Most people like to relax in front of the TV, sit down and read a book, or simply take a short nap throughout the day. Many times as we age, we enjoy these things much more, but if you can not easily stand up without assistance, you might not be able to enjoy these types of things as much as you used too. Many find that their regular old recliner just doesn't cut it, because they have such a difficult time pulling themselves out of it.

Getting into and out of a recliner is not the only thing that presents a difficulty to people who are mobility challenged. Most traditional recliners rely on back pressure from the chairs occupant to recline. As soon as the occupant leans forward to get a remote control or even just re-positions their body, the backrest begins to rise. This can make it hard to find and keep a comfortable position and can increase back strain.

Lift chairs, a type of home medical equipment, are designed to address these issues. Primarily the purpose of a lift chair is to make it easy and safe for an individual to stand up freely and without any assistance. These mobility aids also allow a person to sit down in a controlled manner. A lifting system is located in the base of the chair that, when activated by a simple hand control, causes the chair to rise slowly into the air. At its peak position, the chair's occupant is able to exit in a nearly standing position.

It is not only the lifting system that is controlled electronically in the chair. The backrest and footrest are controlled electronically by the same hand control that is used to raise or lower the chair. This greatly helps to improve the usability of the chair and if you have never used an electronically controlled recliner, you are in for a very big treat. You do not need to worry about the backrest raising up every time you reposition yourself and since you are not using any of your own muscles to recline the chair, it is much more relaxing.

The hand control that is used to recline, raise, and lower the chair is usually attached directly to the base of the chair by a thick electrical cord. I am sure that everyone has probably lost the TV remote before and some have probably had to go buy one of those universal remotes to replace it. Since the hand control on a lift chair is attached directly to the base of the chair, it is exceptionally hard to loose it. You also never have to be concerned about running out of batteries or struggling to replace them.

While you do not need to worry about batteries for the hand control, most chairs now come with a battery backup system. This ensures that if the power goes out while you are sitting down, you will still be able to raise the chair. They typically use a single 9-volt battery, which is the same kind you use in your fire alarm. It should be replaced once a year if you do not use it, but it should otherwise be replaced after each use.