Wheelchair Preparation
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Top Contributors - Vidya Acharya, Naomi O'Reilly, Laura Ritchie, Kim Jackson, Amrita Patro and Jess Bell
Introduction[edit | edit source]
Checklist: Is the wheelchair safe and ready to use? [1][edit | edit source]
| For the whole wheelchair | How to check | |
| There are no sharp edges | Check all over the wheelchair with eyes and hands | |
| No parts are damaged or scratched. | ||
| The wheelchair travels in a straight line | Push the wheelchair away from you, making sure the castor wheels are in the “trail” position. | |
| Front castor wheels | ||
| Spin freely. | Tip the wheelchair on to the back wheels. Spin the castor wheels. | |
| Spin without touching the fork. | ||
| Bolts are tight. | Check. They should feel firm. Do not over tighten. | |
| Front castor barrels | ||
| Castor fork spins freely. | Tip the wheelchair on to the back wheels. Spin the castor fork around. | |
| Rear wheels | ||
| Spin freely. | Tip the wheelchair sideways on to one rear wheel. Spin the other wheel. Check the other side. | |
| Axle bolts are tight. | Check. They should feel firm. Do not over tighten. | |
| Tyres (if those are pneumatic) are inflated correctly. | Press on the tyres with your thumb. The wheel should depress a little, but no more than 5 mm. | |
| Push rims are secure | Check | |
| Brakes | ||
| Function properly | Apply brakes. Check the wheelchair cannot be moved. | |
| Footrests | ||
| Footrests are securely attached. | Check. | |
| Frame | ||
| Cross-folding wheelchair folds and unfolds easily. | Fold the wheelchair to check that the folding mechanisms are working correctly. | |
| Fold-down backrest – the backrest folds and unfolds easily. | ||
| Cushion | ||
| The cushion is in the cover correctly. | Usually the cushion cover is done up at the back of the cushion, underneath. | |
| The cushion is sitting on the wheelchair correctly. | If the cushion is contoured, the “well” for the seat bones should be at the back of the seat. | |
| The cushion cover fabric is tight but not too tight. | The cushion cover should not stretch tightly over any contours of the cushion. | |
| The cushion fully covers the seat | Check that no part of the seat is visible from under the cushion. This is particularly important for solid seats. | |
Sub Heading 3[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ World Health Organisation; Wheelchairervicetraining package; Reference Manual For Participants;http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/78236/9789241503471_reference_manual_eng.pdf?sequence=1 Basic Level; Step 5 Product Wheelchair preparation; Pagee No55,56.
