What to look for in a "Recliner" that can "Lift" a person to "Standup"?

[RaySharpton]

What to look for in a "Recliner" that can "Lift" a person to "Standup"?

I have been Googling a lot of different Lift Recliner chairs.

But there are no stores near me to actually try to determine if one would work for me.

Any tips?

Any suggestions?

Any personal experiences that you might like to share?

What did you like or dislike about your lift chair or someone else's chair?

What feature did you wish you had in hindsight about your lift chair?

Anything would help since I will have to order my Lift Recliner chair online.

Thank you in advance?

Ray

 

[jbcheerchick93]

Hi Ray

My parents ordered one online for my grandpa. He has something similar to Parkinson's and it is very helpful for my grammie to get him in and out of the recliner. They used to just have a leather armchair.

I would make sure that the remote pocket is on the side that works for you or that it is interchangeable.

Also make sure that it can accommodate your height and weight. There are many that "top out" at 250 pounds. That's not a hard weight to get to for taller men. How far "up" do you want it to be able to go? That will be important to consider, too! There are some that "assist" with standing but don't stand you fully up.

The better ones have at least 4 buttons on the remote. Up/down and forward/back for the standing part.

I will get the info about my grandpa's tomorrow for you (11pm here).

 

[Dan Murphy]

Hey, Ray. I don't have any ideas for you but wanred to tale a moment and just say hello to you. Have not seen you in quite a while.

Good you're retired now. I would think you old pediatric respiratory department has sure been super busy these past few months.

Hope all is well with you. Stay safe, stay healthy.

 

[mini22]

Battery backup in case the power goes out while you are reclined. Also it is nice if you can find one were the head and feet are controlled separately. They are defiantly more expensive but worth it if you will be spending a lot of time in it.

 

[RaySharpton]

Hi, my dear friend Dan.

I sure do miss our great times at Walt Disney World every December.

I truly...truly do miss those wonderful times.

Yes, I've been retired for about 2-years now.

How about you?

Well...since a majority of my colleagues were at least 20-years younger than me, we didn't keep in contact.

And all those around my age have either expired or unable to reach out. Most R.R.T.'s don't last in the high-stress clinical NICU or AICU as I did without going into another non-clinical position.

I do have one very good friend that is about to retire, and he says he was so surprised how few patients he has seen recently where he supervises and most needed there.

On the other hand, AICU's are constantly overwhelmed.

I've had a rough health year.

But that is life.

I'm using a wheelchair now.

Take care Dan.

Hey, Ray. I don't have any ideas for you but wanred to tale a moment and just say hello to you. Have not seen you in quite a while.

Good you're retired now. I would think you old pediatric respiratory department has sure been super busy these past few months.

Hope all is well with you. Stay safe, stay healthy.

 

[RaySharpton]

Hi, jbcheerchick93.

Hi Ray
My parents ordered one online for my grandpa. He has something similar to Parkinson's and it is very helpful for my grammie to get him in and out of the recliner. They used to just have a leather armchair.

I live alone and I am worried about that. Thank you.

I would make sure that the remote pocket is on the side that works for you or that it is interchangeable.

Thank you so much. I didn't even think about that.

Also make sure that it can accommodate your height and weight. There are many that "top out" at 250 pounds. That's not a hard weight to get to for taller men. How far "up" do you want it to be able to go? That will be important to consider, too! There are some that "assist" with standing but don't stand you fully up.

My legs are short compared to my torso and I think that is why I may be having issues just trying to stand up in my old regular recliner.[/QUOTE]

I want to have the ability to stand up as high as possible.

I have lost the strength and tactile feeling of my left hand since I slipped and fell last December

The better ones have at least 4 buttons on the remote. Up/down and forward/back for the standing part.

I will get the info about my grandpa's tomorrow for you (11pm here).

Thank you,

 

[RaySharpton]

Hi, mini22.

That is a great idea since I live alone.

Battery backup in case the power goes out while you are reclined. Also it is nice if you can find one were the head and feet are controlled separately. They are defiantly more expensive but worth it if you will be spending a lot of time in it.

 

[jdb in AZ]

see below

 

[jdb in AZ]

 

[Luv Bunnies]

We bought one for my dad a few years ago. It became invaluable when he was rehabbing after breaking a hip. While shopping for one, my sister and I spent a lot of time at the furniture store, just sitting in all the chairs. We tried all the various positions (feet up, down, backrest up and down, etc.). We found that some were very hard and uncomfortable after a few minutes. The bottom cushion needs to be thick enough so you don’t feel like you’re sitting on the mechanical parts underneath. We found one with a very comfortable cushion that our dad also loved. He even slept in the chair when it was too difficult to get in and out of his bed.

