About 3 months ago my neighbor started avoiding sitting in her favorite armchair because getting up from it had become a real challenge for her. After some effort she could get up from sitting in the chair within 2 attempts and often would grunt with effort. Occasionally she would even grab hold of the bookshelf behind her for support. I was worried that at some stage she would fall and get seriously hurt.
That’s usually how it starts. Not dramatically. Gradually.
The moment sitting stops being restful
The activity of rest becomes laborious. Prior to sitting in the chair there is tension in the shoulders of the individual. Once seated, there is further tension as the individual attempts to return to standing. A restful activity has become a laborsome activity. What was once ten minutes of comfort and rest for the individual has now become ten minutes of low-grade dread as the individual attempts to return to standing.
A lift chair for elderly will ‘lift’ the person in the chair so that they can stand up with the support of the chair. This removes the strain on the knees, hips and lower back. As the person stands up the seat will rise up to meet them. This is the reverse action of a normal chair that allows a person to sit down in the chair.
Who benefits most?
- People managing arthritis or joint pain, where weight-bearing transitions are the sharpest part of the day
- Anyone recovering from hip or knee surgery who needs to protect healing tissue from unnecessary strain
- Older adults whose leg strength has declined gradually but unmistakably
- People with balance concerns, where a slow, mechanically supported rise is simply safer than a sudden lunge upward
It’s not just about standing up
While the lifting feature of lift chairs is important for persons with difficulty standing, it is not the only feature. Many lift chairs are also comfortable recliners for sitting. These chairs can support people who have difficulty sitting in regular chairs, but have no problem at all standing. The chair can support them on those days when standing is not a problem. The rest of the time the chair can remain in the living room, as it would be in normal use.
Of course, for the short term, people are able to accommodate in unsuitable chairs but eventually it can start to affect people significantly. I’ve spoken to people who have sat in very unsuitable chairs for an hour or so, and although it seems like a minor thing, it can affect them significantly over the subsequent days. Eventually, a pattern can emerge where, for example, someone sleeps on a bed and then wakes up with a pain in their back, which they later discover was caused by sitting on a hard, unsuitable chair during the day.
Quality lift chairs for the elderly are designed with the user’s needs in mind. Lift chairs for the elderly typically have a seat depth that is suitable for the user. Armrests of a lift chair for the elderly are typically high enough for the user so that they can sit in comfort. Lift chairs for the elderly can be set to recline to a variety of positions. This allows the user to sit in a position that is most comfortable for them. Lift chairs for the elderly are designed to be used by people of all shapes and sizes. Here is an example of a reputable online retailer that sell a range of lift chairs for the elderly.
Before you buy, measure everything
Measuring for a lift chair is not an arduous task. Measuring key dimensions for lift chairs and comparing them with chairs on the market can save a lot of problems in the future.
- Measure seat height from floor to back of knee when seated (this gives you the ideal seat depth)
- Check that armrests sit at elbow height, not up near shoulder height
- Confirm the chair’s weight capacity exceeds the user’s weight by a reasonable margin
- Measure the room — lift chairs need clearance behind them to recline fully, often 15–20cm from the wall
They can be wider than others but still not suitable for people who live in corner rooms. You might need to look for chairs that can be placed close to walls. Sales people usually won’t tell you about these sorts of course.
A quick comparison worth knowing
| Feature | Standard recliner | Lift chair |
| Assisted standing | No | Yes, motorised |
| Recline options | Partial or full | Usually full, sometimes infinite position |
| Suited to joint pain | Sometimes | Specifically designed for it |
| Independence for user | Depends on strength | Largely preserved |
The independence angle nobody talks about enough
“Ask anyone who works in the field of aged care for their insight and observations of older people,” writes Pippa on her blog Health&Care. “Most would suggest that older people of older years want to be able to move around their home as required, without having to ask for help and without placing a burden on others.”
When thinking about what needs to be done to care for the elderly, I get a little frustrated thinking about how the small freedoms that we all take for granted, get slowly eroded as people get older. In many ways that are not immediately obvious. The lift chair does not solve any of the big problems for the elderly. However, by allowing them to stand up when they want to, as opposed to someone having to come and help them, it gives them back something.
And, as you will be thinking, that is not a small thing to the person who is benefiting from it.
My neighbor recently got a lift chairs for elderly in April, and she is sitting again in her favorite armchair by the window. She reclines in it with her feet up, holds her cup of tea on the armrest in front of her usual spot and lets it go cold there. The bookshelf behind her is safe again.
