Advice about lift recliners, please?

Poodle, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Glad things are working out for your uncle and you. Have a blessed day!

Hello everyone! Wishing you all a good April!

Last update on the recliner. I write this, because you never know, suddenly maybe the updates help someone in the future.

My uncle changed his mind. With added cushions, he finds the recliner more comfortable, even at the dining table. We try to keep the recliner at an ideal distance from the table.

The recliner has 2 wheels in the back. He prefers no movement at all, so we blocked the wheels. Originally we thought the wheels would help him move the chair closer to the table when necessary.

I also found more caregivers, for more shifts (we don’t have 24-hour care, but some hours during the day). This way the caregivers can also help adjust the distance of the recliner to the table, if necessary.

Hello everyone! You gave me great advice, warnings.

Time has passed. I can now say more clearly how things are.

1. The lift recliner armchair idea:
To have it at the dining table: it hasn’t worked out. We knew it might not work out, but we wanted to try. A rolling chair isn’t good, because my uncle falls if the chair moves. So it seemed like an immovable lift recliner would be good. We hoped to find just the right distance: not too far from the table. Not too close. But it doesn’t work. Too bad, because with the recliner chair he could have taken naps. But the recliner is always too close, or too far away, from the dining table. It wasn’t comfortable. We looked into stress chairs, but we’ll have the same problem. We tried a reclining wheelchair: not comfortable.

My uncle is now using a normal dining chair (with armrests), which doesn’t move, but since the chair is so light, he’s able to move it a bit himself to sit at the right distance between the table and the chair.

We’ll keep the lift recliner, because one day it might be useful in the living room.

2. Many of you gave me excellent cooking tips, so my uncle can continue to be involved (he loves cooking). We’ll continue trying the ideas.

3. I saw a post by BarbBrooklyn today on a great chair for people with Parkinson’s. Thanks! We might look into that, too!

https://www.seatingseniors.com/pages/parkinsons-and-mealtimes

All good luck to everyone, and their LOs.

Poodle

the ugliest things ever

A while ago, I looked quite a bit into lift recliners as a physical therapist said I needed one and I ended up getting 3 estimates (but no recliner). What I learned: 1) They can be quite expensive. A ballpark figure would be about $1,000. I've seen cheaper prices but I'm not sure of the quality. 2) Your last point is the most important: it should be comfortable, which means it HAS to be a good fit for the person using it. I would not purchase one of these pieces of equipment without first having the person it's intended for sitting in it, which probably means going to the store where you might purchase it. I looked at reviews at a nearby good furniture store I had done some business with and a very satisfied customer thanked the store for letting her make THREE returns of a recliner until she was very satisfied with how it felt for her; 3) You should make sure that when it's delivered it's all "set to go, " meaning it's all set up for you, & that this is factored into the price. There is a term for this which I can't recall that furniture people know-- I think it's "glove" and such-and-such. 4) Remember when you're buying this that it's a piece of equipment not just a piece of furniture. As such, if you have to move it, take it out of where it is, etc. it could cost quite a bit of money just to move it as it's very heavy. Good luck.

my mother loved hers, i mean really loved hers.
the only possible downside was if the power went out .
She also loved the heating part of it as well

They work great but I suggest getting one covered with fabric instead of vinyl or leather because when you are using it to lift someone, they tend to slide off if they are very weak. I had to stop using the one for my husband because it was making it harder for me to get him out since he kept sliding down.

Here is Poodle Doodle, saying thanks, and hoping all of you are ok!

Thank you for all the replies!! We’ll check out the various options!

I’ll let you know how it works out. It’ll take a while to make a choice, get it delivered.

Thanks a lot!! :)

dear poodle,

good luck!! :)
all this information is useful for me too!! my LOs at some point might want a recliner.

bundle of joy :)

My father has Parkinsons and a lot of other issues at 96 has managed to keep going in spite of a lot of challenges-one of which is his spouse wants it done her ways every day. they live at home with 24 hour care. Mom also 96 has fallen many times -due to bulging disc. and now has memory issue taking pills etc. Both have custom recliners that are holding up well to this point. VS retail type furniture store variety. No insult intended here it is just what worked out-held up having done it both ways now-custom VS off the rack.

