With Lewy body dementia, a chair often needs to work two ways: one your loved one can pedal on alert days and tilt back on drowsy, unsteady ones.
Lewy body dementia is known for big swings in alertness. Your father may be chatty and steady after breakfast, then sleepy and confused by midafternoon. A chair that does only one thing can suit him for part of the day and poorly for the rest. Look for one he can move with his feet when he is able, that also tilts back to hold him comfortably when he is not.
Many people with LBD gradually bend forward at the waist or lean to one side. Hours in that position are tiring and can make meals harder. Tilt-in-space (the seat and back tip backward together), paired with a back that reclines on its own, lets a caregiver bring your mother into a more upright, supported position without straps.
Restlessness and repeated attempts to stand are common in LBD. Broda designs the rocking in its Encore and Latitude pedal chairs to have a calming effect on agitated users. Rocking gives your loved one movement while staying seated, and the tilted seat keeps their weight angled back into the chair as they rock.
Prices are Broda's MSRP for the base chair. Size, options and accessories change the final price.
From $3,194.94MSRP
Suits the earlier, more mobile stage. Your loved one can walk the Encore along with their feet from a seat that goes down to 12.5 inches, and the optional rocking adds gentle motion. Seat tilt goes up to 18 degrees, or 33 with rocking.
From $4,506.40MSRP
Suits later stages, when sitting upright gets hard. The Synthesis offers 40 degrees of seat tilt and a back that reclines to 90. Front-pivot tilt is meant to hold the person's line of sight on the room, so they can still see family.
From $1,417.99MSRP
A calm seat for the living room or a memory care lounge. The Tranquille glides gently, and Broda designs it to lock automatically when someone sits down or gets up, so the seat holds still at those moments.
From $3,878.62MSRP
Bath time can upset a person with dementia. The Revive lets a caregiver tilt and recline your loved one into a relaxed, supported position, with a leg rest under the legs, so washing hair and hard-to-reach areas takes less moving around.
Ask an occupational therapist or a certified assistive technology professional (ATP) to watch your loved one at more than one time of day, because posture and alertness can look very different from morning to evening. If they will push with their feet, measure from the back of the knee to the floor. Tell the therapist about any leaning, sliding forward or trying to climb out. LBD changes over time, so ask for a new fitting when a chair that once worked starts to cause problems.
Many families pay privately. Insurance or a public program may help when a doctor, therapist or ATP documents why the person needs the chair. Whether it is covered depends on the plan. Our written quote lists the exact model and options, so it can go straight into that paperwork. Facilities, care organizations and multi-unit buyers can ask us about partner pricing.
It depends on how much your loved one can still do for themselves. A low pedal chair moved with the feet suits someone who is still fairly mobile, while a tilt-and-recline positioning chair suits someone who needs more support. Many people use both kinds at different points over the years.
Some people find the motion soothing and others do not. Broda builds an optional rocking feature into the Encore and Latitude pedal chairs for that reason, and the Encore can be ordered without it. Try rocking with your loved one before deciding, and raise agitation itself with their care team.
Many can, especially earlier on. Broda's pedal chairs sit low enough for flat feet, so a person can pull the chair forward by walking their feet along the floor. That lets your loved one move around a room under supervision instead of waiting to be pushed.
Broda makes its cushions and parts fluid-resistant, so most spills and incontinence accidents wipe off with a damp cloth. The user manual for your specific model lists the cleaning steps Broda recommends. For full bathing, a stainless steel shower commode such as the Revive is made for daily use in water.
This guide is general product information, not medical advice. Chair features are described as Broda designs them. Choose seating together with the person's doctor, therapist or ATP.
Product photos © Broda Seating, used with permission. Broda® and model names are trademarks of their owner.
Call with the person's diagnosis, height and weight, and where they will sit most of the day. We will tell you which Broda chairs fit and send a written quote.
