As a matter of fact, i’ve been proud to wear my caregiving role for years, but if i am truly honest with myself i wore that badge for only a couple of months before i felt burnt-out. The pain in my back, the lack of quality sleep, and each time my Mom attempted to rise from her favorite armchair — my heart leaped into my chest.
This is when i decided to start treating my overall well-being as more than just an after-thought. I bought my Mom a power Lift recliner. When I purchased the power Lift recliner for my Mom at the time, i felt like i had spent too much money on something. However, looking back, it was the best gift i ever gave myself.
Prior to the arrival of the power Lift recliner, our living room was essentially a high-Risk physics experiment.
My Mom suffered from severe arthritic conditions. She required assistance moving from a sitting to a standing position. Therefore, our living room was basically a high-Risk, physics-based lab every day. It took a great deal of care and caution when attempting to move my Mom around the house. Every day consisted of a delicate balance of pulling, tugging, and hoping for the best.
It didn’t take long after the daily physical strain and stress of assisting my Mom with each and every movement ceased that i realized how much this daily movement had taken away from me. Essentially, there were only two possible outcomes with each attempt to help her stand:
She would fall:
In case both of her knees failed to support her body weight — there was absolutely nothing i could do to stop her from falling.
I would get hurt:
Each time i helped her stand, i was aware that i was literally playing with fire. I used poor lifting techniques during those times — which left my lower back a time bomb waiting to explode.
Like many caregivers, i researched various home medical device products. Although I considered to purchase patient Lift recliner right away — i still questioned whether or not to purchase a product such as this initially because i believed we would be able to make do without one. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Being a caregiver isn’t about making do; it is about finding solutions ahead of time.
How a power Lift recliner changed our Lives
A power Lift recliner is almost indistinguishable from any other comfortable-looking, cozy living room chair. Although it appears normal — it has a quiet and powerful electric motor inside. Using the remote control, the chair rises slowly and swings forward towards the front of the user allowing him/her to safely stand up without straining his/her joints or your back.
Below is how this single piece of furniture changed our Lives positively each day:
1. Restored Mom’s sense of independence
Mentally, my mother greatly improved once she received her new chair. She exhibited evidence of frustration in regards to having to depend on another person to complete what normally would be a simple task such as getting up from her seat to utilize the restroom. The chair provided her with control over when she chose to rise from her seat — therefore giving her back her sense of self-empowerment and dignity.
2. Provided me with a great deal of physical relief
My worry about “the Lift” went away immediately. No longer did i need to rush across the room whenever she started to move. Also, my back was finally starting to heal and the extreme fatigue that plagued me each day after taking care of her disappeared.
3. Increased comfort and health benefits for Mom & me
Lift chairs offer far more than merely enabling people to stand. For instance, the ability for Mom to elevate her legs completely allowed for reduction in chronic swelling in her ankles. Additionally, the position settings in the chair also enhanced digestion and allowed her to nap comfortably/restfully in the chair—without worrying about me having anxiety concerning her slipping off of one side or the other.
Finding balance between your Needs and medical device options
When researching mobility devices, there are countless options. All homes are unique and each individual’s health condition differs. While a patient lift recliner worked beautifully in our living room setup — others who experience severe post-surgical recovery or severely diminished mobility may require temporary bedroom solutions versus long-term living space arrangements.
Another thing i found helpful when researching medical device options in Ontario was that you do not always need to spend a lot of money on permanent solutions. A friend of mine who cared for her father was able to receive a tremendous amount of relief by renting medical beds in GTA and test-driving medical-grade comfort at an affordable price. What i learned was even though you can rent medical-grade solutions — they can be extremely useful in maintaining a safe home environment using the tools available.
Key things to think about when purchasing a power Lift recliner
If you’re thinking about investing in this kind of solution for your loved one (and yourself), consider the following items:
Positional capabilities:
A three-position chair works okay for reading/standing/lifting—but an infinite-position chair allows you to customize the backrest and footrest separately. If your loved one sleeps/rests frequently in the chair, then this option offers better flexibility.
Materials/fabrics:
Choose breathable materials/fabrics that are easy to clean and preferably fabric-based. Performance fabrics or good-quality faux-leather options work well for containing accidental spills.
Automatic Backup Battery option:
Check that your power Lift recliner includes an automatic backup battery option. If your electricity goes out — you’ll know that your loved one remains safe in the chair.
You can’t pour from an empty cup
Caregivers too often think they are selfish when they choose to spend money/resources creating ease for themselves. They believe they should be able to endure by sheer willpower alone.
Reality check: you can’t give from an empty vessel. Creating a sustainable environment for you and your loved one is not cheating — it is sustaining. Giving my Mom back her independence gave me peace-of-mind once again — and that certainly is the ultimate gift