 

[mousefan73]

Also keep in mind where your outlet is, where do you wanna place it and how long the electrical cord is. We have a rather large living room and we spontaneously bought an electrical lounge chair as we saw a nice one on clearance as a floor model. It wasn’t till we got home that we realized wait we need to plug this thing in and we had to move things around to make it work

 

[jdb in AZ]

When an elderly member of our family needed a lift chair, she also had issues with incontinence, so a leather (scrubbable) chair worked better than regular upholstery.

 

[Dole_whip_doll]

Mine is just a usage caution....we bought my Grandma one and I think she got to use it maybe twice because my cousin’s son was allowed to play on it like a slide. You know grandparents, even great-grandparents, won’t tell a child no and my cousin does not discipline her kid at all. It ended up breaking and took it to a local repair guy to look at. It came from him that it was from constant overuse and the cost to fix was unreal. We took info to cousin who said she wouldn’t pay because there was no proof her kid overused it. So just be aware a) not a toy and b)repairs can be expensive.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

As a physical therapist, I often answered this question. Both of my major points were covered.
1. Make sure it has a battery back up in case of power outage.
2. If there is any incontinence involved, make sure it has a wipe-able surface.
3. If you have a medical condition that would require this, often your MD can write a prescription. A medical supply/home health type store often carries these and your insurance may cover part of the cost. Even some pharmacies can get them. Maybe call your local department of aging for assistance finding one.
4. I agree with trying to sit in it first. DH and I don't find the same chairs comfortable because his legs are so much longer than mine.

Good luck. And while I don't come here as often as I used to, I am an old timer too and remember your name.

 

[barkley]

If you have a medical condition that would require this, often your MD can write a prescription. A medical supply/home health type store often carries these and your insurance may cover part of the cost. Even some pharmacies can get them. Maybe call your local department of aging for assistance finding one.

i'll echo this. with a prescription medicare will cover a portion under the durable medical equipment provision. private insurance often covers a portion with a prescription as well.

But there are no stores near me to actually try to determine if one would work for me.

if you have any traditional furniture stores that carry lay-z-boy products they may not advertise that they deal in lift chairs but lay-z-boy does manufacture them. you could call and see if they have the models on the floor that can have the lift mechanisms so you could try out the chairs for comfort. when we purchased one for my mother many years ago we were able to order one through a traditional furniture store. another option is to call any type of medical supply store in your area and see if they have access to the chairs or can recommend someone local (the place my hubby gets his cpap stuff at doesn't advertise that they sell these types of chairs but they do).

as far as extras when ordering one-

my lay-z-boy has a usb outlet on the power button panel-nice for being able to charge my phone while it sits on the table next to the chair.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Here is our story with ours. Mom had had a fall and I decided kind of spur of moment that she needed one. Hadn't even had time to research and was working a long stretch (medical, too!) so I took a chance and peeked on Craigslist to see if there were any there, knowing that sometimes medical things such as this are often for sale if no longer needed. And by luck I found a really great, practically brand new chair that a son had bought for his father and his father didn't use much. So DH and DS were able to go get it that very day, and it was a very nice chair for just $100! (I really didn't even know what their regular cost was.) This one had not only recline and push up, but heat and massage.

So things were going along really well for a few months until one day the chair stuck in recline position and we couldn't get Mom out! (And eventually had to lift her over the side.) So I called the company for help and they said that they only made the chair and not the electronic parts. I got in touch with the company who made the electronic parts but only got the voicemail and left about five messages requesting help, to no avail. (I did not mention where I got the chair.) So I moved on and tried to find a repair person and realized there aren't many out there these days, but I left messages with those I did find and didn't hear back except from some medical companies who said they sold the chairs but didn't repair them. Saddened, Mom simply used the chair without its electronic features - DH and brother had managed to somehow get it out of recline position, and also determined what the problem was in the electronic panel, but were unsure how to fix it.

Almost six weeks after I left a message with a repair person, he finally got around to calling me back and agreed to come to the house but had to charge $150 for the housecall before he came. Under most circumstances I would've told him to take a flying leap but my mother needed the chair fixed so I paid it. He showed up and basically said the same thing that the others had determined, and couldn't fix that, but was able to give us some sort of device that overrode the electronic panel and which was able to get the chair to go up and down, but not activate the heat or massage. He did not charge an additional fee. Meanwhile a friend of ours who is an electrician came over to look at the panel. It took a few weeks but he was able to order some little part inside and somewhat miraculously got the entire chair working again electronically, which it still is today (now DH's chair).

