My wife falls at least once a week, usually in the middle of the night. Fall may be a harsh term. It's more like running out of energy followed by a slow slump to the floor. I've been picking her up by myself for about 3 years. I think I'm about done with doing that. I've been looking at electric lift chairs that go all the way to the floor then up to a seated/bed height. It looks like some have better wheels than others. It's not clear to me if they could be used as a transport chair in the raised position, some don't appear to have any wheels at all.
There's several to choose from under $500. Do you have any recommendations on features or brands to look for or stay away from?
911 in my area is starting to charge $500 for a lift call, so I want to save that option for actual emergencies like broken bones or excessive bleeding.
Thanks
These chairs only go back and forth between floor level and seated chair seat level. They do not go from seated to standing.
Anyway, the electric chair lift I got is a Vocic AX35.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spSo2NW8Z10
I rode it a time or two to make sure everthing's good.
Reading some of the suggestions from others with experience makes me want to add my two cents.
It sounds as if the chair lift will be awkward, some have even said heavy.
A hoyer lift is how I used to get my husband up off the ground. But, it was often a challenge! Depending on where he lay on the floor, and furniture placement, I often had to pull him, (drag him) into another position to even access him with the hoyer lift. And, I had to get on the floor, roll him to place the sling underneath, and then navigate pushing him in the patient lift to a bed or seat.
That is not an ideal option!
If your wife is becoming too weak to walk without slumping, and finds herself on the floor more and more frequently, it is time to get her to use a wheelchair for mobility! I also like the bedside commode suggestion. You can buy one of those on wheels, so you can put it wherever it will be handy for her to use.
unfortunately frequent falls can end catastrophically. Falls are not a normal part of the aging process. So as a retired clinician, before making any chair recommendations I would ask “ why has you wife been falling over the last 3 years??? Has this issue been addressed by a doctor and most importantly, has she had any physical/occupational therapy intervention?? Is there a physical diagnosis that could be the reason for her falls. Could the falls be a result of medication??? Is she over exerted at the end of da??. Does she utilize a wheelchair or a walker throughout the day? There are more pressing questions to be answered. Maybe a lift chair may not be the most important solution.
My recommendation would be to start with you wife’s PCP ( you may have addressed the problem prior to this situation) Request that her medications be reevaluated for adverse effects like falling, are the medications contra-indicated, etc. ALSO REQUEST a referral for an Occupational & Physical therapy evaluation for your wife. Ask the staff or neighbors & friends for recommendations to a rehabilitation center in your area.
First, find the cause for your wife’s falls then have a professional make the qualified recommendations to improve or alleviate this urgent situation.
If she slumps to the floor won't you have to lift her to get her into the chair?
I used a Hoyer Lift that Mom rented for about $15 a month from her insurance. She was on Medicare. There are techniques to pick up someone from the ground. It's hard to do, but doable. I watched YouTube and then practiced with a Physical Therapist at home. It was a matter of rolling the person.
However you have to return them to their bed in the sling, which is always scary for both people.
If she has a Hospital bed, and she's slumped on the floor - you can lower it and that makes it easier all around to return the person via the Hoyer.
I don't really recommend any of this, but that's what we had to do.
https://www.amazon.com/VOLLGUT-Electric-Independently-Support-Elderly/dp/B0FMRB33N1
2) Because the back only goes back about 30 degrees, it can be difficult to get onto it. Once on, it does a good job of lifting. But--note that it does take another person to bring it to you.....