Lift chairs for the elderly

For aged people who value their independence, the power lift chair is one of the best things to go for. They would no longer need to depend on others for the simplest of things, like, say, standing up from a seated position! you are now left with deciding what features to look for in your new purchase! Here are a few things your lift chair should bear...

  • A good weight capacity
  • Non-slip bottom
  • A good number of position options
  • Finally, fun features are a must, especially, when you're spending your retired days! Cup holders, USB charging ports, body massaging options, are only some of them.

Have you ever been in a dilemma like this – Is this one a lift chair or a ‘recliner’? That’s right – lift chairs look similar, quite similar to recliners. However, there are some fine lines of differences between the two as well. Basically, a lift chair is a piece of medical equipment that necessarily contains much more features than a recliner.

They are also commercially known by the names – '3-positions recliners' or power-lift recliners. The additional features of lift chairs are that both the base and back of the chair can be tilted backward for a resting position. They can be brought forward enough to aid the user in returning to the standing position. To make all these, and many more features workable, lift chairs are provided with power buttons and a powerful lifting system too!

Lift chairs also have optional heating and massaging options. It works for individuals with back pain, sore and/or stiff joints, arthritis, and so on.

Does medicare cover lift chairs

Needless to say, your insurance provider would certainly cover the lift chair provided it is prescribed by your physician citing it as a medical necessity given your health conditions. Precisely, your lift chair would be covered by Medicare Part B, only under stern terms and conditions.

Medicare Part B pays for the lifting device of the  chair only! That indicates that the fabric, cushion, and any other "fun" accessories in your chair would not be covered.

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The utility of lift chairs

It is imperative to determine who are the right candidates for lift chairs. Though they are mostly found in medical facilities, they could be purchased for domestic purposes as well. Here are some of the situations that necessarily need a lift chair…

  1. While recovering from cardiovascular or other heart surgeries

As lift chairs allow patients to put a minimal amount of pressure or stress while getting out or lifting themselves from a chair, they are highly recommended for those who are recovering from surgical interventions. Heart surgery, especially, requires extensive resting periods for faster and better recovery.

Say, you don’t have a bed in all the rooms. It’s better to take some rest in a lift chair rather than walking up and down the rooms.

  1. In case of lower-body injuries

It becomes all the more difficult to move in and out of the bed or a chair or any other place when one has a lower-body injury. Lift chairs play a humongous role during the recovery period of such patients.

Here, they are not utilized in helping the candidate to stand up (though in mild cases they do), they help in doing other things like enabling a deep recline to position the patient's legs above his/her heart. This promotes good blood circulation!

  1. They are also used in case of upper-body injuries

You might be wondering about the role of your upper body in allowing you to leave the chair or the bed! Well, the role is more prominent than you had ever noticed. Our upper body muscles and limbs provide additional leverage while standing up.                        

Broken arms, shoulder injuries, upper back injuries are conditions where a lift chair can help the patient with some of the daily activities.

 

Let’s talk a little about entertainment too. Lift chairs are not mandatorily used for medical purposes only. It could be used as a piece of luxury furniture for relaxing in your living room. You could order it for watching your favorite television program, reading a book or a magazine lavishly, or other recreational activities too.