I've since learned that ordering that same chair new today would probably cost close to $2K! I did look to get another chair (and DB offered to buy Mom another) but none came close to what this chair was so I focused on getting it fixed instead. I was disappointed in the company who made the chair that they wouldn't help and that the electronics company was unreachable. If I were buying a chair like this today I would certainly get the extended warranty on it! I would also buy it at a reputable company, if possible. Good luck with your purchase! It is a nice chair to have!

 

[barkley]

Here is our story with ours. Mom had had a fall and I decided kind of spur of moment that she needed one. Hadn't even had time to research and was working a long stretch (medical, too!) so I took a chance and peeked on Craigslist to see if there were any there, knowing that sometimes medical things such as this are often for sale if no longer needed. And by luck I found a really great, practically brand new chair that a son had bought for his father and his father didn't use much. So DH and DS were able to go get it that very day, and it was a very nice chair for just $100! (I really didn't even know what their regular cost was.) This one had not only recline and push up, but heat and massage.

So things were going along really well for a few months until one day the chair stuck in recline position and we couldn't get Mom out! (And eventually had to lift her over the side.) So I called the company for help and they said that they only made the chair and not the electronic parts. I got in touch with the company who made the electronic parts but only got the voicemail and left about five messages requesting help, to no avail. (I did not mention where I got the chair.) So I moved on and tried to find a repair person and realized there aren't many out there these days, but I left messages with those I did find and didn't hear back except from some medical companies who said they sold the chairs but didn't repair them. Saddened, Mom simply used the chair without its electronic features - DH and brother had managed to somehow get it out of recline position, and also determined what the problem was in the electronic panel, but were unsure how to fix it.

Almost six weeks after I left a message with a repair person, he finally got around to calling me back and agreed to come to the house but had to charge $150 for the housecall before he came. Under most circumstances I would've told him to take a flying leap but my mother needed the chair fixed so I paid it. He showed up and basically said the same thing that the others had determined, and couldn't fix that, but was able to give us some sort of device that overrode the electronic panel and which was able to get the chair to go up and down, but not activate the heat or massage. He did not charge an additional fee. Meanwhile a friend of ours who is an electrician came over to look at the panel. It took a few weeks but he was able to order some little part inside and somewhat miraculously got the entire chair working again electronically, which it still is today (now DH's chair).

I've since learned that ordering that same chair new today would probably cost close to $2K! I did look to get another chair (and DB offered to buy Mom another) but none came close to what this chair was so I focused on getting it fixed instead. I was disappointed in the company who made the chair that they wouldn't help and that the electronics company was unreachable. If I were buying a chair like this today I would certainly get the extended warranty on it! I would also buy it at a reputable company, if possible. Good luck with your purchase! It is a nice chair to have!

they are crazy expensive so it can be worthwhile to see if its possible when ordering one to buy a couple of yards of the upholstry fabric. it's not cheap but that way if the fabric on the seat or arms starts wearing out it's much less expensive to get just them recovered vs. trying to do the whole chair.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

they are crazy expensive so it can be worthwhile to see if its possible when ordering one to buy a couple of yards of the upholstry fabric. it's not cheap but that way if the fabric on the seat or arms starts wearing out it's much less expensive to get just them recovered vs. trying to do the whole chair.

Believe it or not ourselves has held up very well! But yes, wouldn't hurt to get some extra fabric or pad it if needed (which we did, with both a cushion and a pad).

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Hi Ray! Don't know if you remember me. My dh and I had dinner with you at Rose and Crown once before the candlelight processional and you have spoken to two of our sons ages ago and they loved your decorated scooter.

Dh got me a very expensive Lazy Boy model. I did sit in the chairs. My body type is wide butt and short torso but long legs. The things with this chair are it does have 4 buttons, the material is a little slippery on the arms for a good grip. My feet hang over and I think it raises the feet a little too slow. I also think it feels weird going to the more upright position. Are you going to transfer from wheelchair? How is your balance?

I agree with what others have said - Also check for your measurements width wise while sitting and check weight limits
Battery back up
Check warranty
Check cord measurements

I would also check online and see if anyone is selling one.

 

[Dan Murphy]

My dh and I had dinner with you at Rose and Crown once before the candlelight processional and you have spoken to two of our sons ages ago and they loved your decorated scooter.