| Wheelchairs provide freedom for thousands, but they | | | | slick surface is easy to slide off of when you don't |
| can also present challenges to the very freedoms | | | | want to! |
| they offer. You don't have to be a 'stuck at home' | | | | Secret #3 |
| statistic. Discover 5 secrets to gaining your freedom | | | | To increase legroom in smaller cars, Slide the car seat |
| and mobility away from home without awkward and | | | | all the way back AND the recliner seat back all the |
| difficult manual transfers from your wheelchair to your | | | | way down (for legs that aren't bending as much as is |
| car. Realize for yourself the joy of going shopping, | | | | necessary or total hip replacements that need to allow |
| eating out or vacationing once again! | | | | a 90 degree precaution). Now you can scoot |
| Before you start, always lock your chair and detach all | | | | backward and slightly up hill on the car seat so that |
| movable parts i.e. footrests, accessories, trays etc. | | | | your legs can clear the door jam. Once inside, return |
| Follow the next 5 steps for achieving freedom of | | | | the seat to a comfortable upright position. |
| mobility! | | | | Secret #4 |
| Secret #1 | | | | The steering wheel is a sturdy "grab bar" when |
| Keep the sitting surfaces equal in height. Impossible? | | | | scooting. The handhold that some cars have above |
| Easier than you think. Short of letting the air out of your | | | | the outside mirror (inside the car of course!) work well |
| truck tires or buying a new car, (unless you need a | | | | too but they aren't for heavy duty pulling. Remember |
| good excuse!) park next to a curb so that the | | | | when standing for transferring, safety first. You should |
| wheelchair is a curb's height closer to the level of the | | | | push up from the wheelchair arm instead of pulling on |
| vehicle seat. Curb height to car seat keeps gravity in | | | | the door, the door jam or your helper. Doors don't |
| check by somewhat leveling the two surfaces. When | | | | have muscles to strain or discs to herniate -- you and |
| you have arrived at your destination let gravity work | | | | your caregiver do! |
| as you transfer from your high profile vehicle down to | | | | Secret #5 |
| the wheelchair. No curb at home? Build a platform that | | | | For the caregiver, once the patient is in the car, Walk |
| you can roll the wheelchair up onto - now you have a | | | | around to the driver's side, crawl in, be careful while |
| curb! | | | | you grab that towel and tug. The towel, placed on the |
| Secret #2 | | | | bag will slide quite easily for this final step of |
| Remember friction in physics? Transfers are all about | | | | transferring a patient into the car. You can buy or use |
| minimizing friction! Put a plastic garbage bag on the car | | | | wheelchairs almost anywhere. Goodwill and senior |
| seat and then a towel over that for easy sliding, | | | | citizen centers usually have them at low-to-no cost. |
| adjusting or pivoting once on the car seat. There are | | | | Manual wheelchairs are also often found at a doctor's |
| many expensive products on the market today that | | | | office, and power scooters can be found at the |
| seek to accomplish this same feat. Empty grocery | | | | grocery store. |
| bags are free. Suit your fancy. Watch out though, this | | | | |