Have you ever sat in a chair and struggled to get to a standing position? No? How about an Adirondack chair out on your deck? See, you have struggled! All kidding aside, chair rise difficulty in older adults is something we see often in senior living communities, and it can tell us much more than we may realize. As we age, rising from a seated position can become challenging. Furniture manufacturers have not missed this opportunity to “help you” rise by promoting easy lift chairs. You have probably seen them in many post-acute care communities, sometimes with the seat raised and no one even in the room.
As with every promising story, just when things sound good, there is always a caveat. Did you know that many physical and occupational therapists discourage the use of these types of assist devices? After speaking with a few of these specialists, the risks they identified are very real and often overlooked. Residents using these devices can become dependent on them, making it harder and harder to rise independently. Another concern is the risk of entrapment. There have been multiple situations where a resident became trapped in the lift device. Often there is no injury, but the experience is frightening and creates unnecessary risk exposure.
To end on some interesting findings, a recent study highlighted by MedicalXpress examined how difficulty rising from a chair may predict future health concerns for older adults. Researchers found that older adults who reported difficulty rising from a chair were more likely to experience poorer quality of life, symptoms of depression, and joint problems in the years that followed. Professor Hussain, the lead researcher, explained that what appears to be a modest physical limitation can carry significant long-term implications. People who struggled to stand up were significantly more likely to later report lower life satisfaction and higher levels of emotional distress. They were also more likely to develop osteoarthritis, a common condition that causes pain and stiffness in joints and limits daily movement.
McKnight’s Long-Term Care News also reviewed the study and emphasized how this simple movement may serve as an early warning sign for broader health decline. The full research published through Archives of Osteoporosis provides additional insight into the connection between chair rise difficulty and future physical and emotional health outcomes. So, is it the chicken or the egg? Do we encourage assist devices to improve a resident’s independence in rising? Do we provide more focused therapy sessions built around strengthening this skill? One thing is certain. We need to stay focused on each resident’s strengths and weaknesses and determine the best resident-centered approach to providing quality of care and quality of life. When we pay attention to chair rise difficulty in older adults, we are often seeing more than a mobility issue. We are seeing an opportunity to better understand the resident and respond before bigger challenges develop.
Stay well and stay informed!
