How to Buy a Lift Chair

I am Kristin Porrez and I am the Retail Sales Manager at Liberty Oxygen and Medical Equipment. At Liberty Oxygen and Medical Equipment, we are contracted to accept most insurances. Any of our Customer Service Representatives at any of our eight locations can help the customers determine if we can take that insurance and what it takes to get something covered. For a lift chair though, the most that is ever going to be paid by any insurance company is going to be on the lift mechanism and that dollar amount will differ, but at this time that amount is in the $360 range. In order to get that part paid, and again it’s just the lift mechanism because the rest of the chair is considered a furniture item, the patient has to have a neuromuscular disease, such as Parkinson’s, or severe arthritis of the lower limbs, meaning knees, ankles, but not the back. A lot of people feel that a back injury or back surgery should be covered, but it is not. The patient also has to be unable to stand from a normal chair on their own, but able to walk once standing. That means even walking with a walker. A lot of times people feel that they cannot stand from a normal chair on their own, but they are using a scooter or a wheelchair that has been purchased by their insurance company. If a wheelchair or scooter has been purchased by your insurance company, they are not going to buy a lift chair. The criteria contradict itself. A scooter or a wheelchair is paid by the insurance company because a person cannot walk, but the lift chair criteria as I mentioned is only paid if a person can walk once standing. Just if someone has a wheelchair or scooter, a lift chair will never be covered by insurance then. Medical Equipment vs Furniture: We at Liberty Oxygen and Medical Equipment recommend that a lift chair be purchased from a medical equipment store. A lot of furniture stores out there have lift chairs also, but there is a big difference between a lift chair you buy at a furniture store and a lift chair you buy at a medical equipment store. At a medical equipment store, the chair is built around the motor. At a furniture store, a regular recliner is taken and a motor is installed onto it, as an after-thought, so to speak. When someone comes into one of our showrooms to look at lift chairs, we ask them a number of questions, starting with:

• Who is the patient, who is going to use the lift chair?
• What is the size of the person who is going to use it?
• Is there dementia involved with the person using the chair? That will determine which type of chair they best qualify for.

Dementia: There are a number of different chairs and models. The main difference between the styles is the motor. A two-button lift chair has two buttons on the remote and the chair goes up to stand the patient up and it reclines all the way. With only two buttons it makes it a lot easier to use for someone with dementia. As compared to a remote that has many buttons, there are more capabilities and more functions but is confusing if the patient has dementia of any kind. The type of chair with more functions will have a dual motor system which allows the user to control the back separate from the feet. Using the Chair: If someone has trouble sitting in a chair, it is good for the lift chair to be in the up position to begin with. Then the user can move the chair down to any position desired by using the buttons on the remote control, as well as back to a standing position when needed. The chair moves slow, so it is a safe way of getting up and down. If the patient uses a walker, it is very important that the walker is kept next to the chair so when they sit down and stand back up the walker is nearby to help steady without having to take steps to get to the walker. Dual Motor Programming: On a lift chair with a dual motor, using the remote control the patient can program the buttons to their favorite position. The chair has a zero-gravity position option, an optimum TV viewing to be a bed, some patients need to use it for sleeping at times. Colors and Fabrics: We inquire where the chair will be located in the home, so we can help them pick out a chair with the color and fabric that will work best in their home. There is a wide variety of colors and fabrics available for the chairs. Each chair model will have a number of fabrics that are standard, which means there will be no additional charges for the standard fabric. There are also vinyl options, which is good for a patient with incontinence, and also a faux leather option. This is a great option – it looks and feels like leather, it will not show scratches and it’s easy to clean. This is a popular choice – the fabric holds up to heat and sun without feeling hot or fading. Delivery and Installation: At Liberty Oxygen and Medical Equipment, we offer free Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area delivery. All of our eight locations have a great selection of chairs and fabrics to choose from. When the chair is delivered by Liberty Oxygen and Medical Equipment, the chair will be placed in the home where the patient wants it, the chair will be plugged in with back-up batteries installed and tested to ensure the chair is ready to go. At Liberty Oxygen and Medical Equipment in Minnesota, we take pride in ensuring that our customers purchase a lift chair that fits his or her needs. As you can see, there are many options to choose from and things to consider when purchasing a power lift chair. It can become overwhelming when researching your options, so don’t hesitate to ask questions. Any of the Customer Care Specialists at any of the eight Liberty Oxygen store locations will be able to assist you, including helping you with questions on insurance coverage. Contact us today at Liberty Oxygen and Medical Equipment to learn more.