How to Safely and Properly Use a Wheelchair

It is a known fact that as a caregiver, you have one of the hardest jobs. You will find yourself working long hours various days of the week to help take care of people who are unable to take care of themselves. One of the hardest parts of your job may be one that most of us never even think about: operating a wheelchair. Misuse or improperly handling a wheelchair could cause serious accidents to happen. Luckily, most of these accidents are easily avoidable when equipped with the proper knowledge and safety procedures. Here are a few tips to ensure that you avoid these types of accidents.

• Make sure that you are up to date with all of the routine maintenance on your wheelchair. You must make sure that all of the parts are kept in the best working order. Inadequate parts, faulty parts, and recalled parts can cause your wheelchair to malfunction, which may cause an accident.
  
  

• The brakes need to be in the locked position before entering or exiting the wheelchair. You do not want to risk the wheelchair moving while you are trying to reposition yourself. You should also turn off the power when you are getting in or out of a power wheelchair. This can help you save some battery power, while also ensuring that you or anyone else does not accidentally hit the lever and make the wheelchair move.
  
  

• Avoid pulling on doors or any other type of object while you are in a manual wheelchair. You do not want the door or the object to inadvertently release and throw you and the wheelchair backward. It is also easy to tip over your wheelchair and injure yourself doing this.

• Remember to raise the footplates prior to entering or exiting the chair. Also, some models may feature removable arm and leg rests. If your wheelchair has these, you should always make sure that they are secured by raising the arms and moving the leg rest away from the chair. This needs to be done prior to each and every use to ensure an easy entrance or exit to your wheelchair, which can help reduce unnecessary accidents.
  
  

• Avoid putting anything heavy in the back of the wheelchair. It may seem as if there is plenty of space for some extra storage, but your wheelchair is not meant to be used this. Heavy loads placed in the back of your wheelchair can cause the wheelchair to tip backward, which can lead to an accident.
  
  

• Do not remove the anti-tip wheels or bars from your wheelchair. Also, you will need to make sure that these safety features are always in the best working order. They were put there for a reason- to make sure that your chair does not tip over.
  
  

• Do not allow children to play with your wheelchair. Your wheelchair may look like a lot of fun to them, but it is not a toy and needs to be treated as such for it to stay in the best working condition. Also, never allow a child to sit or ride on the footrests or battery cover. These devices will break if you put too much weight on them.
  
  

• Always use the proper safety equipment and follow the proper safety protocol if you have to use your wheelchair in or near a street. If you do operate your wheelchair at night in the streets, you must have headlights and flashing tail lights. If you use your wheelchair near a street at any time of the day, you must have the proper reflective gear and flags. Also, remember to wear bright colors to help any vehicles see you.
  
  

• Do not operate your wheelchair on steep inclines. It is never safe to try to go up or down a steep incline. It is easy to lose control of your wheelchair or tip the chair on a steep hill. It is an accident waiting to happen.
  
  

• Avoid operating your wheelchair in the rain. Unfortunately, wheelchairs are not made to be waterproof. They can rust, and you will also find that the wheels do not grip properly when the ground is wet. If you have a power wheelchair, you need to avoid getting the controls or battery wet. You should keep your wheelchair in the best shape to avoid any accidents, which means you must avoid wet weather.
  
  

When you are using a wheelchair you must be extremely careful and stay alert at all times. There are numerous dangers that may cause you to have an accident, but as long as you stay diligent, you can avoid most of these unnecessary accidents. Hopefully, the tips above can help put your mind at ease and make you feel just a little bit safer when you are operating your wheelchair.