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The Lift Chair Is Usually a Purchase: Check the Seat, the Outlet, and the Coverage Line Before You Pay

Before you buy a power recliner that lifts the sitter, check the seat fit, the outlet and cord, the weight rating, the room footprint, and whether Medicare covers it in writing.

· After the Hospital STL desk

A lift chair tilts forward to help someone stand, and it is often sold as medical equipment when it is mostly bought as furniture. Medicare generally does not treat a lift chair as covered durable medical equipment, because the program covers items for medical need rather than comfort. Confirm that point with the seller in writing before you assume anything, and ask for the reason in the seller's own words. Read the coverage rules on Medicare.gov and the CMS durable medical equipment pages before you accept a verbal answer.

Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.

Check the coverage line in writing

Ask the seller whether Medicare or any other payer will pay for this exact model. Ask for the reason in writing. If the answer is that it is not covered, record that and decide whether you still want to buy it. If a clinician has recommended a lift chair for a specific reason, ask that clinician to note the reason in your parent's record and ask the seller how that note would be used.

Measure the seat against the person

Have your parent sit in a similar chair at home and measure from the floor to the back of the knee. Compare that to the chair's seat height from the floor. Check the seat depth and width, the arm height, and whether your parent can reach the controls from the seat without twisting. A chair that lifts too far forward or too little can be hard to use the same way each day, so have your parent try a demonstration chair if the store has one.

Check the weight rating and the lift path

Read the stated weight capacity for the chair and write it down next to your parent's current weight. Ask how the chair moves when it lifts: how far forward it tilts, how fast, and how it lowers if the power fails. Ask whether the chair has a manual release. Those answers belong in your notes before delivery day.

Check the room and the outlet

Measure the space the chair needs when fully reclined and when lifted, including the walkway and the door it must clear. Check where the outlet is and whether the cord can reach it without crossing a walking path. A cord across the floor is a trip hazard, so plan a route for it along the wall before the chair arrives.

Ask about the return and the parts

Ask for the return window in writing and what is refunded if the chair does not fit. Ask who handles a broken part after delivery and how long that usually takes. Do not sign for the purchase until these answers are on paper. Once you have them, you can set the chair in the room, sit in it with the family present, and confirm the route before anyone relies on it.