How many of your LO's have lift chairs? Can they operate them independently? I want to get one for my husband but he doesn't want one. I don't know whether he:
1. Is afraid of them.
2. Prefers for me to pull him up out of his chair.
3. Thinks he won't be able to operate it, just like he can't operate the TV remote.

Or all three.

Hi Pat - my dad has a lift chair but he has had it for at least 10 years. I think he still knows how to use it - I haven't been there for 4 weeks and he knew how to use it then. Even if he can't remember how to use it, it is helpful to his caregivers - I have seen one of them pushing the button while the other one makes sure he doesn't fall out on his face. He can't even carry any weight on his legs now, so the caregivers find it very useful. Hope this helps. Lynn

Your pulling your husband up from his chair is not generally a good idea.

One neurologist I know thinks lift chairs are terrible for those with parkinsonism symptoms because it makes people lazy and they lose muscle.

I guess I would worry that he might fall on his face because of his poor balance.

mockturtle,
I suggest you ask the neurologist for a referral to PT -- ideally PT in your home (through a home health agency). The PT can give you both training on standing and sitting.
Robin

My dad ocassionally falls out of his lift chair trying to reach something he's dropped. But he would fall out of any kind of chair at this point. I hated him using it before his big decline because he was losing muscle tone and he got a pressure sore on the bottom of his foot because of the way he sat in the chair. But the ALF asked us to bring it when he moved in because of his poor mobility and transfer ability by the time they had an opening for him. For a person who's still mobile, they will tend to lose their abs, lower back, quads and other leg muscles to lift themselves to standing.

Robin, he had a PT last year and she taught him proper gait, mobility, sitting and standing, etc. He does use proper technique in getting up, he just lacks the muscle power. I don't mind helping him up most of the time, but it's something I do twenty or thirty times a day and it's hard to get anything else done. Maybe if I took him somewhere to try one out he'd be willing.

Can you get a recumbent exercise bike so he can try to build up leg muscle strength?

Sounds like he needs something close to 7x24 supervision and assistance. Getting a lift chair wouldn't change that. (My guess.)

Well, he does get 24/7 assistance and has [from me and, for a period, an ALF] for at least the past two years now. I never leave him alone. We just started with a respite caregiver who comes in for four hours a week. It's just that, say, like today when I was stripping and waxing the floors, I had to keep lifting him up so it took me a while to get the job done. Fortunately, he does usually take about an hour's nap.

We tried a recumbent bike at a gym last winter and he was terrified of it. He wouldn't even use the little pedal device I had after my knee surgery. We have always walked every day [he used a four-wheeled walker] and he's always been a good walker, but it's getting harder for him as his stamina and balance are declining. I don't think he'll be walking six months from now.

We got Mom a lift chair last year. She insists on trying to stand by herself but when she can't she will use the lift. There are times when I can't help a lot because I have already had back surgery once and am having more trouble. The lift is sometimes the only way to get Mom upright.

When you look for a chair go to a med store and try them out. The controls on a 2 or 3 position chair are easy but the infinate position controls can be conusing with LBD.

Also internet prices can be half a store price.

Kate

Right now, he refuses to look at them but I'm thinking of taking him to someone's house who has one and just casually get him to try it. Anything with more than two buttons would be no good for him. Do they have any with just one button that both lifts and lowers?

My dad's just has one thing on the control that looks like a toggle switch. He just raises or lowers the chair however much he wants (infinite positions). It works really well for him. Lynn

Thanks, Lynn! That sounds like just the ticket! Could I ask you what brand it is?

Hi Pat - I'm not sure what brand it is but I'm pretty sure he mail ordered it. Here are 2 possibilities "Dr. Martin's" catalogue and Sears. I will be seeing him Wed. and will see if I can figure out what it is. I'll send you a message from there when I figure it out. Try those 2 places and see if you find anything. Lynn

Thanks, Lynn. I wouldn't order one unless he tried it out first and was willing to use it. He might refuse to use it and it would be money down the drain.

I remember when we were living in a large house on acreage I bought him a John Deere riding mower for his birthday. This was in 2004 and he hadn't been diagnosed with anything yet, but he was afraid of it and continued to use the old push mower. So I took over doing the lawns with the riding mower and it's probably a good thing. He might have hurt himself. That's about the time he had to quit driving, too, as he kept driving to the left of the center line and misunderstanding traffic signals and signs.