The Armchair Sets Her Rise: Size the Seat Height, the Arm Reach, and the Room Around It

In the late afternoon, many people with dementia get up and sit down more often than usual. They may stand, wander a few steps, come back, and try again. When the chair is the wrong height, each of those moves becomes harder, and the extra effort can leave her restless. A chair that fits her body is one of the quietest changes you can make to a room.

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Measure her while she sits

Have her sit in the chair she uses most, with both feet flat on the floor. Measure from the floor to the crease behind her knee. That number is the rough seat height she can manage. If the seat sits much higher than that, her feet will dangle and she will have to lean far forward to stand. If it sits much lower, she will need a strong push to rise. Next, check the depth. She should be able to sit back with her spine supported and still have a finger or two of space between the front edge of the seat and the back of her knee.

Check the arms and the push

Arms help most when she can press down on them with both hands and lift her weight without twisting. Ask her to place her hands on the arms as if she were about to stand. If her elbows bend sharply or her wrists bend back, the arms are too low or too far apart for her. Rockers and recliners need a separate look. When she leans on the arm to rise, a rocking base can tip or slide, so check that the base stays flat on your floor and that the chair does not move when you press on it.

Measure the room around it

A chair can fit her body and still fail the room. Pull it out to the position you plan to use, then walk the route she takes at dusk from that chair to the bathroom, the kitchen, and the front door. If she has to squeeze past the arm or go around it in the dark, the chair has moved her path rather than helping it. Leave a clear walkway of at least the width of her walker or her shoulders, whichever is wider, and keep the chair out of the path entirely if you can.

What to ask before you buy or move one

• Can the seller or store take the chair back if it does not fit her, and in what window?
• Does it stay put on your floor when she pushes on the arm?
• Who will move it back into place if someone shifts it, and will that person know the walking route?
• If you are moving a chair you already own, can you keep the old one in the room for a week so she has a familiar seat while she adjusts?

Change one thing at a time. A new chair is a change to her evening, and the best result is the one that makes her rise easier without making the room feel unfamiliar.