lift chair

[frankb]

my power wheelchair has been great in permitting me to stand erect without assistance. however, am thinking of a lift chair for a little more comfort. would appreciate any info regarding source, cost, comfort, practicality, etc., and if it is really worth the trouble while considering the power wheel chair can perform the basic function.

 

[Nikki J]

Several of us have a Golden cloud chair I think. I got one with heat and massage. Massage is useless but heat is great. I think it was somewhere between 1500-2000 and I bought it locally.

I can’t compare to a power chair because I don’t have one. I know you are very slow progressing too. How are transfers now? Is it worth the hassle of transferring? I think it is likely more comfortable plus feeling more “ normal “

 

[Jamesgol]

Hi Frank,
I am looking for a power lift recliner. I use a regular recliner but it's gotten too hard to get up.
I asked if Medicare would cover the cost and was told $200. The cheapest regular recliners are around $400 and the cheapest electric w/lift is about $600. I want one that can power recline and lift, but I also want to be able to lay flat, (not all do).
James

 

[Firefighter58]

How are you Frank, I have a lift chair and I find it great, better still it was free, Canadian ALS Society. I have a small table beside it and on it is all my needs such as tissues, wipes, my glasses and the television remote. I have an other table that mounts under the lift chair and this one I eat off and then it swings out of the way. And is adjustable in all directions. I spend about ten or eleven hours a day in it and very comfortable..
Al

 

[Jamesgol]

Hi Nikki,

My wants to get me an expensive chair, the Golden Technologies Cloud PR-514 Lift Chair with Twilight. It costs $2850. I've been looking at something in the $600 range. I don't doubt the more expensive chair has more positions and is better overall, but is it really worth that much more?
James

 

[Nikki J]

I don’t know. My chair ( which wasn’t that much but it was a couple of years ago and I am likely shorter than you) allows any position from sitting upright to flat including zero gravity and has the heat function. Both of those are worth paying for I think. I don’t know what 600 gets you. I was told this chair is pretty durable too. The man who delivered also services them and he said mostly it would be replacing the remote if anything

 

[ShiftKicker]

James, I have the Golden Tech Cloud lift chair and it's well worth it. It can elevate the feet above the head, which helps with leg swelling from being immobile for long periods of time- which I've found invaluable. Like Al, I can sometime find myself sitting in the thing for the entire day very comfortably. The lift function is also great. I have seen used Golden lift chairs on places like craigs list for much cheaper than the new chair price. Hopefully your local ALS Society has one in their loan closet- free is even better!

 

[Kristina1]

I have one from the same company Nikki is talking about, but a different model. The model I chose was designed for tiny people (I'm not quite 5 feet). I also added the heat/massage feature because I wanted the heat as I frequently get back pain. Agree with Nikki that the massage function is useless. It just vibrates, there is no real massage.

I'm in mine most the day. We bought ours, but later found out a local ALS org would have bought it for us. So make sure you ask your local ALS charities first before buying anything!

 

[Jamesgol]

I took the plunge and got a Golden Technologies PR514 lift chair. It was expensive but it does a whole lot more than lift. It has 3 motors so it can provide almost unlimited positions. My rational is I will be spending a lot of time in it, (hopefully), and a wider range of positions will allow me to move around and stay more comfortable

 

[KarenNWendyn]

I have a Golden technologies lift chair. It’s super comfy and I spend a lot of time in it. There are two things I don’t like about it:

1. The firmness in the head area is such that it pushes my head forward which tends to tense up my neck. A small roll pillow under the neck helps some. However, any pillows or cushions under my head makes it worse by pushing my head farther forward.

2. I’m tall, so my heels poke out off the end. I also have bilateral foot drops, so I have to wear my AFOs while using the chair to keep my feet from flopping down.

I’m curious if anyone finds their wheelchair comfy enough for lounging that a recliner/ lift chair is unnecessary (I guess that was Frank’s initial question).

Also if anyone has suggestions for the neck issue. Thanks

 

[lgelb]

Karen,

Not sure what size/model of chair you have -- they are usually sized by height and your heels should not fall off? Larry was 6-1 so we got the MaxiComforter L size but I see they now have a T size that is supposed to work up to 6-8. We also had the "foot rest extension" which is optional since with Marfan he had disproportionately long legs. That is an extension that only extends as the chair reclines.

Likewise, the neck support differs by model and I agree it should work without augmentation, which the chair really isn't designed for. I don't think PALS would generally benefit from the more convex tufted types; ours is more flat than some.

With loss of core strength, Larry stopped using the chair about the time he started using the power chair, and yes, the wheelchair should support the same comfort, with the right cushion, tweaks and mods like extra foam (including under feet) and laterals/thigh supports if/where needed. So for perspective, he spent 4 years in chair all day and bed for sleep, which I think is fairly common here. Head rest adjustment is also important, as I think often the CALS ends up adjusting it as the neck weakens.

 

[KateEmerson]

Karen,

My husband had the same 2 problems with his Pride lift chair. It pushed his head forward due to being overstuffed, as his neck weakened it became untenable. Just when I thought of having an upholsterer come to take out some of the stuffing I looked more carefully and found a zimmer way under the headrest, took some of the stuffing out which solved the problem.

The chair was sold to us saying it fit people up to 6'6", my husband was 6'4" and his heels hung off the end. The only solution I could find was to put a soft ottoman at the end when his legs were up. Not ideal but he found the recliner way more comfortable than his wheelchair.

Hope you find a comfortable solution, Kate

 

[KimT]

I have the Golden Cloud, thanks to Laurie's recommendation. I got it when my back started hurting in January 2016. It has been the single greatest purchase I've ever made. I live in it when I'm home. I have a PWC with all the fancy padding and ROHO but it doesn't compare, in comfort, to the lift chair.

I'm only 5'6" but I got the large and I'm not sorry. I have the heat and massage, too. The heat isn't hot enough for me so I also use a heating pad on my lower back. It reclines to sleep position and I've fallen asleep in it. I love that you can adjust it.

My ex-husband visited me when I first got it. He took the leather that hangs by the head of the chair and made it into a remote holder. He also used velcro to make a place convenient for me to keep the chair remotes accessible.

The last thing I did was put a "couchcoaster" on the left arm. Someone from this forum suggested it to hold drinks and it works on just about any chair.

 

[KarenNWendyn]

My chair is exactly the same make and model as Kim’s. I couldn’t find any zipper which would allow me to remove stuffing from the head compartment. Kate, thanks for the idea of calling an upholsterer. I hadn’t thought of that.

Sounds like the consensus is that these chairs can be more comfortable than a pwc, and maybe they complement each other.

 

[dldugan]

I just started using a lift recliner. It belonged to my wife’s uncle. Not working well. I have a bow in my spine and where it hits the back of the chair makes it difficult to breathe. Guess I will try padding sides with something to leave indentation for back bow. If that doesn’t work guess we will need to get scissors out.