The standard height is to hard for mom to get up from. We need like a 21-22 inch seat height (from floor). Seems like that would be easy to find and I can find one on a UK site but they don't ship to US. Surely others must have this need...
I've seen a lot of elders who are adamantly against making the kind of changes that would make life easier and improve their safety. If the only barrier to continued independence is putting a cushion on a chair with arms and getting rid of the dining room carpet it is a small price to pay in comparison to the alternatives - the bottom line is that many who refuse to accept the little necessary changes are often forced to accept much bigger changes when their stubbornness causes enough problems that a move to a facility becomes the only option.
Kate, I was jusy talking to a friend whose MIL has dementia. The woman is currently trying to get out of her usual chair, a low rocker.
My friend said to "as far as I can see, the most prominent manifestation of her dementia is STUBBORNESS!"
In part, this is because their executive functioning--like the ability to see and account for consequences is limited. In part, they may have been told by somone--a friend, a PT--that using assistive devices will cause deterioration. Ot it may be vanity; to quote my aunt "I won't use a walker; people will think I'm old (she was 93 when she said this).
Keeping elders SAFE becomes a matter of sometimes having them be unhappy...
You are right about that. I had to laugh because we can't get her to use a walker - same reason as your aunt. My mom is 92. So stubbornly independent. Hard to balance respect for her need for independence vs the need for safety. But she'd hate having to move from living on her own...so I'll try to approach it more that way. I like the OT suggestion too. Thanks for the input.
I would suggest getting a firm foam cushion to place on her chair that would make her seat a little higher. She might also do better with a chair with arms on it so she can push on the arms when rising. She might also benefit from a walker to help her rise from her chair.
I bought a shower chair for my wife. It has wide foot pattern with huge rubber feet for security and each leg has a adjustment by pushing in a pin for roughly 6 position height adjustments. Top height is 21". Wall-mart- $45.00 I believe.
I'm wondering if the chair height is changed will she then have trouble accessing the table comfortably?
Can she wriggle forward on the chair until feet well placed - lean shoulders forward - push down on armrests & stand herself if encouraged?
My relative cannot get out of chairs without armrests & struggles from low chairs too. Core strength & lack of glute strength is the cause. Has chair-to-stand as goals with PT.
It depends on cause too, stiffness, pain, fatigue, lacking muscle strength, even behaviour sometimes.
That's a good point on armrests. She didn't want arm rests, but maybe if she saw that she could get up better she might. Great suggestion. We will pursue that too.
The other thing is to talk to her doc about scripting an OT/PT eval to assess WHY she is having difficulty (core strength?) and get suggestions from them.
When my mom had Alzheimer's, we ordered an electric cushion to go atop her recliner chair, to help ease her up to a standing position, (due to discomfort from her arthritic knees). My husband told the post office worker who was looking for it, "I'm not sure of the exact dimensions; it's an electric chair for my mother-in-law." I put this anecdote in a book that I wrote about taking care of my mom during this time called, "My Mother Has Alzheimer's and My Dog has Tapeworms: A Caregiver's Tale." Maybe a cushion like this would be helpful, or perhaps she could eat in a chair that's easy for her to get up from, and maybe you could have a tray table next to her. Best of luck.
Amazon sells swivel seats that can be placed on a regular dining chair, even upholstered ones. This adds about two inches to the height of the chair and also makes it easier for the person to get up because they can swing to the side and then hold onto both the table and the back of the chair. These seats are round, so they fit on almost any chair or go on the seat of any car.
Have you tried the elephant's feet risers? They're like hollowed-out cubes that you put one under each chair leg, and they raise the height of the chair by - oo, 4-6 inches or so? I'll see if I can find them online...
... Yes, there are loads of them and I'm sure you'll find them on the US Amazon website for stockists. Google "elephant's feet chair raisers blocks."
I don't think those will work because she has to scoot it in an out on low pile carpet. (We do have those on her bed). BUT when i did google that on Amazon something that also came up are the adjustable lifts that you can fit on the bottom of a dining room chair that might work. We'll order them and see. THANKS!
Stool features a padded seat and back for added comfort & legs. Angled seat makes sitting down and getting up easy. Adjustable height and removable arm supports with adjustable width for added safety and comfort to accommodate most individuals Seat Dimensions: 11"(D) x 14"(W) x 21"-27"(H); Weight capacity: 300 pounds. Good luck.
My friend said to "as far as I can see, the most prominent manifestation of her dementia is STUBBORNESS!"
In part, this is because their executive functioning--like the ability to see and account for consequences is limited. In part, they may have been told by somone--a friend, a PT--that using assistive devices will cause deterioration. Ot it may be vanity; to quote my aunt "I won't use a walker; people will think I'm old (she was 93 when she said this).
Keeping elders SAFE becomes a matter of sometimes having them be unhappy...
Wall-mart- $45.00 I believe.
I'm wondering if the chair height is changed will she then have trouble accessing the table comfortably?
Can she wriggle forward on the chair until feet well placed - lean shoulders forward - push down on armrests & stand herself if encouraged?
My relative cannot get out of chairs without armrests & struggles from low chairs too. Core strength & lack of glute strength is the cause. Has chair-to-stand as goals with PT.
It depends on cause too, stiffness, pain, fatigue, lacking muscle strength, even behaviour sometimes.
... Yes, there are loads of them and I'm sure you'll find them on the US Amazon website for stockists. Google "elephant's feet chair raisers blocks."
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B002VWJZ1A?tag=amz-mkt-fox-us-20&ascsubtag=1ba00-01000-a0069-win10-dsk00-smile-us000-pcomp-feature-pcomp-feature-pcomp-wm-8&ref=aa_pcomp_xcta1_xim1
Stool features a padded seat and back for added comfort & legs.
Angled seat makes sitting down and getting up easy.
Adjustable height and removable arm supports with adjustable width for added safety and comfort to accommodate most individuals
Seat Dimensions: 11"(D) x 14"(W) x 21"-27"(H); Weight capacity: 300 pounds.
Good luck.
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