Gerontology 130 Unit 16 "Wheelchair Transfer" Transcript

"Wheelchair Transfer" Transcript

Wheelchair Transfer

One of the things you often will have to do if you are caring for a loved one is to transfer them into a wheelchair or move them from one place to a wheelchair.

One of the first things you want to be concerned about is how you position the wheelchair. You want it at a little angle to the surface that they are going to be moving from. About a 30-degree angle.

If you can remove or swing away, depending on your wheelchair--some wheelchairs have swing-away foot rests and some can be removed--anything that you can get out of the way is helpful to you. But, you want it close to the person and at about a 30-degree angle.

You want to be sure that you lock the wheels of the wheelchair so that it does not move. Because again we want stability.

Many wheelchairs you can remove the armrests or swing them away, and if you can get that out of the way, it is helpful.

The things that we talked about before apply here. You want to bring the person that you are going to be moving forward on the surface they are sitting on. Get them close to you. You want to be concerned about their foot position again. Their feet should be about a shoulder width apart in alignment or straight under their knees or a little bit behind.

You want them to assist you as much as possible in this movement. So you want to give them instructions and have them reach toward the wheelchair to the opposite armrest so they can help you. You also want them to lean forward, push down on that armrest with their back straight, and again you're going to assist them at their hips. You will shift your weight towards the wheelchair. You want you foot out to the side so that you can shift your weight.

There are a couple of things you want to keep in mind. And that is to get the wheelchair close to the person. Be sure that you lock the brakes on the wheelchair. To move things out of the way if possible. Some chairs have swing-away leg rests or removable leg rests and removable armrests. You want the wheelchair at an angle of about 30 degrees to the surface you are going to move the person from.

We want to keep in mind the things we have mentioned before. You want to move the person close to you to the edge of the surface. You want to make sure that their feet are in a good position for them to come to a standing or semi-standing position. So that their feet are about shoulder width and their feet are in alignment or below their knees or a little bit behind. You want to keep their trunk straight, and their back straight. You want to tell them, give them direction of what you will be doing. Remember to have the person you are assisting reach towards the wheelchair. Their weight should be forward and as you assist them at the hips you shift your weight towards the wheelchair as well. Having your foot out to the side to take that weight.