This is especially true, I think, when you're a caregiver for someone who used to be fully independent but who, over time, has had to deal with the limitations that crop up in life, especially as they get older and especially if they - as was my mom's case - were caregivers themselves for a loved one and put their own needs on the backburner.

RELATED READING-->> Caregiver's Diary Part 3: The Role Reversals

Many members of my family are big fans of La-Z Boy recliners. I can't think of a time in my life when we didn't have at least one in the house, not including the one I had at mine for well over a decade.

Earlier this year, I told my mom that when some things got settled and out of the way that we were dealing with I was going to look into getting her a new recliner. The one she had was around 15 years old and while it was still in decent condition, it was tougher for her to get out of because it's a rocker, and it tilts downward and forward when she has to get up from it. Plus, the cushions in it weren't nearly as cushiony and supportive as they used to be.

She seemed happy about my thought process on getting her a new one but not overjoyed, which I attributed to the fact that she didn't like the fact that I was going to spend somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,000-$1,200 to get her a better recliner that was more suited to her needs.

So fast forward to early August, and to the store I went, where I was immediately overwhelmed with all the selections around me. It took about half an hour or so to settle on one that I hadn't previously thought of getting for her, a leather one - and one that didn't rock.

I went home to talk to her about it and she was a little ambivalent about getting a leather chair because she was so used to the fabric versions, which was our usual preference. But she trusted my judgment and told me if I thought it would work for her to go ahead and put the order in.

So a week later, I went back and did just that - along with ordering myself a rocker recliner that I fell in love with.

I wanted to get customizations, none of them fancy or extravagant, on Mom's chair because she needed to have the elongated handle for easier reach/pull and a memory foam cushion for extra comfort and support.

I was told they were likely 10 weeks out or more on the production of customized items, and that because I was having them done that I basically forfeited the right to return the purchase if she didn't like it - because they consider customizations special orders.

I wasn't too crazy about that but my mind was made up that this recliner was going to work for Mom. It sat higher and didn't rock and would be much easier for her to get out of.

We were delighted to get a call on her birthday earlier this month to let us know they were ready early, and that we needed to schedule delivery. The delivery was smooth and I was super-excited to get our new chairs, especially to see how Mom's worked for her.

It didn't.

The first few hours she seemed okay but the functionality was a challenge. She could not get it to lay back without struggling. Even loosening the tension didn't help. Her upper body strength wasn't strong enough. Plus, the lower half of the chair was extra cushiony, which was causing her to slouch in the chair. She already has back problems so that wouldn't do.

I had her try out mine. I tried out hers. I liked it for about half an hour. Then it wasn't comfortable anymore. Mom liked mine but didn't feel like it was roomy enough. Plus, it actually sat lower than her old one.

Sigh.

So we played musical recliners that weekend, shuffling old ones and new ones around to see which ones ultimately worked best for us. 

After two days of trying to make the leather one work for her (and then me), we decided it wasn't for us. Mom wanted her old chair back. I wanted my money back on the leather recliner.

I was hopeful the manager at La-Z Boy would be understanding and accommodating but it wasn't meant to be. I told them I knew about their no-return policy on customized orders, but asked if a store credit of a few hundred dollars could be issued so I could go back to a more traditional rocker/fabric recliner for my mom. I mean I had a $1,300 leather recliner, brand new, that was not going to be used in our house. Period.

I told the manager my mom's story. That she had mobility issues and had been through cancer, and that I had bought the recliner for her 81st birthday. The best they could do was offer me a 20 percent discount, which would have been nice if I didn't already have a coupon for the same amount in my email from the survey I did after the delivery.

I passed on the offer, knowing in the end I'd probably be out another $1,000 between the recliner price, delivery, and service agreement.

The moral of the story? Don't get a customized recliner at La-Z Boy if you want to have the option to return it. Oh, and read between the lines with your loved one when you tell them you want to do something nice for them. Because as it turns out, Mom was fine with the one she had.

Like I said, lessons learned!

SEE ALSO: To read my previous Caregiver's Diary entries, please click here.