Lift Recliners and Making Standing Easier

There are quite a few different conditions and diseases that occur more frequently among the elderly, which can make it much more difficult for them to get around. These mobility inhibiting diseases can not only reduce their ability to walk for extended periods of time or use the stairs safely, but sometimes the most difficult task becomes standing up after sitting for a spell.

As a result, it is not uncommon to have to rely upon someone to help with standing or even place a rolling walker nearby to use when getting out of the chair. Unfortunately, these kinds of solutions are not always the easiest, nor are they the safest, with using a lift chair actually being one of the best ways to make standing safer.

Basic Lift Chair Features

Lift chairs are often referred to as lift recliners, as they share a basic design with that of a recliner and indeed offer many of the same functions. For instance, both lift recliners and regular recliners have a backrest that reclines and a footrest that extends. It is also possible to get a built in heating system or massaging system in higher end models.

How Lift Recliners Work

However, while recliners and lift recliners are indeed very similar in design, lift recliners also offer a complete lifting system designed raise the person using the chair safely to their feet, as well as let them sit in a safe and controlled manner.

The lifting system in a lift chair is located in the base of the lift chair and controlled by an electric motor. This is the same motor that controls the backrest and footrest, allowing the chair to be reclined at the push of a button, which is another difference between lift chairs and regular recliners. While making the lift chair much easier to use, the real power of the electric motor is that it raises the entire chair upwards slowly into the air.

Once the lift chair frame is raised, the person sitting in the chair is able to exit on their feet, but they are not at risked of being dumped out of the chair and could in fact remain seated safely, even when the chair is fully raised. This is because the angle of the seat is such the users body weight is still supported by the lift chair.

When sitting down again, the lift chair can again be used to increase safety. The user need only lean against the lift chair when it is fully raised, then push the down button on the lift recliner’s hand control.

Using and Operating the Lift Chair

The handcontrol serves to recline the lift chair, as well as raise and lower it, and looks very similar to a TV Remote Control. Except, instead of having a mass of confusing and hard to read buttons, a lift chair hand control is designed to be as simple as possible, sometimes only having an UP and a DOWN button.

The buttons are clearly labeled and large enough that it is not necessary to be able to actually see the buttons, instead many will simply rely on their sense of feel to use the lift chair’s hand control. Another difference between a lift chair hand control and a TV remote control, is that the hand control is actually attached to the lift recliner, usually at the base of the chair. This means that not only does the hand control not need any batteries, but it can also not be lost and is always within a hands reach of the person using the lift chair.