Any experience with lift chairs for the elderly?

We bought one for my dad on Amazon and he really likes it. My sister bought it so I don't know the make/model but it was reasonably priced and works well for him.

You can look at home health pharmacies in your area, on line, and Amazon as well as CVS home health.

You can rent them or buy them.

My parents rented me a specific hospital bed when I was released from the ICU after the DUI accident. The company brought it in, set it up, and I used it for 2 weeks.

See if his insurance will cover any costs. My plan reimbursed some of the rental cost after a claim was filed.

Some also will approve with a doctor's note.

My MIL had one that she bought at a local home health store. After my mom had knee surgery we rented her a lift chair and that worked out great.

My friend, who is 5 ft.1" said she did not like hers at all. It was uncomfortable because of her body size, also she thought the lift moved too slowly, and it didn't lie flat enough. Her kids made a pillow fortress for her and as soon as she recovered from her surgery enough she went back to her original recliner and sent that one off. I'm not sure if she was able to return it to the store or if she donated it to a retirement home.

We have lift chairs because they sit up higher than recliners. The only brand we have is Golden Technologies and we have bought ours, my brother’s and my dad’s on Facebook Marketplace. One we actually got for free and all were in new condition.

My father-in-law had a great one but I have no idea the details. Seems it cost about $1000 or so. It was a great help to him and he sometimes even slept in it.

We have two in our home. We kept the one my SIL bought when she lived with us. It was a lifesaver for her in her last year of life since her MS had become quite debilitating.

We keep it in the guest bedroom and have used the lift feature on a few occasions for injuries and surgeries, but mostly we just used it as a very comfy power recliner.

It is now 11 years old and pretty worn, although the mechanicals still work just fine. (It could probably be reupholstered and be just fine.)

When DH broke his back last year, he needed a lift chair that he could also sleep in for a few months, so we bought one from Ashley furniture that cost about $1200 delivered. It’s very comfortable and has an adjustable lumbar support and heat, and it worked very well for DH.

I don’t know if something like this would work for your dad, but my mom bought a Sara Stedy for my brother to get him out of bed and into his wheel chair and from his wheel chair to his recliner (need a “high leg recliner” to make it work). He was falling frequently during these transitions, but he hasn’t had a fall in the four months since he got this.

The Sara Stedy is pretty expensive, but there is a much less expensive brand that my occupational therapist neighbor had recommended (Mom ignored my suggestion to get the less expensive version, but my neighbor said it is just as good as the name brand). If he is having trouble getting out of bed, too, the transport/high leg recliner combination might be more useful.

Sit-to-stand: a.co/d/2X9zRYx (You will want the one that can adjust the width of the front wheels.)

High leg recliner example: a.co/d/6DDttiy


You might also be able to use a lift chair with the sit-to-stand, depending on the width. We actually took my brother’s Sara Stedy to the furniture store to make sure it would work with the chosen recliner before purchasing. We did try it with a lift chair, and I think we could have managed to get the wheels under to put it in the correct position while the recliner was lifted up, but we weren’t sure that would work well with my brother.

He loves his Sara Stedy. He calls it his “stand up” and has to demo it every time he gets a new visitor. It’s been a lifesaver for my mom and his caregivers. It’s so easy to use, and it has been easy to train multiple caregivers to use it.

ETA I just re-read your post and realized your dad still lives alone, so the sit-to-stand wouldn’t work yet. If you do get him a lift chair, I would check the dimensions at the base to see if the sit-to-stand would work if he needs it later. The one we looked at had a narrow-enough base for the Sara Stedy wheels to fit on either side.

Check on Marketplace or another similar site. They are often not used much and are really expensive to buy. They do come in sizes as well.

Take him to the medical supply store so he can try them out. They have them for all shapes and sizes.