A wheelchair is more than a wheeled chair

How many wheelchairs have you seen around your life? Hospitals, pension institutions, special education schools, airports, stations? This is something we can easily associate when we talk about wheelchairs. Some wheelchair users need the help of caregivers in their daily life, but a large part of wheelchair users live independently. Simply put, wheelchairs are a kind of walking tool. Some people just need wheelchairs temporarily. They sit on wheelchairs and push or be pushed by others. When they recover from injury, they walk by themselves without using wheelchairs. But some people's injuries or illnesses are long-term. At this time, the role of wheelchair becomes very important, because it is related to the health, safety and quality of life of users themselves and caregivers. When you want to buy a wheelchair, what should you consider?

Mobile efficiency

Moving is the primary goal of wheelchair use, and the ideal speed is as fast as the people around you walk in their daily lives ， and can safely pass through traffic signs. So wheelchair configurations, such as push wheelchairs, the position of the rear wheels (as shown in the figure below, if the rear wheels are below the shoulder joint, the hand can hold the wheels in the largest range, the most labor-saving. Below, if the rear wheel is behind the shoulder joint, although the bottom area becomes larger and more stable, the range of the wheel that the hand can grasp becomes smaller, and the wheelchair becomes laborious to push forward, the height and hardness of the back of the chair, the size of the front wheel, the angle of the seat surface, the driving skills and so on, will affect the efficiency of the wheelchair pushing by the user himself. If an electric wheelchair is an electric wheelchair, it is necessary to consider the strength of the motor, the weight of the electric wheelchair and the user's weight and driving skills.

Sitting posture is stable

Stable sitting posture can make both hands more flexible and smooth, and users can be more focused on learning or work. Wheelchair use will require forward and backward to accelerate turning. If sitting in the wheelchair is unstable, users will easily skew and slide. The consequences are slight muscle soreness, severe tear or even fall, resulting in fracture or death. The user's ability to move, the depth of the seat, the choice of the cushion, the position of the foot cushion, the use of the seat belt and so on will affect the stability of the sitting posture.

Comfort

If the wheelchair is uncomfortable, the user will immediately leave the wheelchair and can only return to the bed or the fixed chair. The caregiver will be required to help pick up the items or help move the position. If the user feels comfortable in the wheelchair, the user's time in the wheelchair will be lengthened, and the user's time of free movement will be prolonged, which will enhance the autonomy of life.