Lift Chairs

So maybe you are having a little difficulty standing up from a seated position.  Well, Medicare is willing to help you get that lift chair you need to increase your mobility and independence.  Medicare lift chair coverage is slightly different, so here’s the deal.

Medicare will only pay for the lift mechanism, not the chair itself.  Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you will have to purchase a lifting mechanism and assemble it to a chair yourself.  It simply means that they will reimburse you for roughly $300, but this amount can vary from state to state.  For some lift chairs, this is the equivalent to about 50% of the total cost of the chair. 

So, how do you qualify?

The lift chair must be seen as a medical necessity or in other words, you must meet the following criteria.

- The patient must be unable to stand-up from a regular chair in their home.

- The patient must have arthritis of the knee or hip, or other severe neuromuscular disease.

- The seat lifting mechanism must be a part of the course of treatment prescribed by a physician in order to prevent deterioration in the patient’s condition.

- Medicare also requires that the physician prescribing the lift mechanism be the attending physician or a consulting physician for the disease or condition resulting in the need of such a device.

Check out the official Medicare website for more information, or contact a Medicare billing specialist.  You can reach one at 1-800-850-0335.

When buying a lift chair there are several obvious features that you would consider looking at, but do you know everything?  Here is a list of specifics to consider when comparing lift chair recliners:

What type of reclining features are you looking for in your chair?  (click each for a description)

• 2 position
• 3 position
• infinite position

also consider how much space you have for the chair

• Wall hugger/space saver - allows you to place the chair within 4″-6″ from the wall.
• Others typically require 15″-20″ of space

Based on the user, what size chair will you need?

• Petite/small
• Medium (users 5′4″ – 5′10″, usually a 375 lb weight capacity)
• Large (users 5′11″ – 6′2″, usually a 375 lb weight capacity)
• Tall (users 6′2″ – 6′8″, usually a 375 lb weight capacity)
• Wide/XL (users needing a 2″-4″ wider seat, usually a 500 lb. weight capacity)
• Heavy duty/XXL (users needing a 4″ wider seat, usually a 600-700 lb. weight capacity)

What additional options do you want?

• Extra storage pockets for magazines, books, remotes
• Heat and massage option
• A right handed or left handed remote control
• Additional pillows and lumbar supports
• Snack trays, cup holders, etc.

Fabric options

• If you want your lift chair to match the decor you already have you will need to find a fabric option that fits.
• Fabric options include leather, suede, vinyl, and standard fabric.

Now that you have an idea of what to look for, go check out some wonderful lift chairs at SpinLife.

Infinite position lift chairs are like the Cadillac of lift chairs.  They have dual motors, one powering the recliner and one powering the ottoman.  This mean you have full control over the chair.  You could sit upright and still elevate your legs, or you could recline all the way back and leave your feet on the ground.  I’m not sure why you would do this, but if you do ever need to, you will have the ability.  Notice the positions I described in the image below.

Others, like 3 position lift chairs and 2 position lift chairs, cannot recline as far as an infinite position lift chair.  Other lift chair models also only have a single motor, so the ottoman and the recline function must operate together, or at the same time.

Infinite position lift chairs can recline to a sleeping position.  Some chairs offer an additional specially designed mattress to provide additional comfort if you do wish to sleep in your chair.

With the additional functionality there is obviously going to be additional cost.  Visit a local DME and you will probably not find a quality lift chair under $1,000.  Shop online for infinite position lift chairs and you can have one shipped to your house for just over $900.  And this is top quality brands we are talking about.  You won’t have to worry about going to a store, buying the chair, and transporting it back to your house.  An online retailer, like SpinLife.com, will ship it to your doorstep.

They also have additional delivery options which include:

Inside delivery – the deliery man will bring the chair into your home

White glove delivery – they will schedule a time to deliver the chair, bring it inside, set it up, haul away the trash, and show you how to operate the chair.

Contact SpinLife.com for more information.

3 position lift chairs are one of the more popular lift chair recliner categories.  That’s because they offer a recline position that is almost a full recline, but not quite.  It does not reach what is considered a “sleeping position”.  Having said that, you can still nap in your 3 position chair if you want to, but it may not be completely comforable for you to spend day and night sleeping in it.

3 position chairs offer an power elevating ottoman for additional comfort.  The chair lift and the power ottoman work on the same motor, so in order to lift the ottoman, you must recline the chair.  In most cases this is ideal, but there may be a situation where you would like to have your legs elevated and not recline, in which case you should consider an infinite position lift chair.

3 position lift chairs come in all styles, colors, and fabric options.  Pick out a chair that matches your already decorated room or choose something completely different. 

Two recommended and highly popular brands of lift chairs include Pride Mobility and Golden Technologies.

Popular 3 position lift chairs include:

Golden Tech Regal

Pride GL-358

2 Position lift chairs are usually not for extended use.  They are for casual sitting and relaxation mostly because they do not offer a full recline position.  Despite the name, 2 position lift chairs do have more than 2 positions.  They offer a sitting position, reading position, recline position, and of course a lifted position.  See the image below

2 position lift chairs will recline to somewhere around a 45 degree angle, but can vary based on the model and manufacturer.  Therefore, if you will be napping or sleeping in your lift chair, you should consider a 3 position or infinite position chair.

The ottoman on a 2 position chair operates on the same motor and the lifting mechanism, so if you want the legrest in the up position, you must recline the chair.  2 position lift chairs range in price from $389 – over $1000.  Like other recliner chairs, they are available with many fabric options, heat and massage options, and more.  Visit SpinLife.com for a complete selection of 2 position lift chairs.

So maybe you’ve heard about them from your friends or family or you’ve never used or owned a lift chair and the reason is because you aren’t really sure what they are.  Have no fear!  I will explain everything you need to know. Now is the time to increase your independence and safety around the house, so let’s get started.

What exactly is a lift chair?

Lift chairs are very similar to a standard recliner chair, with one major difference.  A lift chair uses a motor to lift the chair and the user from a seated position to a standing position (see the images below for a visual look).  Some of us may have trouble with that initial effort to reach a standing position and lift chairs can help do the work for you.

Lift chairs are available in all different types of materials, just like standard recliner chairs, including fabric, leather, micro-suede, padded suede and vinyl.  There is also a large selection of colors to choose from, so you can purchase a lift chair that matches the furniture that you already have.

There are also 4 different types of lift chairs available.

1. Lift Only
2. 2 Position
3. 3 Position
4. Infinite Position

I will provide indepth descriptions of each type of chair in the next posts as well as all the additional bells and whistles that you can have included with your lift chair.

Welcome to the Lift Chair Blog!

The purpose of this blog is to help you understand lift chairs and how they cn help you.  If you are in the market for a new lift chair then I’m sure you will find this information useful.  Stay tuned for lift chair information and deals to come very soon!