Knowing how to stand up correctly prevents injuries to your back and knees

You?ve probably not given much thought regarding the manner in which you get up from the seated position. You will, when you are older and become less agile and flexible. Getting out of a chair for an elderly person is difficult.

If done incorrectly, the person can injury himself or fall. An older person must learn how to stand up correctly when moving out of the seated position. His efforts can be helped by using a lift chair. This is the best way to assure a person is able to get up and down easily and safely, allowing the person to move with little effort from a sitting to a standing position.

An electric lift chair looks like a recliner. However, it features a motorized mechanism that lifts the seated person nearly to a standing position when that person wants to stand up. The person controls the furniture, using a hand control that lowers to the lifting position or to full recline or anywhere in between that position and the lifting position.

Lift chairs are offered in two-way recline style or three-way recline. The two-way recline tilts back; however, the back and the seat do not flatten in relation to one another, resulting in a position comparable to a straight back chair that is slanted back, causing the leg rest to rise as it tilts backward. The sitter?s hips and back are reclined at a 90 degree angle, while the legs of the individual are horizontally elevated in front.

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The benefit of a three-way recliner is when in the fully reclined position the sitter?s shoulders are about a foot higher than his hips. His knees are approximately five inches higher than the hips. The legs are elevated horizontally. This position is great for sleeping because the seat and the back of the chair flatten out in relation to one another.

When older, an individual loses the power in his knee extensors. These are the muscles that assist in straightening the legs. Strength is also diminished in the person?s hips. People use these muscles when getting up from a seated position.

You may notice that an elderly person regularly attempts to pull himself out of a chair by clutching onto the arm or another object. This is his way of compensating for lost muscle strength. Grasping onto unsteady objects while attempting to rise leads to accidents. The object topples over and so does the elderly person.

Lift chairs come in various sizes, including ‘very large’ to accommodate big people.

WHEN A LIFT CHAIR IS NOT AVAILABLE

Instruct an older person in the best and safest way to get out of a chair, sofa or a car if he does not have access to a lift chair. The sitter moves his bottom to the edge of the chair. Both feet are flat and firmly placed on the floor. Tell the individual to put both hands on the arm rest. When there is no arm rest available the hands should be placed on the front edge of the chair.

The individual leans forward. His nose is positioned over his toes. Pushing down with his arms against the seat or arm rests assists the individual as he takes his weight off the chair.

While pushing down on the chair or arm rest with the hands, the legs start to straighten. Remove hands from the bottom of the chair or the rest while the legs finish straightening out.

Caution the person not to clutch onto unsteady objects as he attempts to get out of a chair because this can lead to injury.

There are various products designed to make life easier for the elderly person, enabling him to stay independent as long as possible.