Information on Seating & Mobility
Seating & Mobility As a caregiver, you need to
be very understanding to the individual's needs. This is a very hard
time as they are being told they need to start living their life in a
different manor than they had done so previously. It will be most
beneficial to educate them, either with a professional, or through a
support group. By becoming involved in different activities with others
in the same condition, the individual will be able to make the
transition much easier. As far as the actual device, you will want to
make sure that the individual is fully capable of performing all the
operations of the mobility device and can do so in a comfortable
manner. Areas to pay close attention to include an adjustable backrest,
a suspension system, a fore-and-aft track adjustment, an up-and-down
seat adjustment, an armrest and/or footrest, and lumbar region support.
How do you care for your mobility device? The most important areas that you need to pay attention to are referred to as the 3 B’s…Bad batteries, bent wheel rims and failed bearings. If
you notice something that doesn’t seem right, but it isn’t all too
annoying, you should still get it looked at right away. This could
prevent a more severe accident from happening. So as the saying goes
“it’s better to be safe than sorry”.
When a wheelchair is
purchased, you will want to make sure that all the correct adjustments
and modifications are made. This needs to be done by a professional and
should take up to a couple of hours if done correctly. As long as the
proper measures are taken initially, the work of maintaining the device
will be substantially easier.