Electric lift chairs are push button power operated chairs which allow the user to move between a fully reclined position to a sitting or standing position with minimal physical effort. Some models also include automatic operation of a foot rest. They appear as a standard comfortable recliner, with added benefits of assistance to sit and stand.
More mobile versions of electric lift chairs are a portable seat lift which can be folded flat for transport and carried via a handle and placed on a chair such as at work or home. They are hydro-pneumatic powered so don’t rely on batteries or electricity. They are designed to gently ease a person in and out of a chair or wheelchair supporting up to 80 percent of their body weight, allowing them to still do some of the physical work. Commode versions are also available.
Workplace solutions and adjustments
For people with reduced upper or lower body strength or reduced mobility which compromises their capacity to mobilise in and out of chairs independently, electric lift chairs and particularly seat lifters can assist within the workplace.
Other products that may be of use when choosing a lifting device for a person with a disability include:
References
Discount Mobility Aids & Independent Living Equipment 2011, Electric lift chair Capri, A & J Mobility Solutions, Toongabbie, viewed 24 January 2011, http://www.mobsol.com.au/c/19728/1/electric-lift-chairs.html
Planet Mobility (no date specified), Up Lift Seat Assist, Planet Mobility, Michigan, viewed 24 January 2011, http://www.planetmobility.com/store/seating/uplift/seat-assist/index.html