One of the more common issues that affects many of those who are elderly, especially those with arthritis, is the ability to stand up from certain sitting positions. This can be quite difficult and not only affects the ability to get into and out of regular chairs, but can also carry over to other areas of the home, like the bathroom.

Using home medical equipment to make it easier to stand is one way of making life a little easier for the elderly and decreasing the risk of a fall at home.

Often, the lift chair is the most common type of tool used in the home, as it provides a literally inexpensive means of improving safety, while also offering other filling the need of a comfortable sitting chair.

Lift chairs are commonly referred to as lift recliners, because they offer the functionality of a traditional Lazy-Boy style recliner, while also providing a lift system in the chair, which is designed to make it easier for the senior to stand on their own.

At its most basic, a lift chair is a comfortable place to sit, complete with a fully functional reclining backrest and a footrest to prop ones feet up on. However, these devices are also an important tool, as they are designed to make it easier for the user to standup, as well as sit down, in a safe manner.

This type of home medical equipment, which is very popular among those with senior arthritis uses an electric motor, which is located within the main body of the chair and, in most cases, powers a scissor lift system, which acts as a lifting component. By raising or lowering the chair, using an attached hand control unit, or in some cases buttons that are built into the chair itself, the entire device can be raised or lowered. When the lift chair has been raised completely, the senior is then able to exit on their feet, or when sitting, back into the chair and rest their full body weight against the chair as it is lowered slowly.

Types of Lift Recliners

There are several ways that lift recliners can be classified. One of the most common is based off the weight capacity or the size of the chair.

As an aside, it is essential to always respect the lift chair manufacturers weight and height rating, as these are important not only for comfort, but also safety!

Lift chairs that are designed to support a higher weight capacity are called bariatric lift chairs and can often support up to seven hundred pounds. These typically have steel frames, with dual motors, and some include other features that make it easier to get into and out of the lift chair, like removable armrests.

Lift chairs that are designed for taller individuals, such as those over six feet tall, as well as those designed to be used in smaller positions are also popular. The latter, which are often called wall huggers, are designed in a way that lets them fully recline, while being able to be placed closer to the wall. It is not uncommon for a wall-hugger lift chair to be able to be placed as close as six inches to the wall.

Lift Chair Positions

Another way to classify lift chairs is based on the degree that the backrest can recline.

Lift chairs are electrically powered, including the backrest and footrest, and it is possible to stop reclining the lift chair by simply letting go of the recline button.

Even though, as a result of the electric motor, it is possible to recline to many different positions, the maximum degree that the backrest reclines is often used to describe the lift chair. For example, a two-position lift chair only reclines about forty-five degrees, while a three-position lift recliner can go back almost completely horizontally.

A third type of lift chair, the infinite position lift chair, can go back essentially to a horizontal position, but also allows the footrest to be controlled interdependently. The other types of lift chairs function more like a traditional recliner, which can only go back after the footrest has come out.