When you're helping an aging parent remain independent at home, even small tasks become shared responsibilities. You plump the pillows behind their back. You move the ottoman closer so they can elevate their feet. You offer an arm when they stand. Before you leave for the evening, you wonder whether they'll be able to get out of their chair, make it safely to the bedroom, and settle into bed without help.
Caring for Mom or Dad can be demanding when you're there and worrying when you're not. Which is why any tool that helps them help themselves and stay safe when they are on their own is golden.
Enter: Journey's Perfect Sleep Chair & Lift Chair. The adjustable recliner is designed to move from upright seating to multiple reclined positions and a flat sleeping position. It also includes a powered lift mechanism, independent leg and back adjustment, heat and massage, and emergency backup power. The 5-Zone model adds powered headrest, lumbar, and whole-seat tilt adjustments, along with programmable memory positions.
These features offer more control over everyday comfort for your parent; for you, they mean less worry and need to intervene. Sounds good, right? These are a few ways the Perfect Sleep Chair benefits both of you.
In This Article:
- No More Worrying if They've Made It to Bed
- Your Days of Plumping Pillows Is Over
- They'll Regain Their Independence
- Summer Thunderstorm? Power Outages Are NBD
- They Won't Spend Hours Trying to Find the Perfect Position
- It's Got Clinical Powers With a Classic Aesthetic
- What Caregivers Should Consider Before Buying
No More Worrying if They've Made It to Bed
Knowing your parent regularly falls asleep in their favorite chair and wakes up late at night needing to take themselves to bed is stressful. Groggily standing from the recliner and walking through the house in dim light is a recipe for falling. If they already have difficulty standing, walking, or transferring, that sequence may be one of the times you feel least comfortable leaving them on their own.
The Perfect Sleep Chair provides a solution: The chair they use during the evening can also become the place where they sleep. Both the 2-Zone and 5-Zone models can move from upright sitting through a range of reclining positions and into a flat configuration suitable for rest or sleep. When fully reclined, the chair extends to approximately 79 inches.
Your Days of Plumping Pillows Is Over
You put a pillow behind Dad's back. Ten minutes later, he wants it lower. Then his feet need to go up. Then his shoulders feel uncomfortable, so you reposition the pillow again. Then he decides he wants to sit more upright to see the television.
If you're laughing because this sounds familiar, you know your parent isn't being difficult. A fixed chair with a hard surface gives the body very few options for positioning and it's natural to get uncomfortable sitting in a static position for any length of time.
The Perfect Sleep Chair lets your parent make those adjustments themselves. With the press of a button, the backrest and footrest operate independently, and with the 5-Zone model they can also control the headrest angle, and pressure on their lower back. The padded seat offers just the right amount of cushioning and support.
If you still like to fluff their pillows, go right ahead. For those times when you'd rather rest and have someone else deal, there's a chair for that!
They'll Regain Their Independence
The magnitude of being able to stand or sit on one's own cannot be overstated. It is a fundamental mark of independence that most of us never think about until it's gone. Loss of this ability is both a psychological blow and physically risky: Without it, your parent is relying on you to push or pull them from seated to standing—and eventually, someone is going to lose their footing and fall.
The Perfect Sleep Chair's powered lift mechanism raises the seat and gently angles the chair forward so the person sitting in it does not have to generate the entire sit-to-stand movement on their own. When your parent is ready to stand, they can raise the chair until their feet are securely positioned and they reach a height that makes it easier to transfer their weight onto their legs.
When sitting down, they can raise the chair first, back up to the seat, and then gradually lower themselves rather than dropping into a low cushion. Some older adults will still need hands-on help, but for many, power lift assistance allows them to regain control.
Summer Thunderstorm? Power Outages Are NBD
There's lightning outside. The lights flicker. Your first thought probably isn't about your television going off. It's whether your parent is sitting in their electrically powered chair across town. The obvious concern: What happens if your parent is deeply reclined when the power goes out?
Both versions of the Perfect Sleep Chair include an emergency backup system for precisely that situation. The 2-Zone model uses two 9-volt batteries designed to provide emergency lift operation during an outage. The backup batteries suffice for a one-time emergency function (replace them after use). The 5-Zone uses a lithium-ion backup system connected to the transformer that provides power when house power goes out. (These batteries also have limited energy so do not use them as your everyday source of power.)
They Won't Spend Hours Trying to Find the Perfect Position
If you spend enough time caring for someone, you begin to memorize their preferences. Dad likes his feet a little higher. Mom wants the back down but not that far. But you also know how a simple adjustment can turn into many minutes of finetuning and repositioning to get things just right.
It's exhausting and can feel like you go through the same dance every time you're at your parent's house. Surely there is an easier way.
In fact, there is. The 5-Zone Perfect Sleep Chair offers programmable memory positions. Once your parent finds a chair position they like, they can store that configuration on one of the memory buttons. Later, they can return to that same position without having to remember exactly how far they moved the backrest, footrest, seat tilt, or other controls.
The chair's MaxiComfort system also includes several named positions—including TV, lounge, zero gravity, and rejuvenate—which provide additional starting points for different activities. Set it once. Save it. Return to it.
It's Got Clinical Powers With a Classic Aesthetic
Sometimes, a parent resists supportive equipment because of what it represents. A device may make perfect practical sense, but if your parent sees it as a sign of decline, they won't use it. With large items like recliners and beds that sit prominently in a living room or bedroom, the tension between what your parent needs and what they can accept is hard to ignore.
The ability to disguise a mobility aid as just another piece of furniture can alleviate some of this hesitation. The Perfect Sleep Chair lets you choose fabric and color and is designed to look much more like traditional upholstered furniture than institutional equipment.
What Caregivers Should Consider Before Buying
Before adding the Perfect Sleep Chair to your parent's home, make sure the chair fits your parent physically. It supports one occupant up to 375 pounds and is appropriate for anyone between 5 feet 4 inches and 6 feet 4 inches.
Also, measure the room you are intending to put it in. The chair requires substantial clearance behind it when reclining; the exact requirement varies by model (check the manufacturer spec sheet). It also needs access to a grounded wall outlet.
Most importantly, consider whether your parent can safely operate a powered recliner and lift chair independently. The controller is straightforward but requires someone to be cognitively alert to press and pause the buttons. Remember, the goal isn't to buy a chair that lets you do more for your parent. The aim is to let your parent do more for themselves.
Think About Buying the Perfect Sleep Chair?
Learn more about Journey's Perfect Sleep Chair & Lift Chair or call one of our product experts at 888-404-1724.
