I agree. With such a struggle with getting up, what would she do in case of fire? I think her fear of standing unaided is valid. I'd take heed. It may be that she needs assistance around the clock. I'd hate to see her get a fall and injury.
While my son was recovering from a serious accident he had a Hospital Bed Trapeze device to transfer himself out of bed, onto a sliding board, and into his wheelchair. I don't know if similar devices are available for chairs, but if Sister has enough arm strength that might be an option.
Have you contacted the local American Parkinson Disease Association chapter, and discussed this issue with them?
Once your sister is out of the chair, can she get around OK? Does she use assistive devices for walking? Does she have an alert system to report falls?
As several have mentioned, some solutions might be expensive. But she is going to have PD the rest of her life. An investment in her self-sufficiency may be well worthwhile.
If an emergency arose and she had to leave the house, would she try using the lift chair? Could she crawl to a door and pull herself up if necessary? It is kind of scary to think of her on her own all day, but it is equally dreadful to think about her giving up her independence.
Instead of sitting in this chair, what if she spent the time in a comfortable electronic wheelchair? If she could drive that into the bathroom, for example, and use installed grab bars to lift herself out, would that be a good option?
You are a thoughtful sister to be looking for solutions for her! If you come up with some that work well, come back and tell us about them -- we learn from each other!
Gain, my Dad had a lift chair, the best thing since sliced bread in his opinion. What Dad did was put his walker in front of the chair so he had something to grab onto while the chair was lifting. That seemed to work for him.
Lift chairs come in different sizes, so having the correct size is better. My Dad was short, so he had a shorter lift chair, which he rented... kinda like a test drive before purchasing.
I've got to say that mom's old home care aide had a lot of stories about falls and near falls from lift chairs, they're not always the solution for everyone. Has she had any PT to help her stand unaided?
thank you for those replies. my sister is alone all day. I live 4 miles away. she calls me to come over and help her stand and I can't always go then. the walker in front of the chair sounds good but she needs to be "pulled up" to stand. the life chair fits her well, it is the third one she's had. she is afraid of sliding out of the chair and yes she has slid out before.
So if you can't run over to help your sister at the drop of a hat, what happens? How does she get around during the day? I am hoping she has some kind of in home care, she shouldn't be left alone at all!
Those lift chairs are great for some people, and the idea of placing the walker in front is great--but that will not work for everyone and the fear of falling for PD patients is overwhelming....she needs to work with an OT to figure out how to work this out.
My first thought as well was what might happen during an emergency.
The only suggestion I have is a more complex one, similar to arrangements I've seen in rehab and in some hospital rooms. It's a trapeze device, anchored in the ceiling studs, and can be pulled down to hold onto, but retracts when released.
It's been quite a while since I've seen one, but I also vaguely recall using it for arm exercises. I also saw patients holding it while easing toward the edge of the bed and getting out. What I don't recall was whether or not someone needed to be present to guide the bar to the individual in bed.
It would have to be positioned low enough for her to grab when she's sitting, so that might be an issue b/c it probably wouldn't retract much higher and could be in her way when she gets up again.
And it would have to be installed by a carpenter to ensure it's properly anchored in the studs.
I suspect it would be more costly as well.
Recently I wanted to contact companies that did retrofitting for assistive devices. The Alzheimer's Assn. was kind enough to send me a list of companies. The Area Agency on Aging might have some as well.
While not necessarily providing assistance only for a lift bar, they may have other suggestions.
I've seen the poles as well (like stripper poles), anchored both in the ceiling and the floor, but there's really not as much stability in grabbing onto a pole and pulling oneself up.
Sunny's post reminded me of another possible solution - bars, similar to balance bars, on either side of the chair. Again, they'd have to be solidly anchored, and the chair would have to be narrow enough that she could comfortably reach bars on both sides.
Not only can her feet slip, but if her leg strength is weak, her knees may give way. There are various types of DME called 'stand aids.' Most are for use by a caregiver, but some are not. None are inexpensive.
Here is a link for a self hoyer lift https://www.rehabmart.com/product/independent-lifter-45361.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhMCY9O_h1wIVhYp-Ch1eRAUsEAYYCSABEgJjtvD_BwE
Have you contacted the local American Parkinson Disease Association chapter, and discussed this issue with them?
Once your sister is out of the chair, can she get around OK? Does she use assistive devices for walking? Does she have an alert system to report falls?
As several have mentioned, some solutions might be expensive. But she is going to have PD the rest of her life. An investment in her self-sufficiency may be well worthwhile.
If an emergency arose and she had to leave the house, would she try using the lift chair? Could she crawl to a door and pull herself up if necessary? It is kind of scary to think of her on her own all day, but it is equally dreadful to think about her giving up her independence.
Instead of sitting in this chair, what if she spent the time in a comfortable electronic wheelchair? If she could drive that into the bathroom, for example, and use installed grab bars to lift herself out, would that be a good option?
You are a thoughtful sister to be looking for solutions for her! If you come up with some that work well, come back and tell us about them -- we learn from each other!
Lift chairs come in different sizes, so having the correct size is better. My Dad was short, so he had a shorter lift chair, which he rented... kinda like a test drive before purchasing.
Has she had any PT to help her stand unaided?
So if you can't run over to help your sister at the drop of a hat, what happens? How does she get around during the day? I am hoping she has some kind of in home care, she shouldn't be left alone at all!
Those lift chairs are great for some people, and the idea of placing the walker in front is great--but that will not work for everyone and the fear of falling for PD patients is overwhelming....she needs to work with an OT to figure out how to work this out.
I'm really hoping she doesn't live alone....
The only suggestion I have is a more complex one, similar to arrangements I've seen in rehab and in some hospital rooms. It's a trapeze device, anchored in the ceiling studs, and can be pulled down to hold onto, but retracts when released.
It's been quite a while since I've seen one, but I also vaguely recall using it for arm exercises. I also saw patients holding it while easing toward the edge of the bed and getting out. What I don't recall was whether or not someone needed to be present to guide the bar to the individual in bed.
It would have to be positioned low enough for her to grab when she's sitting, so that might be an issue b/c it probably wouldn't retract much higher and could be in her way when she gets up again.
And it would have to be installed by a carpenter to ensure it's properly anchored in the studs.
I suspect it would be more costly as well.
Recently I wanted to contact companies that did retrofitting for assistive devices. The Alzheimer's Assn. was kind enough to send me a list of companies. The Area Agency on Aging might have some as well.
While not necessarily providing assistance only for a lift bar, they may have other suggestions.
I've seen the poles as well (like stripper poles), anchored both in the ceiling and the floor, but there's really not as much stability in grabbing onto a pole and pulling oneself up.
https://www.rehabmart.com/product/independent-lifter-45361.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhMCY9O_h1wIVhYp-Ch1eRAUsEAYYCSABEgJjtvD_BwE
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