Anyone Have Any Experience With Lift Chairs?

As some of you may know from my posts, my 90 year old grandma fell a while back & had to have hip replacement surgery. While she's able to get around, she's nowhere near as mobile as she used to be. Specifically, she has a very difficult time getting out of her recliner to a standing position. This is causing her to become depressed, frustrated, etc ... and I want to do something about it. Since my family talks & talks ... but never seems to take action when money is involved, my brother & I have taken charge of this & are going to order one for her. It will make her much happier, for sure.

I've been looking at lift chairs online & have narrowed it down to USmedicalsupplies.com for a dealer. Anyone have any experience with lift chairs at all, or with this site in particular? I'll probably order one by tomorrow afternoon at the latest, but I just wanted to get a little extra insight first.

Thanks in advance!

SMITTY,not me personaly--but my now gone buddy from up the rd dealt w/ US MED Supplies,the name got ya huh--same with them --got a lift chair & power wheel chair & seemed to have no problems with thier merchandise--my best to your Grandmom

Awesome Fred, THANKS!!

Smitty,
The technical term is "granny launcher". We found one for my Mother inlaw on craigslist, cheap.
I would put it in the "Wanted" catagory.
You'll get a call real quick.
Good luck!
Steve

I bought one for my mother last year. did lots of research. came up with a good one. I will get the info and post it this afternoon after I get back from visiting her. it was around 1400. made locally in scranton I think. 2 - 9v batteries as a emergency back up if power goes out...

Check with local churches and Salvation Army posts. They may have
loner programs available.

Had one for my mother while she was still alive, don`t remember what make but between her Ins. & medi-care it ended up free or real close to it. Just had to have a doctor that would say she needed one.

Smitty does your Grandmother still live alone? Sounds like we're in same boat as my Grandmother broke her hip a little bit after Christmas. She's doing very well though and has been back home since March. Amazing how fast she recovered but she wasn't really frail to begin with. She tripped over something.

She doesn't have much trouble getting in and out of chair but she really liked my Dad's new electric recliner. It's not a lift chair, it just reclines electrically. We're thinking it might be good idea for a Christmas gift. She wants to stay independent so we try and not make things too easy for her to keep her moving around. A lift chair at this point might not be such a great idea for my Grandmother.

Good Luck!

My wife is getting one. Chemo and Diabetes has taken it's toll on her. She has a prescription for one so that insurance pays for it. Ask your doctors.

Depending on your state's rules and your Grandmothers income she may qualify for a lift chair as a medically necessary item. Qualification involves a lot of paperwork which starts with her doctor writing a prescription with a medical justification letter. The state program that usually pays for such medical equipment is Medicaid. Low income is not the sole criteria. This is different from Medicare.

Frequently the lift chair that have been used by eligible citizens are recycled by local charitable organizations. Check with local service clubs that have medical equipment loan programs. My Lions club has such a program for wheelchairs, hospital beds and similar equipment. Call local nursing homes for some leads. Our club gets equipment donations from several large retirement communities. I've personally delivered and setup many a hospital bed. It's quite a rewarding project, especially when an entire community gets involved. In our case the local vocational high school built us a very large block storage garage for us on the volunteer fire company's property. A win for just about everyone.

Sorry to hear about your Grandma Smitty. I hope she does better as the days go by.

We have used a lift that attaches to the bottom of any recliner chair. U-bolts hold the chair to the lift. By pushing a button it goes into launch mode & lifts the chair. It either stands the patient or dumps them on the floor It goes slow and you have to hold the button the whole time. It's real safe & works well, but, it does raise the chair 4 inches off the floor when down. Usually this isn't a problem, but could be for some people...short people. Just a thought. It was way cheaper than a whole chair.

Great info guys - I appreciate it!

Richard S. wrote:Smitty does your Grandmother still live alone? Sounds like we're in same boat as my Grandmother broke her hip a little bit after Christmas. She's doing very well though and has been back home since March. Amazing how fast she recovered but she wasn't really frail to begin with. She tripped over something.

She doesn't have much trouble getting in and out of chair but she really liked my Dad's new electric recliner. It's not a lift chair, it just reclines electrically. We're thinking it might be good idea for a Christmas gift. She wants to stay independent so we try and not make things too easy for her to keep her moving around. A lift chair at this point might not be such a great idea for my Grandmother.

Good Luck!

Thanks Richard. Yeah she lives alone. Just 2 years ago she was walking a mile down a busy street to the grocery store at least twice a week. She'd carry a half gallon of milk, plus whatever else she needed. Seems after this fall she has gone downhill fast -- but I don't think it was the fall itself, but all the medication they threw at her afterward. Noticed a dramatic change in her personality & outlook on things. Also a dramatic change in her strength. It takes almost everything she has just to get out of her favorite recliner. Doctors are supposed to know best, but why the high blood pressure meds when her blood pressure is too low?

But anyway ... I ran the idea by her yesterday & I think that made her day. She sounded very happy ... and relieved about the idea.

I like the idea of the under chair unit vs. the entire chair. She loves this chair she has now, so I'd hate to buy something online sight-unseen & have her not like it. I'll search the net for that setup -- thanks for the idea Freddy!

Smitty, The word down here is you want to build a 2 stroke powered lift for her chair....maybe with push button start?.........lol

You know ... that's a great idea!

I could get an old Maytag step-start 2-stroke twin ... it's already designed to run indoors with that flexible exhaust -- I'll stick that out the window ... then it'll be point & shoot!

Bed time? BAM!! Fired across the room into bed. Then I could pop the motor out & install it in her wheeled walker. To the grocery store in 30 seconds flat! I'll run the idea by her tomorrow.

SMITTY, you da man--my thoughts on that same idea always ended with an old panhead motor my Mom at 97 always thought it would be pretty cool--and then there was the time she tried to break out of assisted living on her push walker--they caught her trying to get on a bus to her old stomping grounds in South Philly