Recliner Use With Weight Changes

Recliner use with weight changes can be addressed in many ways. Weight changes in older adults are common. There are a few measures recliner users can take prior to making a hefty purchase. Some recliners come equipped to handle and to cater to those changes. This will save users unnecessary stress, time and money.

Weight Changes

With age and illness comes the inevitable hardship to our bodies: weight change. Some adults are fortunate enough to go through all of life with very minor ups and downs. Others however are not so fortunate due to drastic changes to metabolism, fluid build-up, sedentary schedules, and overall health due to acute/chronic disease.

Profound weight fluctuation will change an older adult’s seating position. It could range from a malnourished state to enough weight gain to merit purchasing a larger chair. Let’s break down two polar opposite scenarios and how such weight changes can potentially change seating positions for older adults.

Examples

Emaciation: Alice is a 72 year old female currently on hospice care in her home for the final weeks of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or more popularly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). Aside from requiring increased amounts of medication and respiratory equipment, Alice has also experienced a dramatic loss in weight. Her 5’6” body retains a meager 92 lbs. As a result, her overall frame is quite bony, increasing her risk for pressure sores along her buttocks, heels, tailbone, and elbows.

Severe stages of lymphedema: Roger is a 63 year old male living at home with his wife. Recently diagnosed with end-stage liver failure. Although he has made it on to the organ donor list, he waits at home while the debilitating symptoms overcome is body, one of which is increased fluid build-up in his legs and hips. Over a short period of time, the swelling has progressed into severe lymphedema which has added an extra 55 lbs to his overall body weight. The swollen tissue has become fragile and has changed the amount of surface area of skin touching his recliner.

Recliners

Recliner use with weight changes can be managed in many ways. Weight changes in older adults are common. The causes can either be lifestyle-related or induced by medical conditions that are beyond our control. There are a few measures recliner users can take prior to making a hefty purchase.  Take comfort in knowing that Ambassador recliners come equipped to handle and to cater to those changes.

One main concern can stem from both of these scenarios: timing the purchase of the chair according to the onset of disease or extreme weight change. Here’s a few basic and fair responses:

• Older adults can’t predict the future: Take comfort in knowing that even the wisest amongst us can’t see what the near or distant future will bring, especially when it comes to disease and debilitation. It’s not fair to stress over getting a recliner at the right time to serve current medical needs because those needs will most likely change with time.

• Changes to the human body are unexpected and beyond our control: Medical conditions will change body weight for the worse, despite our best traditional efforts to reverse the problems. In Alice’s and Roger’s cases. Both individuals have been inflicted with medical conditions that negatively impact their weight at no fault or failure of their own.

• Changing or preventing problems that we can control takes work: If weight gain or weight loss is something that the older adult can control and can change (i.e. weight gain due to a sedentary lifestyle), it will take a fully committed effort to make that change. Examples include increasing physical activity and incorporating a healthy diet.

How to Accommodate for Weight Fluctuation

Ambassador recliners are designed and built to facilitate weight fluctuations.

Some helpful features include:

• Weight capacity:  Designed and built to last. Optional safe lifting loads available. with Australian Standards Testing Approved.
• Generous seat width and depth:  The range is available in a variety of seat widths. Providing spacious seating with supportive and comfortable arm-rests (which are great for smaller users who need a little extra lateral support).
• Optimal cushioning: The seat and back support come loaded with superb cushioning. Custom options allow for additional cushion inserts for persons at higher risk for skin breakdown.
• Reliable motor power: The lift and recline motor can operate under a wide range of weight distribution without failing or slowing down. Backed by Linak Medical Grade Electrics.
• Spacious leg rest: The leg rests also come with copious amounts of space so users can position their hips and legs to their liking.

Recliner use with weight changes can be addressed with the range and features of the Ambassador chairs. Speak to a local dealer for more information and trial.