A relative with Parkinson’s was recently visited by a uk company offering a recliner chair with dial motor and bespoke sizing etc. the price was almost £6000. I told them to cancel it immediately as I thought the price was way too high, even for a bespoke sized model. Was I right?
Could anyone recommend uk brands that are a reasonable price.
Hello greeng1 and welcome to the forum.
Riser/Recliner chairs can cost anything from a few hundred pounds to several thousand pounds depending on the specification and where you buy it from. The main types of chairs are single motor where the back and footrest move at the same time and dual motor where the back and footrest can be adjusted separately which will give a greater number of seating positions and are more expensive than a single motor chair.
There is also a chair called tilt in space. These are more expensive than a standard chair but I personally believe they are usually a better choice for people with Parkinson’s where balance can be a problem, and indeed I have one myself. Unlike the standard chair which just goes up and down and when it reaches a certain point can feel as if you are being topped forward, with a tilt in space chair the whole chair moves round its axis and brings you to standing much more gently. If you are able to go to a shop or showroom that have both types go along and try them and you will find out how different they are.
You can as I said get a chair for a few hundred pounds, off the peg at many ordinary retail outlets and many people are quite satisfied with this. However buying off the peg doesn’t always give a good fit and the person may not therefore be in the best sitting position. A specialist company will measure the person so the chair is the correct height, width and depth to give optimum support and comfort. These will mostly be made to order and be more expensive than one from a standard retail outlet, but you will be able to choose the fabric, type of back (eg waterfall or button back) which side the control fits and so on.
Riser/recline chairs can potentially come with any number of accessories these days which will add to the price.
Most specialist companies will bring a chair or chairsf to your home which gives a better idea of the space needed and how it might fit into your home, do this with 2 or 3 companies and looking around retail outlets (most can be seen, online) will give you a greater understanding of price and the different types of chairs. If you do bring in specialist companies always remember you are the customer and don’t be pushed into making a decision before you are ready. The best companies will want to get things right for the customer and do not use the hard sell.
Apologies for such a long post but basically you pay your money and you make your choice. I hope however, what I have written helps your understanding - people underestimate how complex seating can be and for someone with Parkinson’s it can mean the difference between being comfortable and able to transfer with no assistance to finding the chair makes their back, neck or legs for example, ache or similar after a short time or that some assistance is still needed.
Good luck and let us know how you get on.
Tot
I have just ordered a Vango Hampton DLX chair and bought them off an amazon store that link is here. As I have not tried it yet cannot comment but the reasons I decided on this one was
1 It had a high back with a head or backrest
2 It is padded and has no gap between the backrest and seat, so keeps the wind out
3 It has a small side table to place a cup of glass on
4 The depth of the chair is good
Just my personal wants but hope they help
Contact occupational therapy at your local hospital, you can get brand new ones for free.
Hi POG,
That’s a very interesting statement. Is getting a free recliner chair from OT means tested?
Jackie
It’s not quite free you will need an assessment from which there is an identfied need but yes if you meet that criterion a chair should be provided and it is true no actual càsh (or card!)is needed by the client.
Tòt
Hi Tot
Thanks for the information.
Jackie
You’re welcome but i forgot to say the assessment would usually be done by an OT at your local council rather than a hospital OT as POG said but that’s not to say hospital OTs never do chair Ax
Tot
I could recommend 7 Best Ergonomic Recliners (Fall 2022) - Which One to Buy? something from this list, my grandpa has Flash, the third one, and he’s very pleased.
not any more you can’t
Hello, is there a difference between chairs that recline versus chairs that lift up and basically put the person back on their feet? My dad is starting to struggle pushing himself up out of his chair as he’s losing strength and his balance is poor too. The range of chair types is a bit overwhelming. Thank you.
Recliner: a chair with a reclining back; most are armchairs and may come with a footrest that unfolds when the back is reclined
Lift up chair: a powered lifting mechanism that pushes the entire chair up from its base, allowing the user to easily move to a standing position.
From Wikipedia.
