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Understanding the History of the Lift Chair

By: James Jalonta


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For a senior who is mobility challenged, such as is often the result of arthritis, it is often very difficult to stand without assistance. This can make it very hard to get out of a recliner, without relying on a caretaker or loved one. Since relying on a caretaker can be expensive, put a strain on ones relationship with the caretaker, and overall reduces the independence of the senior, using a lift chair is often the best way to allow a senior to stand without assistance.
Lift chairs were first developed in the early nineteen eighties, but these models were not very safe. This is because these first lift chairs relied upon a spring lifting system to raise the chair. Once the spring lift had been activated, there was no way to stop it. This meant that if it was activated unintentionally, the senior could be literally ejected from the chair.
There were also a number of concerns with how these early lift chairs were built. This is because manufacturers simply took a prebuilt recliner and added a lifting system too it. These prebuilt recliners had never been intended to server as a lifting aid, so the frame was not able to stand the stress of being raised and lowered several times a day, so were prone to failure.
These less than reputable actions would continue up until the mid eighties, when two companies stepped up to the plate and began making a safer lift chair. These two companies, Golden Technologies and Pride Mobility, saw the dangers and problems associated with the spring loaded lift chair, so set out to start a new trend and began custom building electric lift chairs, which offered several advantages.
Since both Pride Mobility and Golden Technologies were custom building the frame of the lift chair, they where able to build it in a manner that ensured it would be able to handle the stress of being raised and lowered. Rather than using the unsafe spring lifting system, they instead used an electrical lifting system. This allowed the chair to be raised only when the user pressed and held a button. It also allowed the lift chair to be raised in a smooth fluid motion.
As a result of the courageous actions of Pride Mobility and Golden Technologies, the lift chair industry would be improved for the better. Consumers saw how well built these lift chairs were and they quickly became very popular. This forced other companies to follow suit and by the beginning of the nineteen nineties, the electric lift chair had become standard.
Today, a few spring loaded lift chairs remain available, but they are far less common and have been largely replaced by the electric lift chair. Golden Lift Chairs and Pride Lift Chairs remain more popular than ever, with both of these companies also having expanded into other areas of the mobility industry.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Lift chairs are important tools for seniors, but it is a good idea to check a lift chair resource first.

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