Rise Recliner Chairs: The Mobility Aids Your Care Home Residents Need

Rise recliners are one of the types of mobility aid recommended directly by the NHS. They can be used in residential homes, hospitals, and care homes.

Before you buy a rise and recline armchair for your residents, let’s take a quick look at how they work.

Help with Rising

With a simple push of a button, the chair rises and allows the user to stand up easily and effortlessly.

What makes them a must-have for care homes is that rise recline chairs allow the users to stand up with very little pressure on their muscles and joints.

Help with Sitting Down 

After the user has left the rise recliner, the chair can stay in the same position. This way, when the user wants to sit again, they can do so from an upright position -- the chair will do all the heavy lifting, protecting the resident’s joints and muscles.

But there’s more to rise recliner chairs:

Additional Support and Enhanced Comfort

Standing up and sitting down are the most challenging parts. But riser recliners can do much more for the well-being of your residents:

• Fitted with the right cushions, they can enhance users’ comfort, especially if your residents sit for longer periods of time. You can even opt for pressure cushions to mitigate the risk of ulcers.
• When watching TV or reading a book, these armchairs can recline, offering the user a more comfortable position. By reclining, the user takes the pressure off their feet and legs. The reclining function can also be used when the resident’s legs need to be elevated for medical reasons.
• Rise recline chairs can be fitted with anti-microbial fabrics, which makes cleaning and maintenance very easy. It also reduces the risk of cross-contamination if several residents use the same chair -- a major help in preventing infections from spreading.
• Rise and recline armchairs provide optimal support for the patient’s back, torso, neck, and legs. They can also be fitted with additional accessories to enhance their support level.

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to rise recliners. Each of your residents has different needs. Sometimes, you can meet those needs with accessories that can be fitted to basic rise recline chairs. Other times, you will need a completely different chair.

There are two main classifications for rise and recline armchairs:

Rise Recliners Categorised by the Support They Offer

All medical-grade rise recline chairs are marked with levels one to four. Here’s what those levels mean:

• Level one: idea for residents who need minimal support when sitting or standing. These are the armchairs you can find in residential homes as well, used for comfort enhancement alone.
• Level two: these chairs come with enhanced postural support and additional sitting/standing support accessories or features. They are perfect for residents who need more than basic support but who are still mobile on their own.
• Levels three and four: these rise and recline armchairs are designed for care home residents who need total support to prevent or delay the onset of permanent postural modifications and optimum pressure management. Their cushions are also designed to prevent pressure ulcers and they typically come with a lot of accessories.

Rise Recliners Categorized by The Number of Motors They Have

Basic rise recline chairs come with a single motor. More advanced chairs can have up to four motors.

Why does this matter?

The more motors a rise and recline armchair has the more functions it will have. Chairs with four motors support sitting up, standing down, reclining, elevating the user’s legs -- all to various degrees.

Of course, the more motors and accessories, the more pricy the rise and recline chair will be. If you’re looking for an affordable rise recliner, opt for one with a single motor.

According to our clients, the most popular accessories for rise recliners are:

• Tables to help residents eat while seated, read, or use a tablet.
• Foot plates for enhanced comfort and the ability to elevate the user’s legs without reclining the chair.
• Waterproof fabrics: ideal to prevent spillages, stains, and to extend the chair’s lifespan.
• Pressure cushions: popular for levels three and four chairs, these come with the added benefit of mitigating the risk of pressure ulcers.

Have you found a rise recliner you like in our product range? Not sure which one fits your residents’ needs best?

You don’t have to decide alone! Our consultants can help you make the choice that meets your needs and your budget.

During our two decades in the business of helping care homes across the UK, we have helped our clients save thousands of pounds on each larger purchase. We do this by making sure you don’t overspend on an expensive rise recliner when you won’t use all of its functions. Better yet, we can also help you save money in the long run by recommending a higher-end chair if your residents really need it instead of spending too much on post-purchase accessories.

Schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with us and let us help you choose the ideal rise and recline chairs for your care home!