General Tips for Wheel Chair Caregivers

General Tips for Wheel Chair Caregivers.

                      These tips helps to develop the minimum skills and knowledge to the persons who involved in wheel chair service delivery.Wheel chair is a chair with wheels, used to move persons who cant walk. It can be operated either manually or with battery. Manual wheel chairs can be moved by a person or with your hands to push the scroll wheels. Other wheel chair has a battery powered electric motor to move the wheel chair.All basic wheel chairs can support 130 to 150 kg of weight.

Parts of a Wheel chair.

Tips for caregivers.

1. Check the wheelchair is properly working.

2.  Check the patient is in upright position or not.

         The patient back should touch the wheel chair back rest, hip, knee and ankle joints are in    90 degree.

3. Check the patient wears seat belt and foot straps.

4. Avoid speed because sudden changes in speed or direction can cause the wheelchair occupant to fall forward or to the side.

5. Always lift the patient- don't bump or drag- this could cause skin damage and lead to pressure sores.

6. Before assisting someone, make sure that you can support his/her  body weight.

7. Don't assist if you have a back problem.

8. Always position the patient limbs inside the wheel chair.

9. While turning the wheelchair in the vicinity of fixed objects, it is important to avoid catching a foot on the object to avoid injury to the foot or a twisting injury to the lower leg.

Wheelchair UP and DOWN through a kerb.

       At first you should practise with an empty wheelchair.Always inform the wheelchair user about what you are intending to do.When the occupant's feet are nearly touching the kerb, push down and forwards on the tipping lever with your foot and the same time pull back the wheelchair.This will help you to balance the wheelchair and its occupant on the rear wheels. Move the wheel chair forwards when the front wheels are clear the kerb and move until the casters rest on the floor.

                                While moving down make sure that the chair is lined at 90 degree to the kerb and slowly roll the back wheels down from the kerb. You should make sure that while rolling both the rear wheels touch the ground at the same time.If the casters reach the edge of the kerb use the same technique on the tipping lever what we used to move upwards in kerb. You can lower the front wheels to the floor when the wheelchair user's feet are clear the kerb.

Wheelchair UP and DOWN through a Ramp.

       

                           When going up if the patient is stable then give instructions to the patient to lean forward in the chair and this make it easier to ascend the ramp.

    To descend a ramp you should position yourself behind the wheelchair and slowly roll backwards.

Door that opens away and towards :

                         The caregiver should open the door and pull the wheelchair backwards through the doorway. The care giver should use his body to prevent the door from hit on the wheelchair. The caregiver should lock the lock when he moves the chair completely out the way.

                                         While moving a wheelchair through a door way that open towards to us the caregiver should leave enough space by open the door without striking the wheelchair. In this case also caregiver use his body to prevent the door from hitting to the wheelchair. After passing the doorway caregiver should lock the door.

How to transfer a patient from wheelchair to bed and bed to wheelchair.

         At first make sure that wheelchair is very close to the bed and both the bed and wheelchair is locked.Remove the armrest of the wheelchair on the transferring side.

If the patient is able to move give instructions to come on sitting otherwise assist the patient to come on sitting.One of your knee should interconnect with patient knees and use a gait belt to transfer. Some patients are able to bear weight but not in an ambulatory stage so in this case make a turn with the patient towards the wheelchair.