Help with standing up.

pipkin71

I'm having difficulty at times getting to a standing position from being seated and have been looking at aids to help.

I have found one that you place on your chair, which is supposed to help, but am wondering whether a chair which raises you up would be better?

I'm currently leaning heavily on sticks to get up, however, I'm now having trouble with my hands, so something more practical would be ideal. It doesn't help that I have two sofas rather than a sofa and chairs in the living room, so only have one arm to lean on along with the sticks.

Any ideas or experiences with this would be grateful :beer:

wolfehouse

the higher up the chair is usually the easier it will be for you to get up.

they make 'chair raisers'- cups which fit under the legs and raise a chair or sofa, but they need to be the right kind for your piece of furniture.

you could also put a firm foam cushion under your regular sofa cushion to raise it. (I have sometimes just doubled up the ones from the sofa if there is an extra place.)

chairs etc are all different, and you may find a chair that is better for you if you try them out in the shops.

a riser (recliner) can be good for some people but is pricy (not unusual to cost £500-£800). you still need good balance and leg strength to get up and safely off it- better to try out some in shops if you are thinking of buying.

there may be some help from social work occupation therapists but waiting lists can be very long and help can depend on where you live. i find if you are having trouble with one thing you may need help with others (getting on/off toilet and in/out bath etc) which they can help you with.

pipkin71

Thanks wolfehouse.

I have had the legs of the sofa raised through the OT unit, and have a foam cushion on top of the sofa cushions but it is difficult to stand at times.

I will perhaps go back to the OT and seek their advice. They have been really good at organising the adaptations needed in my home so it's a good starting point.

Thank you.

mealone

pipkin71 wrote: »

I'm having difficulty at times getting to a standing position from being seated and have been looking at aids to help.

I have found one that you place on your chair, which is supposed to help, but am wondering whether a chair which raises you up would be better?

I'm currently leaning heavily on sticks to get up, however, I'm now having trouble with my hands, so something more practical would be ideal. It doesn't help that I have two sofas rather than a sofa and chairs in the living room, so only have one arm to lean on along with the sticks.

Any ideas or experiences with this would be grateful :beer:

If you live in the north east I can give you a hospital like chair that rises, its rises then lifts you forward into the position to be upright.

pipkin71

mealone wrote: »

If you live in the north east I can give you a hospital like chair that rises, its rises then lifts you forward into the position to be upright.

That's very kind of you mealone I don't live in the North East though.

Do you think the chair would be worth buying or would something like this do the job:


http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/0450966/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CHealth+and+personal+care%7C14418350/c_2/2%7Ccat_14418350%7CMobility+aids%7C14418351/c_3/3%7Ccat_14418351%7CMobility+and+home+help%7C14418354.htm

Not sure I could use that on the sofa though

It's actually easier at the moment to sit on a dining chair rather than the sofa - not as comfortable though

mealone

pipkin71 wrote: »

That's very kind of you mealone I don't live in the North East though.

Do you think the chair would be worth buying or would something like this do the job:


http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/0450966/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CHealth+and+personal+care%7C14418350/c_2/2%7Ccat_14418350%7CMobility+aids%7C14418351/c_3/3%7Ccat_14418351%7CMobility+and+home+help%7C14418354.htm

Not sure I could use that on the sofa though

It's actually easier at the moment to sit on a dining chair rather than the sofa - not as comfortable though

The reviews are ok but my prefrance is to look at things before purchasing, with the normal argos you can view items instore before deciding to buy and thats what I would do before buying this to make sure it lives up to the promises in the catalog.

mouseymousey99

Have you thought of ringing the Occupational Therapist at the council?
I know they have a few things like this. I'm going to do so myself as like you I'm having a bit of trouble getting up now.
best wishes Pipkin
Mx

pipkin71

mouseymousey99 wrote: »

Have you thought of ringing the Occupational Therapist at the council?
I know they have a few things like this. I'm going to do so myself as like you I'm having a bit of trouble getting up now.
best wishes Pipkin
Mx

I'm going to get in touch with them mousey, because I also have trouble lifting my leg, and the 'dog-lead' thing [:D] they gave me doesn't always help.

Although I'm on the books of the OT team, unfortuately, there is still a waiting list and I wanted to get something now.

Best wishes and good luck to you too. It's a nightmare when you can't get up. Friends find it funny when they are trying to pull me up, but it's embarrassing at times too

Thanks again mealone. I will see if argos will let me look and test perhaps

amilotte

Hi

If you are unable to wait until you can get an OT I would suggest perhaps going along to your nearest mobility/ disability aids shop. I would say that the piece of equipment from Argos would not be suitable to use on a sofa as you would probably need the two arms to support yourself and also a more stable base to sit it on. A disability shop will have staff that should be more aware of the difficulties you are having and the solutions available.

It sounds like you perhaps need to consider a new chair altogether?

HTH

emilyt

mealone wrote: »

The reviews are ok but my prefrance is to look at things before purchasing, with the normal argos you can view items instore before deciding to buy and thats what I would do before buying this to make sure it lives up to the promises in the catalog.

I have the chair that is shown in the photo. It allows you to be high up so is easier to stand up. With the added lift assist it might work well for you.

I personally prefer a chair like this one http://www.regentmobility.co.uk/wa/1/45/2788-Slimline.html.

I am saving up for one as i know it works well for me. My MIL has this one and it is brilliant.

Just depends on what you can afford really.

Good luck

Emilyx

Invasion

An Independant living centre is a good place to go if you'd rather not wait for the OT, as they'll have OT's in store who can give you advice on what might best suit your needs They should have a range of things for you to try there too. Good luck, waiting for things that help is a pain!