Wheelchairs are specially designed chairs with wheels for people who are unable to walk due to disease, injury, or disability. Self-propelled manual wheelchairs and motorised ones are available (power). Wheelchairs that are sized appropriately for children are available.
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Wheelchair is much helpful for patient’s recovery
Wheelchairs can be helpful for children with cancer who are ill or recovering from surgery. It’s possible that a wheelchair will be a permanent fixture in the lives of some individuals.
The advice to use a wheelchair comes from medical professionals. A patient and their loved ones can get guidance on the ideal wheelchair for their needs from a physical therapist or an occupational therapist.
Patients and their loved ones can benefit greatly from the independence and higher quality of life afforded by mobility aids such wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, and more.
The hand rims on the back of manual wheelchairs allow the user or a caretaker to propel the chair. Wheelchair independence is a skill that may be honed with practise. However, even the youngest children can quickly become proficient wheelchair users.
Ways to use Wheelchair:
1)In order to get started with utilising a wheelchair, consider the following advice. Care providers, on the other hand, can tailor their instructions and advice to your individual needs and preferences, such as the wheelchair you use and your mobility routine.
2)To propel yourself forward in a wheelchair, hold the hand rims at the chair’s rear. Grab the hand rims and pull them forward and down. Do it again, but this time bring your hands back to their original position.
3)In order to turn right, you must press forward on the left hand rim, causing the left wheel to move forward, while the right wheel either slows down or stops. Turn left by accelerating the right wheel and slowing or stopping the left one.
4)To move a wheelchair backwards, hold onto the hand rims at the chair’s front. Apply downward pressure on the back of the handle to reverse the wheels. The installation of anti-tip bars behind the wheelchair’s wheels prevents it from toppling backward.
5)If you need to stop a wheelchair, grab the hand rims and apply some friction to the wheels. If the wheels are damp, pinch the tyre instead. Take care, as the heat produced by this friction could cause your hands to burn if you are going downhill or stopping abruptly.
Most secured method to use:
The most secure method for a wheelchair user to ascend and descend curbs and other small steps is to have a caretaker assist them. If the individual needs to cross a curb unassisted, they will require additional instruction and practise under the supervision of a skilled healthcare practitioner.
The front wheels of a wheelchair should be positioned towards the edge of a step or curb in order for the wheelchair to be pushed up the step or curb. The wheelchair must be tipped back slightly by the caregiver using the handles so that the front wheels can go over the step or curb. coast along the curb with the front wheel of the bike. To get the back wheels to roll up the little step or curb, you’ll need to keep pushing forward and raising up on the handles. There may be some resistance to the step that must be overcome.
Positioned the wheelchair
When descending a curb, it’s safer to do so in reverse. The wheelchair should be positioned by the caregiver such that the back wheels are almost touching the curb or step. For the front wheels to avoid scraping the curb, you’ll need to slowly drop the back wheels down the curb while tilting the wheelchair backwards. Reduce the height of the vehicle’s front end till the wheels touch the ground softly.
Navigate the wheelchair
Wheelchair users should exercise caution when navigating ramps and inclines. They should lean slightly forward and use short, fast pushes to help them start moving if they are climbing a ramp alone. When travelling downhill, keep some resistance on the hand rims to slow yourself down. Caretakers should always be present on dangerous inclines. Keep the wheelchair level and steady when going up or down hills.
How wheelchair can be lock?
The wheelchair’s back wheels can be locked separately. Wheelchairs with locks make it easier and safer to get in and out of the chair and move around. “Brakes” is a nickname for these locks among some individuals. However, the locks do not function as brakes would. Locks on a wheelchair are there for security reasons and shouldn’t be relied upon to slow the wheelchair down. Locks on the rear of custom wheelchairs, such as adaptable stroller wheelchairs, may be simpler for a caretaker to use.
