Transferring from wheel chair to car

[Robert]

My wife has AD and is currently unable to walk or stand up following a stay in hospital where she was left in bed for 2 weeks. She has now been in a care home for 4 months.

In an effort to vary the cycle of my wife being in an armchair all the time, reduce the risk of pressure sores and to add some variety into her day, I take her out in a wheelchair or more recently in our car.

Initially the care home staff helped to get my wife into the car front passenger seat. Although because my wife can not stand up, it was a bit of a struggle due in part to the restricted space between the car and open door, for 2 carers to manouvre my wife from w. chair to car seat.

In an unrelated incident one of the care home staff aquired a strained back lifting a resident. Understandably the care home now consider assisting my wife into the car an unaceptable risk to their carers. Unfortunately since I can not get my wife into the car on my own, I am seeking a solution to the problem. Dragging a hoist into the car park is not favoured.

Last week Gowerings Mobility demonstrated a car fitted with a custom front passenger seat that rotates 90 degrees towards the open door and which can also project out of the car. Using a transfer board between w. chair and car seat did not help. I had difficulty getting the transfer board under my wife while she was in the w. chair, since she does not co-operate readily. We had better success with a slide sheet and it may be there is an appropriate technique to be aquired.

Ideally, I would like to be able to assist my wife into the car on my own, since even if the care home staff were willing to help, it is a bit of a parlarvour to find someone and then repeat the situation on our return. Gowerings also market vehicles which carry a w. chair and occupant in the back, but due to travel sickness my wife can not travel in the rear.

I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has encountered this problem and found a successful solution.

Thanks in advance.

Robert.

 

[Sandy]

Hi Robert,

Have you seen the CarChair system from Constables Mobility? It allows a person to remain in a wheelchair and be lifted into the front passenger seat. I don't have any first-hand experience of this, but the user-reviews look promising. Here are some web sites that might be helpful:

http://www.constablesmobility.com/carchair/

http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/living/motoring/motoring_june2005.htm

http://www.ricability.org.uk/reports/report-mobility/peoplelifters/introduction.htm

The prices quoted seem quite high, but if you search for "carchair" on Google, you will find some second-hand vehicles for sale at more reasonable prices.

Take care,

Sandy

 

[Charlie]

Hi Robert,

I do recall my uncle having a similar problem with a new car (think it was a ford).
The door was restricted to only open a certain amount and it made it almost impossible to get my auntie in and out via a wheelchair.

He wrote to the head office who to cut a long story short said that the restriction was purely for safety reasons and could be adjusted. They they put him in contact with a local dealer who made an adjusment to the bracket what allowed the door to be extended fully.

Just thought it may be worth getting in touch with the local dealer or head office and seeing if they can make some kind of adjustment.

Good luck
Charlie....

 

[Robert]

Hello Sandy and Charlie,

Thanks for your responses, I am following your suggestions up along with possibly a front passenger seat conversion or mobile hoist which can be folded up for transportation. I am keen to determine a soloution asap and if successful I'll post again, maybe others will benefit.

Best wishes,

Robert.