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11 May 2020
Ensuring a chair is at the correct height for a person’s individual needs can be invaluable, not only to their comfort but also to their safety.
Over time, the padding in a chair can easily flatten, causing the person using it to put extra strain on their arms and legs as they lower further into the seat and push up harder from a sitting position. This can be particularly painful or difficult for anyone living with a long-term health condition that affects their mobility, such as arthritis.
In some cases, it may be sensible to invest in a new chair, such as Rise and Recliner which can automatically lower and lift someone from their seat. However, for those attached to their furniture, chairs raisers can be an effective and affordable alternative. This will give added height to a chair, and other furniture in the home, to ensure the person has a safe and accessible living environment.
Chair raisers come in a wide range of heights and styles to suit your needs and design preferences. Leg-X Chair Raisers have four feet which are fluted in design that can be placed under the existing legs of a chair to safely raise the height by three or four inches. For a stylish, modern alternative, we would suggest a set of NRS Bamboo Furniture Raisers. The attractive finish of these chair raisers mean they fit easily into any contemporary environment, whilst being strong and hard-wearing in design, and are available in a height of four or six inches.
Many chair raisers, such as the sturdy Elephant Feet, can also be used to raise beds to a more accessible height and come in a pack of four independent feet, whilst others, including the Morris Settee Raiser, are designed specifically for sofas and settees. This raiser screws into the base of your chair and is both width and height adjustable, so it can be customised to suit different height needs.
Below you’ll find some expert advice from our Occupational Therapists on how to correctly measure the height of a chair and determine whether it should be raised.
The correct height for a chair will change depending on the height of the person who is using it. To determine how high a chair should be, simply measure from the floor to the crease at the back of the person’s knee. If they regularly wear shoes or slippers when resting in the chair, these should be worn during the measurement process!
Measuring for the correct height will allow for 90-degree flexion at the knee and hip joints, when the feet are placed flat on the floor. Having the correct height will reduce strain in the arms and legs when the person is lowering into, or rising from, the chair and ensure they can rest their feet comfortably on the floor.
To establish the extra height you need from a chair raiser, you should first measure the height of the chair by taking measurements from the floor to the top of the chair’s cushion when depressed (as though it is being sat on). Then measure from the floor to the crease in the back of the knee. The difference between these two measurements will give you the height that is required from a chair raiser.
Chair raisers offer an effective way to increase the height of someone’s furniture to ensure they can safely and independently use their chairs. Our full range of furniture raisers can be viewed on our website.
If you need help choosing daily living equipment that is right for you or someone you’re caring for, our Expert Advice team can be contacted at productadvice@healthcarepro.co.uk. Please note that they can only advise on the information that you share with them and for further help you may need to seek professional advice.
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