Help Getting Up From Sitting

Help...I'm sitting and I can't get up! Assistive devices to help seniors keep moving. Share on XGetting up and down from a seated position can be a challenge for some older adults.  Seniors with shakiness, weakness, dizziness, injury or balance issues may find they are becoming less independent because they have trouble getting up and down from sitting on a chair, sofa or in the car.

There are many household aids to keep seniors living independently at home and able to safely move around the home or run errands.  Even when caregivers are available to help elderly family members get up from sitting, pulling or pushing can result in muscle or joint strain for both parties.

Assistive Devices for Rising From Sitting

• A “couch cane” or standing aid can offer support for rising from the sofa or transferring to a wheelchair.  It can offer stability for those who may be weak or experience light headedness due to low blood pressure.  Similar bars can be placed at the bedside or outside the bath.
• In the bathroom, a raised toilet seat and grab bars can help prevent falls among seniors and help them living independently.  A support frame can also be attached directly to the toilet to help individuals rise and lower safely from the seat.
• In the car, a car handle or “car cane” can be slipped into the U-shaped strike on the open door of a vehicle which can then be used as leverage to help the driver or a passenger get out themselves.  These handles are portable and do not require installation. Canadian shoppers follow this link.
• Lift chairs use a power hydraulic lifting mechanism to push the entire chair or in some cases just the seat upwards and forwards to help elderly or disabled persons maintain mobility and independence.
• A lift walker, designed for people who need help standing from a seated position, have retractable grab poles and front wheel locks.
• Raising chairs, sofas or low beds with furniture risers is a simple way to make getting up from sitting easier.

To find an assistive device to help you or a loved-one get up more easily and safely, visit a home medical supply company. Consider consulting a physical therapist who can help train those with mobility restrictions to sit and rise from a seated position with less discomfort and better safety precautions.