Does anyone know if Medicare will help pay for one of those mobility assist chairs that can help someone up?

My experience is with 86 year old mom. Her doc wrote an order for an assist chair, I still had to pay for it but saved on taxes only. This may differ in your state.

Couple tips about the chairs. They are simple to operate but people with dementia may not be able to remember how. Also, if cognitive skills are bad they can dump themselves  on the floor.

My mom does not have dementia but still forgets to use the assist to get up and down most of the time.

You guys are awesome. I'm going to search for another chair. Hers is a rocker. This is quite the learning experience. So thankful for this community.

Since I've been where you are now, I would like to add a little if you are going to obtain a different chair for her. It is extremely helpful if the arms of the chair extend to the front edge of the cushion. Some stop short. This is so that she can use the arms to *push* herself up rather than using the walker to *pull* herself up. There are you tube videos showing this motion.
One time when Mom was getting PT, he showed me how to help her do things, how she could help herself, how to use a gait belt. Later they showed me how to transfer her without injuring myself. But videos are helpful too.

you need to get her doctor to write a referral for a OT (occupational therapist). the OT's are trained and know of all that is available to assist your mum, and where to get it.

I was able to rent a lift recliner chair for my Dad to try out.   Oh my gosh, he loved that chair, and the control was so simple, large lighted arrow up and one large lighted arrow down.   It was soooo comfortable.   One time the motor stopped working, and the store sent a repairman out the same day.

These chairs come in different sizes, the store  asked how much did my Dad weigh and how tall was he, thus he got a chair that was a perfect fit.   Later down the road, I could purchase a brand new chair or buy the rented chair with a nice discount.

That chair made it so easy for my Dad to stand up, as in the past he would try to use the arms of his standard recliner or grab the rolling walker seat and try to pull himself up.   He fell a few times trying to do that.

Check with your local agency on aging and see if they have one that has been donated, or if they can put you in touch with an agency that can help.

Check with her suplimental, they may help.

The problem with lift chairs are they are not safe. The veterans would not furnish one for my dad for this reason. He is now in an excellent SNF and they furnish lift chairs but he adjusts it to the lift position and then falls asleep. He's fallen out a couple of times. One more time and i am going to unplug it.

You can get an inexpensive chair new for $400-$600. They are lift chairs. And, unless it has changed, Medicare will cover $350 for the cost of the motor.

Have you considered the power chair that would maybe be safer for her as she gets up to go. Not being active with OA is not good so the choices are somewhat limited but let you PCP or an orthopedic surgeon help you so you can help her with the best of care.