Choosing a Lift Chair

A step-by-step guide to choosing a lift / recliner chair.

What is a Lift and Recliner Chair?

A lift and recliner chair, also known as a lift chair or power lift recliner, is a specialised type of chair designed to assist individuals with weakness, fatigue, chronic pain and general difficulties with movement. Particularly for those who have difficulty standing up from a seated position. These chairs offer different postures including: upright sitting, reclined or tilted sitting, with or without leg elevation, and lying. They also feature a motorised lifting mechanism that gently tilts the entire chair up and forward, helping the individual to transition from a seated to a standing position with minimal effort. This lifting action is often controlled by a remote. Some models may also include features such as adjustable lumbar and/or headrests for trunk and neck support, height adjustable armrests, floor clearance for hoists and transfer aids, pressure management support (options can include the inclusion of cushion inserts at the seat), massage and heating functions, tray accessories, and cup holders.

Is a Lift Chair Right For You?

Determining if a lift chair is right for you depends on your specific transfer and postural challenges, support and comfort needs, height and weight, and personal preferences. At My Rehab Team, our Occupational Therapists specialise in assessing your unique needs and recommending the most suitable lift and recliner chairs. We offer personalised advice and support to help you make an informed decision, ensuring your comfort and safety at home. If you’re considering a lift chair or any other assistive equipment, our team is here to guide you every step of the way.

What Are The Options?

Control Systems

• Manual
  • Cheapest
  • Limited postural options: sit or lie
  • Risk of chair tipping if a low chair needs to be elevated on a box to allow easier transfers
• Detachable remote
  • This feature can be beneficial if a person has dementia.
  • For instance, if a person with dementia is unable to control the remote and is about to stand up from the chair while the leg rest is still elevated, then another family member who is home can quickly lower the leg rest without having to run to the person.
  • One risk with a detachable remote is that the remote can be easily lost.
• Single motor
  • Limited postural options and adjustments: lying or partial standing or sitting
  • Easy remote control – 2 options only
    • This can help users with Dementia to be independent with use
• Dual motor
  • Independent backrest and leg rest control
  • More postural options: lying, partial standing, sitting or sit with legs elevated
  • More complex remote controls
  • As options increase with electronic adjustments, the difficulty for users with Dementia can increase.
• Quad motor
  • Independent backrest, leg rest, headrest and lower back support control.
  • More postural options: lying, partial standing, sitting upright or sitting with legs elevated, head position and lower back support.
• Voice (electronic mechanisms) control
  • Useful for someone without arm (upper limb) function.

Sizing

• Petite, large and regular sizes to suit different physiques, with differences in seat width and depth, and/or backrest height.
• Seat to floor height (distance between floor and seat cushion).
  • When seated
    • feet must rest flat on the ground to avoid strain on the legs and back
    • the individual’s thighs should be parallel to the ground. This position helps with maintaining good posture and prevents excess pressure around the buttocks or a person’s heels.
  • Width of chair.
    • When seated
      • Arms comfortably supported by armrests.
      • Trunk supported by the backrest without falling sideways

Backrests

• Inflatable options available that can support pressure management.
• Modular pieces, waterfall back rests, and/or lumbar mechanical adjustment can support a person’s lower and upper back regarding physical support and/or pain.
• Heating can support pain management or temperature regulation.
• Massage can support pain and/or sensory needs.

Neckrests

• Adjustable neckrests can offer tailored support for the neck 

Armrests

• Broad: Wider arm rests can be good for users who have wider arms and/or who want to almost place belongings on them. Another relevant factor is when a user requires a transfer aid such as a hoist to be compatible regarding width available and spread of the legs on a mobile patient lifter
• Narrow: Overall chair width is likely smaller and can improve compatibility with an environment and accessibility
• Fully lowered: wheelchair horizontal transfer

Leg Rests

• Length: ends around the ankle for optional support
• Elevation angle:
  • Horizontal: offers general comfort and support for those who need their legs elevated at the same level as their seat
  • Slightly declined: promotes better circulation and reduces pressure on the thighs
• Why consider different leg rest angles:
  • Swelling/Oedema: It is crucial to consider how much leg recline is offered. Elevating your legs higher than a horizontal level can help reduce swelling and improve circulation.
  • Hyper-sensitivity, Allodynia, and/or Pain: Essential to trial different leg rest positions. The comfort level and how the leg rest affects the user varies significantly, so finding the right angle and support can alleviate discomfort and pain.

Other Considerations:

Gravity Zero:

• Fully flat lying posture

Floor Clearance:

• Allows hoist or transfer aids to fit under

On Wheels:

• Easily relocated around home but may be less stable

Materials:

• Leather: Easy cleaning, cooler, slippery harder to maintain postural stability
• Fabric: need fabric protection for spillage
• Duratek: Great for incontinence cleaning/management. Easy to wipe down and prevent staining. However, some users find it less comfortable or feel as though it can feel too warm.

Continence:

• A chair pad or cover might be needed.

Home Space:

• Prioritise adequate clear space in front of and behind the chair to facilitate safe standing and reclining movements without tripping hazards. This is of greater importance if the chair needs to be compatible with a hoist.