Dad is about 8-9 years into Parkinsons. Very weak can barely stand or assist caregivers getting out of the bed. Can not walk any more on his own. We have a Steady lift-non mechanical lift device works great when Caregivers want to use it. Dad is a big guy and definitely not manageable to transfer with out lift to get dad to wheel chair and out to his recliner-where he pretty much sits the entire day-with mom at his side in her recliner.

As I mention Dad has electric recliner was replaced about 3-4 years ago-needed to be custom made to fit his hips and leg length. Yes the lift function does help him by not needing to work as hard to get into position-and down to comfort setting for the day-tailored to fit him, probably extra padding to keep things firm. somehow the cats have not shredded the thing to pieces. Before the newest one they had one from the local Medical supply place did not last that long-buttons decoration popping off, motor burned out-probably due to dad weight in the 250 range. Cats destroyed the fabric by clawing to shreds.

Maybe some of those "slider" discs -your dad may not be able to move by himself even with the sliders. but helper could help move the thing on carpets or tiles i have had good experience getting heavy things into position without straining hurting my back. My dad is tall and his first chair was lifted up on a low 2inch platform to get the seat closer to the right height and not interfere with the lift motor. Do some in person shopping yourself. look at reviews for quality-how long they lasted etc. In a case where dad can not go to the place to give the chair a test-compare different models in one store if they have them.

You just have to do your best based on research etc. Look for the best warranty-solid construction. the weight load the motor can handle-and warranty. Dad does have some hospital type tables that lift. up and down over the recliner for meals reading the paper etc. parents got them off the internet too.

I would recommend one of those lounge chair quilted water proof covers-king of hangs in place or tuck in the gaps-easy to get off to wash saves the original fabric from stains and use. Target carried couch version of this a few years back -good quality for the purpose. It's -not worth going cheap on the purchase of recliner and have to replace sooner-something that will be used every day will wear out faster.

Maybe a specialty place would bring one to try before you buy?? maybe could be rented short term from one of those furniture rental places?? or the specialty shop. If they dont have recliners maybe they know resource of other options to try or buy. Custom order pretty much guarantees no return policy-my parents ordered from a catalog and they ended up being pretty nice. Seems bizarre that end result was satisfactory. We rented the lift and then decided to purchase-dad was unlikely to never need help. they applied rent to the price. Parents bought a movable head-foot bed based on a friend recommendation. It is fine for dad. Mom hates it makes her back hurt no surprise here she did not go to the store and try it out first-she can get in the car to do that but chose not to-96 year old almost never makes the best choice and wont listen to others who would make other suggestion or way to figure it out before plunking down the cash.

My Mom loves her recliner and can fall asleep in it, very easily.
There are many places that you can get a chair made just search for short custom made lift chairs. you can then find the styles, fabrics, seat size, delivery, options, etc. that you want....but, if he doesn't want the lift feature, why would he pay for a lift chair and not get a common recliner?
We got the Golden Comfort PR535...I think. Battery backup for power outages...BTW....only good for it to return to seated position but a great comfort.

if he just wants to be able to get things off the table and that is why you want a large and cumbersome peace of furniture in a small space like the dining room (with a dining room table in it) why not move a large table onto the other side of the chair in the sitting room, where you say there is more space? then he can use the lift feature when he wants the items and not do the boot scoot boogie to get every thing.
My Mom has a smaller table with storage under it for her to get item. and you can get side tables with drawers or cabinets.

If you can get your uncle out in a wheelchair for shopping for a lift chair, I highly recommend doing that. That’s what I had to do for my wife. Try before you buy if possible.

About four years ago we went to several stores trying out high-end, plushy, but pricy, to their low-end lift chairs. My wife and I both tried out the chairs and she only liked one that was at the low end price-wise. We bought it and she’s been happy ever since. Her chair has the battery back-up. It’s two 9 volt batteries usable only once as was mentioned by someone else earlier.

I just checked Amazon. They have quite a few lift chairs available. Prices run from around $350 on up. Check their return policy. If you get a chair without trying it first and aren’t happy with it, you will want to be able to return it.

