As a Melbourne non-emergency medical transportation service specializing in wheelchair patients, we understand the necessary precautions when transporting wheelchair patients in and out of vehicles. Skipping vital steps, forgetting to use certain equipment or making minor oversights can easily result in injury or discomfort, which you want to avoid at all costs. There are several safety tips that can help you protect a wheelchair patient during transfer. But first…
Step By Step Instructions How To Transport Wheelchair Patients Into Vehicles
#1. Open the car door and place the wheelchair as close to the car as possible.
#2. Always check that the lock brakes are on before transferring begins. We recommend checking at least twice.
#3. Place a safety belt on a patient’s hip area in order to keep them safe when transferring them from their chair into the car.
#4. If the wheelchair allows, swing out or remove footrests in order to prevent anything from blocking a clear transfer path.
#5. Slide the seat of the car as far back as it goes in order to give you as much room as possible for the transfer.
#6. Once everything is in place and ready to go, help the wheelchair patient move to the edge of the wheelchair seat.
#7. Once they are at the edge of the seat, have them lean in towards you. Leaning forward like this helps ease body weight so that you can more easily move them from chair to vehicle.
#8. Instruct them to place their hands and weight on the armrests of the chair instead of the caregiver. As the caregiver, be prepared at all times to prevent a fall or slip up.
#9. With hands fastened on the armrests, they should be able to apply slight pressure and begin lifting up out of their chair.
#10. If you have a safety belt, make sure you (the caregiver) is holding tightly to that or that you have a firm grasp on the individual. If the wheelchair patient has weak knees you’ll need to line up your knees with their knees, this provides additional support when you go to lift them up.
#11. Guide the wheelchair patient to shift their body so that they are facing towards the open car door. At this point, have them bend their knees so that it is easier to get them up and into the vehicle.
Parking Tips
When you are parking your car at home or in public there are certain things you can do that’ll make wheelchair transfers much easier. Always think about where you are parking and if there’s adequate space to conduct a transfer.
You want to avoid parking near high pavements where it’ll be nearly impossible to safely transfer someone. Keep in mind that you need to maneuver the wheelchair as close to the open car door as possible. In order to do this you need enough space, so make sure the parking space you select provides enough room.
Avoid parking near drain covers or uneven ground as these sorts of things can throw a wrench in your wheelchair transfer system. Always park on flat and level ground and look for designated wheelchair van parking. Handicapped parking spots are not legally required to provide as much space as wheelchair van accessible parking.
The Importance Of WC19 Wheelchairs
WC19-compliant wheelchairs are equipped with four easy to access attachment points that make it much safer and easier to secure a wheelchair in a vehicle. This type of wheelchair has been crash-tested and can withstand impact and roll over damage.
It is typically considered unsafe to strap other types of wheelchairs into vehicles because they are not crash tested. Therefore, there’s no telling if they will stay secured during a minor or major crash. In which case, a crash could cause the wheelchair to go flying, leading to serious injuries or even death. Without a WC19 wheelchair, you are generally better off transferring out of your wheelchair and sitting in a car chair.
Superior Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Services For Wheelchair Patients
Stellar Transportation provides the safest ride in Melbourne and beyond! We specialize in wheelchair, senior, stretcher and bariatric patients. We offer door-through-door services and stop at nothing to keep our patients happy, comfortable, safe and always on time. Contact us today for a free quote on local or long distance transportation.