Postural Supports & Accessories:

• For example, the chair listed below offers modular adjustments with the cushions at the backrest, the armrests can be reversed to adjust overall chair width and seat width for a user, lateral guides can be provided at the leg rest.
• Aidacare offers this: https://www.aidacare.com.au/products/medical-therapeutic-chairs/lift-chairs/aspire-posturefit-chair/
• Accessories for this chair: https://www.aidacare.com.au/products/medical-therapeutic-chairs/lift-chairs/aspire-posturefit-chair-accessories/

Trialing: Strongly Recommended!

We cannot emphasise enough the importance of trialing a chair. For those with complex needs, it is crucial to consult an Occupational Therapist to determine your priorities. While many chair options are available, it is often challenging to find one that meets all your desired features. If you live in Brisbane and are seeking an Occupational Therapist, we offer this service and would be delighted to assist you. Our contact details are provided below: Phone: 1300 469 734 Email: info@myrehabteam.com.au When choosing a chair, it’s important to consider your budget and available funding. Are you eligible for and do you have access to My Aged Care or National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funding? For information on eligibility and how to access these sources of subsidy or funding, please see the details below.

My Aged Care

Eligibility

• https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/am-i-eligible
• https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/eligibility-checker

How to get started

• https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/where-start

National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

• What is the NDIS? https://www.ndis.gov.au/understanding/what-ndis
• Am I eligible? https://www.ndis.gov.au/applying-access-ndis/am-i-eligible
• How to apply? https://www.ndis.gov.au/applying-access-ndis/how-apply

Suppliers:

Mainstream providers: Furniture stores (Lazy Boy, Harvey Norman, etc.) Disability providers: Aidacare, Hello Mobility, Queensland Rehab, Independent Living Specialists (ILSAU), Mounties care, Novacorr, etc. Customised providers: Seating Matters, Ambassador Products, etc. Disclaimer:  The above list of suppliers are some examples. My Rehab Team has no allegiance to any product brands or outlets.  If you are or know of suppliers who are not included in the above list, please contact us so we can add to our list.

Joanne Mak – Physiotherapist

“I had a client with MS under the NDIS. She was very weak, easily fatigued, and temperature sensitive. She had severely painful arms and extremely sensitive legs. She spends all day in the arm chair. She has a broad built and short stature. She needed a dual motor armchair with broad armrests, and one that is covered with leather with minimum seams so the leg sensitivity would not be irritated. We tried multiple disability suppliers including one that does custom armchairs. After 12 months of trialling she ended up picking one from a local furniture store.” “One of my elderly clients had a manual reclining chair. As he became weaker in the legs, he could no longer stand up from the chair.  He had a base built so that the chair may be elevated on it to make standing up easier.  Unfortunately, as he reclined the elevated armchair, the whole chair shifted off the base and he fell out of the chair. Needless to say, the client had a fright, fortunately not injured.”

Liam Brecknell – Occupational Therapist

“In the past I had a client who required a lift chair in order to effectively stand up from the chair organised for use in his living room, but because he had weakness and quite a bit of swelling in his legs, his legs felt heavy and any use of them proved difficult. He had organised a lift chair on his own, but unfortunately when this chair arrived it was too small and was a poor size and fit. Additionally this chair wasn’t lifting his legs high enough at the leg recline and his legs then weren’t draining of fluid as well as they should have been. Because of the inappropriate chair that was organized in the first place it meant that this consumer felt restricted within his own home, had an unnecessary amount of pain and swelling at his legs, and had to invest more time and resources into getting an appropriate chair later. By organising a chair initially without doing research or seeking guidance from a therapist it meant that he also had to spend a lot of time trying to get a refund on the initial chair that he’d bought.”

Lucy Calio – Occupational Therapist

“I recently worked with a client who experienced chronic lower back and neck pain, along with reduced mobility and function. The oversized recliner she had was simply not suitable for her petite stature. The excessive space on both sides of her hips led to inadequate support and unsafe transfers, causing discomfort and posture issues. Additionally, the leg rest was too long, putting her ankles at risk of pressure injuries. To address these concerns, we explored various lift chair options, focusing on sizing, support, and functionality. After careful consideration, we found a suitable quad lift chair that offered the perfect balance of support and comfort. This chair not only provided improved assistance for sit-to-stand transitions but also ensured proper alignment of her legs and feet, minimising pressure and reducing the risk of injury. With features like lumbar and neck support, the quad chair significantly alleviated her chronic pain, greatly enhancing her overall comfort and quality of life.”

“One of my clients, who is tall and manages symptoms associated with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) and Peripheral Neuropathy, had difficulty finding an appropriate lift chair. We tried several options, but they either had seats that were too low, causing uncomfortable stooping, or leg rests that were too short. Finally, we found a lift chair specifically designed to address the client’s diverse needs. This chair offered sufficient legroom, the correct backrest and seat height, adjustable lumbar support, and therapeutic elements such as heat therapy and massage functions to alleviate pain and promote relaxation.”

Contact us on 1300 469 734 or info@myrehabteam.com.au for more information.