Dual motor riser/recliner and Elephant legs. NEED ADVICE QUICKLY PLEASE

Posted , 10 users are following.

Hi,

I'm going in for my op on Thursday and wonder if a riser recliner would be good to both get up from (sofa a bit of a struggle as low) and sleep on. I sleep well on my side normally but won't be able to do this once i come home again. The type I mean takes you right up high as well as tip you out - well almost haha.

And I've bought some elephant feet from Amazon to raise up my sofa as it's a bit low and slouchy ( I've heard nothing from the occupational therapist who is supposed to come to your home although I have already handed over the measurements to pre assessment nurse). These blocks raise up your sofa/bed to about another 6 inches or so.

I would really appreciate your views on these two things as Im off on Thursday. Thank you again for all your invaluable help so far.

Sarah

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  • Posted

    Elephant Feet sound very sensible.

    Have you got a grabbing device, to avoid having to bend over?

    • Posted

      I now have everything else but it's just the question whether or not, after a THR its more advisable to get a riser recliner that tips you fowards  than get up from a lowish sofa....

    • Posted

      Sarah

      After your THR you will probably (depending on surgeon & method) be told not to bend your operated leg more than 90 deg. So you can't bend  to pick something up from the floor and getting up from a chair you need to respect this 90 deg rule.

      To pick something up you can either use a grabber or stick your bad leg behind you so you are just bending on your good leg.

      Similarly getting up from a chair you can stick your bad leg out in front of you and push yourself up using your good leg and both arms. So getting up from a chair with two solid arms is quite easy but from a low sofa rather harder.

      A riser chair is VERY easy, and it has the advantage that it can be nice to snooze in during thge day, but spending £700 on one just for your rehab is a bit extravagent. You may fall in love with it and use it forever - I think my wife loves my one so I doubt I will ever get rid of it.

      Mike

  • Posted

    I had a revision hip replacement Sept 22nd (very invasive they took the old joint from 24 years previous out and replaced with new one, plus a lot of bone graft as well) but I'm doing Ok now according to my physio. I use a recliner chair all the time and can get up by moving to front edge of chair and using hands on chair arms to help rising. As long as your chair is the correct height I think you will manage.

    Some of the exercises I've been given involve getting up from a dining chair using arms and leg muscles and sitting down again this is strengthening my leg muscles.

    So it's your choice whether you go for riser/recliner or not.

    The sleeping on the back is not as bad as it sounds, I have 4 pillows lower one slightly forward of the others and can sleep quite well. I can now sleep on my on non operated hip side, but to be honest it's easier on my back. Never been a back sleeper before.

    Hope all goes well for you.

    Doreen

  • Posted

    Sarah

    I've just been through a two stage revision so I was 5 months without a proper hip and then into rehab with my new hip.

    I went on Ebay and bought an electric recliner for £60. I though it was a great investment and my wife, who recently had a THR too loves it.

    If I get fed up with it I imagine someone will give me £60 for it too.

    Sofas are more difficult from chairs as it is easier to get up if you push with two hands, The OT will probably sort you out when you are in the hospital. In my (UK) experience they supply a raised seat for the toilet, long handled shoe horn, a foot lifter, a sock aid and a grabber. So raising chairs and beds is up to you. Also in the UK the Red Cross have stuff that they loan out. I got a second toilet seat from them so my wife didn't have to go upstairs to have a pee,

    Hope all goes well on Thursday

    Mike

    Mike

  • Posted

    Sarah, first let me wish you all the best for your upcoming surgery!

    I did not have an electric lift recliner after my THR, and I could have really used one. There was no possibility of sitting on my sofa as it is way too low. So for many months I either sat in my bed with pillows behind me, or I sat in a straight-backed dining room chair, which wasn't very comfortable.

    About 7 months post-THR I did get a lift recliner, and it has been WONDERFUL! IT has been invaluable to me through recovery from a subsequent vertebral fracture and a second hip surgery that was done to repair gluteal tendons. I was on limited weight bearing for 6 weeks after that operation, and had all the usual 90 degree precautions, etc. The lift recliner made it simple to not break the restrictions. My recovery has been so much easier with that recliner. I am sure that it has helped prevent me from re-injuring myself. 

    As far as the blocks go, I don't know about them. I just never sat on my sofa. Still don't!

  • Posted

    Recliners are great for adjusting your position, I found mine invaluable.  The main problem with them is that they tend to be low, so break the 90 degree rule. 

    Click here to view image

    .....  the address is in my personal info here ...

       https://patient.info/forums/profiles/rocketman-sg6uk-907025

    and at the bottom of the moderator's "useful resources" page at

       https://patient.info/forums/discuss/thr-useful-resources-487147

    Best wishes

    Graham - 🚀💃 🤸    ¯\_(?)_/¯

    • Posted

      Thanks for the info Graham but riser recliners can be raised right up high. That’s why they’re called Riser. So I THINK they wouldn’t be classesd as low? I’m seriously thinking of getting one as there is no way I will be able to get up from my sofa. 
    • Posted

      Sounds like that will be OK, but best if you measure the height when raised.  As I remember, the cushion top needs to be higher than your 'under-knee-to-floor' measurement when seated

      Some people put a cushion on a chair to help, but that leaves you with arms that are lower than you may need to help you getting out, which is not so useful.

  • Posted

    Sarah

    Yes, you can buy recliner armchairs but they don't lift you up to get out of the chair. Riser chairs like my one almost lift to to standing but still recline to almost flat. (My one does massage and heating too)

    Made by adjustamatic beds in Wales.

    Mike

    • Posted

      Yes they do Mike....They lift you up really high, then tip slowly forwards, until your feet are almost touching the ground. You just hold the arms and step off/forwards. They're called "dual motor" recliners and they do everything.

      I have a recliner here in my lounge which just reclines. I think theyre called single motor ones but I know the dual motor takes  you right forward so you can stand up.

    • Posted

      ps. And you can also go right back to almost flat if you want to. But they definitely get you to a standing position as well.
  • Posted

    I am not sure that occupational therapists bother to visit you any more in a lot of areas. The only ones I came across were in the hospital. I did measure the height of everything though and was given loo seat heighteners. I have a recliner too. I felt that it was better to push myself up using the arms, rather than use the chair, so I could increase my muscle strength. If you feel that you can sleep well on a recliner, go ahead. I had planned to do that but found I had no problem sleeping in bed in fact. 
    • Posted

      Were you totally on your own too? I just have a lowish sofa and I'm sure I wouldn't be able to get up from it using my crutches....I think you most definitely SHOULD get an OT to visit when you have no-one at all to help you.

    • Posted

      I live alone although my sister came to stay for a few days. You really need a chair with two arms so you can push yourself up. Saying that I was in the local hospital waiting room the other day and not one chair had arms. Who designs these places?

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