My mom can still walk a little and transfer, but when sitting our aide will leave her in her wheelchair because mom can't assist with transfers. This is a basic manual chair with added cushions, not the most comfortable for extended sitting imo.
I am also looking forward to my vacation when the nursing home will probably have her sitting in it all day. I have seen residents slumped in their chairs without proper supports and cringe at the physical discomfort they mut have to endure.
We got our wheelchairs from Medicare, but I don't recall whether there was any co-pay- this was back in the early 2000s. And DME regs have changed since then.
I'm not sure there's any wheelchair that's comfortable to sit in for long periods, but the ones with removable arms and legs as well as sturdy leather (I've even seen strong cotton ones, which surprised me) are I think the best.
When my sister needed a wheelchair, her oncologist used a DME service that provided a wheelchair with arms that weren't removable, meaning that she needed assistance just to stand and transfer. I had to squat keep my own back aligned straight to avoid backaches just to help her get up, I contacted the DME supplier but they insisted they didn't have any. It was shortly before she entered her final phase of cancer so there were other issues to deal with but I would never use that DME supplier again. At this time I don't even recall whether I was able to get another supplier that was more cooperative.
My cousin has a special cushion that can be removed to sit on in the wheelchair. It's quite sturdy and easy to clean.
Unfortunately Medicare is pretty stingy on this which is why you see so many people in homes in less than ideal positions.