Home Care Trend Spurs Demand for Functional Furniture

Furniture World Magazine

The growing need for Home Medical Equipment (HME), has sparked a new trend in furniture accessories. As a result Uplift Technologies Inc. created a product to enhance the functionality of furniture - UPEASY POWER lifting cushion. “People are more focused on the style of their furniture and the overall décor of their homes than ever before,” says President Michael Speraw. “This product provides the needed lifting assistance to users through increasing furniture’s functionality.” Instead of buying an entire lift chair, this furniture accessory adds utility through the innovative lifting mechanism. UPEASY POWER lifting cushion effectively works to lift 100 per cent of the user’s weight. Powered after plugging into an electrical outlet, simply push one of the power levers downward to lower and, pull upward to rise. The patented cushion surface is ergonomically designed for the utmost in comfort and practical use. Veterans in the home medical equipment segment, Uplift designed the UPEASY POWER as a cost effective accessory for the cash-retail segment of the market. Aside from the benefits that consumers derive from UPEASY POWER, it enables furniture retailers to broaden the accessory contingent of their business. This presents an edge over the competition in expanding to meet the needs of two growing market segments – the elderly and those with joint conditions. The population of Americans aged 65 and over has grown by 56 per cent in the past 20 years, and will continue to grow at greater rates throughout the next 20 years. Also astounding is that approximately 70 million Americans live with arthritis on a daily basis. That 70 million does not include those who live with Muscular Dystrophy, ALS and other joint degenerative diseases which can restrict sitting on furniture with ease. “I now own three of the UPEASY lifting cushions. I keep one in the car for when I travel, the powered one for everyday use, and I use the third as a spare. These lifting cushions work well for me as I have IBM,” says Raymond A. Duval, Brunswick, ME. (IBM stands for Inclusion Body Myositis which is an inflammatory disease characterized by progressive muscle weakness and wasting). Overall there is a movement for people to remain active longer, and when needed, to opt toward home care. The UPEASY POWER makes this a more realizable choice for more people as they may remain independent – in both mobility and in furniture style. People go to furniture stores looking for answers to their home décor and functional needs. UPEASY POWER is functionally needed by many. With that many people out there among the aging and the arthritic populations, the UPEASY POWER presents an opportunity for furniture retailers to expand the furniture accessory offering, and making such equipment more accessible, while enhancing the bottom line. Web site: www.up-lift.com