thanks everyone. 

DH asked for a recliner for Christmas. I thought a lift chair would be in our near future. The product I bought was the most budget friendly combo recliner/lift chair I could find online. It was just shy of $500. The chair also has a massage and heat feature. All the functions are operated by a remote. I assembled it yesterday. I am not happy with the chair. 

DH is happy with the chair, so that is good and what really counts.

The make-believe leather is noisy when DH shifts. Its annoying but also helpful because it grabs my attention when DH gets fidgety. I don't think DH can control the chair with the remote. He and I are attached at the hip now that he is a fall risk. In hindsight I wish I had focused on just one feature: a comfy recliner.

White Crane

DH has always had a recliner but lately he is having trouble getting out of it.  I am thinking of buying a lift chair so I appreciate this thread.

jfkoc

Lift chair by all means. Mine is a lift/recliner. It has an attached remote...up/down...and the buttons are lite up green arrows. It is a lovely gray/taupe tweed. No noise and looks good.

Medicare paid for part of it.

Lills

One of the BEST decisions was to ask hospice for a LIFT chair (which reclines).  DH had major difficulty standing up from a sofa.  The lift chair was magic piece of equipment for us!  It's the ugliest piece of 'furniture' I've ever seen but I LOVE it  BTW, I put the remote in the side pocket so DH couldn't see it.

Daughter of a Marine

When DH came home from major spinal surgery, I had the lift chair waiting for him.  It helps in getting him up from seated position and he slept in it immediately following surgery, but I'm the one working the controls.  He confuses it with the TV remote which is what I anticipated.

Bundy

How do I get Medicare to help pay for a lift chair?

jfkoc

I had my Dr write a perscription and took it to a store that handled medical equipment as well as chairs. It took a but of friendly persistence and additional time to get it throught the system but Medicare paid about 1/3 and there was no tax.

Jo C.

The following is what I found when researching to look for a chair:

Since such chairs are pricey, it would be good to know whether you want to invest in a recliner only chair or if you think it would be wise to get a reclining chair that is also a lift chair as needs change and evolve.   It is also important to measure the intended chair user and know the users weight so as to be successful in getting the proper chair "fit."  The more a person weighs, the more sturdy the frame, etc. will be. Links below discuss this in detail.

If insurance will cover, it will cover only the chair lift mechanism; they do not cover the chair itself as the lift mechanism is considered a medical need/device and  the rest of the chair is considered "furniture." 

NOTE: To be covered by insurance, the insured must be able to stand and be able to walk, even if with a walker or canes.  A doctor's order is needed and there must be a medical condition for need for a lift chair; this must be a condition involving the ability to stand; so the knees, hips, etc. would be acceptable, back pain would not be.  ALSO:  If one has had a wheelchair or scooter covered by insurance, they will usually NOT cover a lift chair as insurance covers wheelchairs and scooters if the person is not ambulatory.  This is discussed in one of the links below.  Many stores will not work with insurance, so if this is important to you, ask ahead of time before making a choice for purchase.

   

These types of chairs can be found at both furniture stores as well as at many medical supply stores.  There is a different approach, so I personally would look at several of both types of stores, gain knowledge and then make my choice.  Ask:  Once in the home, if the chair does not work out for the user, is there a return policy and if so,what is the time frame, how does it work and is there a fee for returns.  One major oft advertised store has a very unfriendly return policy - usually not able to be done; this can be a major concern and factor in purchasing.

I am including some informative links below, and it is a good idea, if you can, to get PT and/or OT input so you know how to measure your LO for chair fit needs and what to look for.

One of the below links is with two Physical Therapists; it is a little slow, but there are many hints re chairs and rising from chairs and other handy hints.

The other links discuss sizes and weight for chair fit as well as criteria for insurance coverage, fabric, motors, and much more.

First, chair height from seat to floor makes a huge difference as does inside chair seat width from side to side as well as inside depth from front  to back and for users actual weight.  It all makes a huge difference not only in use, but also in some instances, in the life of the chair.

Oversized plush armrests are not desireable as it makes it extremely difficult or impossible to help the user lift oneself out of the chair for pushing off when standing..  One needs to have a narrower, firm more solid upholstered set of armrests.  Personally; I would not purchase a very plush chair with over-stuffed backrests, seat, etc.  All of the cushioned areas will compress over time and can affect the fit of the chair and ease of use. Best to stick to the simpler upholstered chair without all the deep plush extra cushioning. Plush headrests also can push the head forward and cause neck pain as well as being uncomfortable for TV watching. 

With some chairs, whenever one puts the foot rest up, the chair back automatically reclines.  That is not always a good dynamic as some individuals want their feet up but also want to sit upright to be able to visit with others or to watch TV.  So; in many cases, this can be accommodated by an electric control chair with two motors; one for the footrest and one for the backrest.  If one can operate the controls, that is great; for others such as those who have dementia, it may take the caregiver to operate the mechanism to get the correct positioning.

With some electrically operated chairs, the control can actually be programmed for automatic desired position for backrest, footrest, recline position and if a lift chair, for the lift mechanism.

In the side controlled, non-electric operating mechanism, it can take a significant amount of leg strength to get the footrest down so one can stand; this can be dangerous if the user cannot make that happen and then tries to get up anyway trying to get off the chair sideways with the footrest still up and extended; this is a significant risk.

If choosing an electrically controlled chair there are of course multiple parts that can develop issues, so look carefully at warranty for the motors; that is where the most important warranty coverage is.   Also look to see if the chair has battery power backup; some do and this is important if there is a power outage.With a lift capability, some chairs do this nicely but other chairs seem to put a person in an uncomfortable feeling like they are going to fall situation.  Fit and capability is again very important.

Also check the warranty to see if there is a lifetime warranty for the frame and/or mechanisms; some do have this.  Just check carefully for the warranty information as these chairs will be in daily use and are usually kept for a very long time.

Fabrics take on importance for this heavily used furniture.  Check the wear testing that is done for a possible fabric choice.  Is the user incontinent?  If so, then choosing a fabric that can withstand the accident becomes a primary concern.  There are some fabrics, (not cloth) that can be cleaned with a disinfectant; if this is important to you, ask about it as not all non-cloth fabrics can withstand disinfectant use.

NOTE:  Try to buy a chair from a well known company AND one that will sell parts directly to the consumer.  Furniture stores and medical supply stores can go out of business and most often, stores do not carry chair parts anyway, so that can be important.   These chairs are expensive and being able to get parts can become important over time.

Check to see delivery fee; sometimes this can be negotiated.  When checking delivery; be sure to ask if this includes the chair being taken to its place inside the house and if it includes setup; if there is battery backup, find out if the delivery service will install the batteries.

Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m5qNdrKjM8

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYb-v8Q2r_k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HsO1K2WKFU

 

 

Good luck; if you purchase a chair, let us know how it is working out,

 

J.