Hope we’ve helped!

poodle, trying to finagle a recliner/lift chair to work with a dining room table sounds impossible to me, frankly. You are much better off getting a lift chair and then buying a table to fit IT, rather than what you have in mind which sounds dangerous & like a nightmare. The Stander Assist-A-Tray is a fantastic device, but it is smallish, certainly not the size of a dining room table.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Stander-Assist-A-Tray/1003166864

My suggestion to you is to find a store that specializes in medical equipment and items for handicapped people, such as YouCan Toucan in my area here in Denver. It's where I went to purchase lift chairs and a wheelchair for my parents. I told the owner of the store my father's height & weight, and what his issues were (bad back, mobility issues, etc) and HE told ME what size and type of recliner to get for him. They're all comfortable; what matters is that it is the proper size for your uncle and has the features on it you want it to have. Dad's had a zero gravity feature that positioned the chair in such a way as to take ALL the weight off of dad's back and give him relief from the chronic back pain he suffered. It also lifted him into a standing position which was something we required.

Here is a link to the lift chairs this company carries, to give you an idea of what's available:

https://www.youcanhomemedical.com/product-category/lift-chairs/

You don't say what state you're in, but you can Google medical lift chairs/supplies in your city to see what comes up. The difference between such a store and a furniture store is that in a store that specializes in such items, the salespeople are trained to help you with your uncle's specific needs & cater to his measurements/size and body weight, etc. In 2014 when I bought my folks the chairs, they were $1600 apiece. The Stander Assist-A-Tray is now going for around $169 at Lowe's. I just donated my mother's lift recliner to Habitat For Humanity, actually, after she passed away on 2/22. Someone will be very happy to find that chair when they see it for sale there, I'm sure. The ones I purchased were fabric covered, kind of a twill fabric; but I will warn you that incontinence issues can cause the odors to STAY in the fabric vs. leather isn't as much of an issue.


Good luck!

I can't see this working at a dining room table. I would look for a comfortable arm chair that he can use instead of a swivel office chair.

I have a stressless chair and it is super comfortable, comes with an adjustable ottoman and you can buy lifts so it is as tall as you want, they come in small, medium and large. He would probably use a small. They also have a return policy, so try it for a few weeks, if it doesn't work, return it for a full refund.

If I stretch out on it, I fall asleep it's so comfy.

My dad had a form of dementia with Parkinson’s and both he and I (his caregiver) found the lift chair helpful. Shop around and try out a few chairs before buying. Some considerations: (1) A fabric-covered chair is safer to manage because leather may cause slipping; (2) If your uncle wants to position the chair in his dining room, he may need a dining table (and someone to move it) that pulls away completely for him to access the seat and/or recline. Measure the space, dining table height, chair dimensions, and seat height to see if this will work; (3) Some chairs recline fully flat for sleeping, while others do not; (4) Ask if the chair has an emergency power outage feature. My dad’s chair had a battery backup feature BUT it only worked one time and then the batteries had to be replaced. So if he were fully reclined in a sleep position, and a storm knocked out the power, dad could bring the chair to a sit position but do nothing else until the battery was changed (design flaw for sure!); and (6) Check out used lift chairs or floor model samples. These chairs are expensive!

My mom has been using one in the family room since she came home after a severe car accident. She came home in February of 2009. The chair itself was her mothers. So it is even way older than that. It plugs into the wall, and it always works, never fails. You might have to oil it once every 10 years if it makes a noise. The only problem is if the handicapped person is in the chair and the power goes out. Then the person is stuck in the chair. That happened one time to us and mom hurt her leg trying to get out of it from the reclined back position. So if there is a thunder storm coming or something like that the person needs to be aware not to sit in that chair maybe, especially if you are in an area where the power is likely to go out. Not sure what kind of chair we have. My mom sits in it a few hours most every day.

When getting a lift chair for my Mom, the first thing was her height and getting a chair that was geared to her size...she's round but short. So, I had the smallest one I could find made. Then she's a lefty. So, the controller was opted to be on the left hand side. She didn't want vibration, but it is a common choice.
For a table, I set her up with a Standler assist-a-tray, that swings over her lap while in the chair or off to the side for a side table when she likes that instead.
it has a cup holder and pen organizer area. so it works well.
a lift chair for a dining room table is an awful idea...to me.