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Some basic hints will help you to assure maximum comfort and safety, whether
you are a wheelchair user yourself, or if you have been asked to assist
someone in a wheelchair. People who are suddenly confined to a wheelchair
because of changes in their personal or environmental circumstances have
many specific needs. In case such times arise for you or for someone you
need to assist, you may want to familiarize yourself with these. These are
just some of the considerations which you might have to keep in mind in case
these circumstances arise.
Any one who enjoys sitting outside on a nice, sunny day will have to take
extra precautions if they are confined to a wheelchair for any length of
time. Just putting a bit of sunscreen on will not do it. There are certain
materials used in the construction of wheelchairs that do not do well when
exposed to direct sunlight. The metal and plastic on a wheelchair can become
hot and cause burns, so you should keep a wheelchair in the shade in order
to avoid injury.
We make sure we apply sunscreen of our face, neck and arms most of the time,
because we worry about exposure in those areas. But those who are in a
wheelchair probably will also have their thighs exposed to direct sunlight
if they wear shorts, a skirt or dress. Remember, therefore, to cover the
legs of wheelchair bound person with sunscreen to avoid a severe sunburn.
Wheelchair bound patients can be small or large, just like the rest of us.
If you are going to be called upon to push someone in a wheelchair who is
heavy or large, make sure you wear gloves on your hands. Especially if you
have no prior wheelchair experience, and may not know the right way to push,
you may develop blisters very quickly. Even small driving or exercise gloves
will do the trick.
If there is a rain shower, and the ground is covered in puddles, you just
normally step around or over them. Things are not that easy for those who
are wheelchair-bound. Splashing from puddles can soak both feet and the
wheelchair. If the ground is wet, or if it is still raining, make sure you
cover yourself or the person you are caring for with a large poncho, plastic
draping, or some other large piece of waterproof cloth. An umbrella is not
designed to cover a seated person.
Drinking fountains come in a variety of heights, and so they are another
thing to be concerned about because some of them may not be accessible to
those in a wheelchair. An excellent way to solve this problem is to bring
along a plastic cup so that you can fill it from the fountain and give it to
the occupant of the wheelchair. This is sometimes the only way to get a
drink if you can't reach a fountain.
In the heat of the summer, it's easy to become dehydrated, and those who are
particularly heat sensitive will need to be taken into consideration when it
comes to over-exposure. Get to know your surroundings when you're out of
your normal environment and be alert to any air conditioned facilities along
the route. There may be a need to stop at regular intervals in order to
allow those who are wheelchair-bound a cooling down period. You have to stay
focused on the fact that, while you can simply walk into a cooler area, or
go and sit under a shade tree for awhile, they don't have that same luxury.
Most of the care that goes into assisting wheelchair patients can be handled
through common sense and awareness to their special needs. After a bit of
experience in a wheelchair environment, most of these things will come
naturally. Until then, follow these simple guidelines and make a point to
ask whether or not they have any needs that you may not have considered.
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Highway Hypodermics
