Living with a mobility impairment isn't easy, and sometimes it's downright impossible to do alone. Caregivers - be they professionals or dedicated spouses, siblings, children or neighbors - are often a necessary part of life for such impaired people. These people give tirelessly day after day to provide care for their charge, and it isn't always easy. Often caregivers help someone who is much larger and heavier than they are, and some caregivers may have physical limitations of their own.
Even the simple-sounding act of helping someone to sit or stand in a chair can be physically demanding for a caregiver. A lift chair can provide tremendous assistance in these situations, offering considerable lifting power to help a caregiver manage the weight load of a charge who is bigger than they are. Even repositioning a mobility-impaired person to reduce the risk of pressure sores or relieve discomfort is made easier with the use of a lift chair.
Lift chairs are especially useful to caregivers whose charges have had surgery to repair weak muscles and joints. Sitting may be painful, and their doctor may have told them not to move the limb or joint too much to ensure that it heals properly. A lift chair reduces the strain on the affected limb or joint and keeps them from putting too much pressure on the recovering body part, which allows their recovery to occur more quickly.
Clinical care settings, such as nursing homes and rehabilitation hospitals, can benefit greatly from having a few lift chair around for use. Patients can sit comfortably without worrying about being unable to stand on their own, and caregivers who are responsible for multiple charges in such settings will get much-needed relief from the aid the lift chairs provide. Additionally, rehabilitation exercises can be aided tremendously by the use of a lift chair, allowing a patient to work in degrees to strengthen their muscle control to learn how to sit and stand on their own while still having a failsafe in case they have difficulties along the way.
When purchasing a lift chair as a caregiver aid, you'll want to choose the chair carefully. Make sure that the lift chair is the appropriate size for your charge, and that its maximum weight capacity is equal to the patient's total body weight plus 15% of that number. Ensure that the controls will be simple for both the caregiver and the impaired person to operate - ask for a picture of the remote control layout on the chair and get a salesperson to explain the controls to you before buying.
We specialize in providing lift chairs to both families of mobility-impaired people and professional caregivers, and can quickly and accurately match a chair to your specific needs. For assistance in picking the perfect lift chair for your charge or patient, call 1 (800) 791-6264 today to speak with our specialists!
