Wheelchairs are one of the most useful medical inventions of all time. They make movement possible for the disabled, aid in the healing process for certain diseases and injuries, and make dealing with infirmity and old age infinitely easier.
What they don’t make easier, however, is transportation. The size and the shape of a wheelchair, as well as the condition of the user, often make it difficult to get from point A to point B. Luckily, there are first-rate non-emergency medical transportation providers in San Diego that offer fast and hassle-free wheelchair car transportation services.
In this article, we’ll give you a few tips and tricks that make transporting a wheelchair-bound patient much less problematic. We’ll also point you in the direction of a reputable non-emergency medical transportation service that provides top-notch wheelchair transportation options. Read on.
How do you transport someone in a wheelchair?
Let’s say you want to transport an elderly patient to the Scripps Mercy Hospital for a doctor’s appointment. If you’re like most working Americans, you likely drive a sedan or an SUV. Unless you’ve customized your car for the purposes of wheelchair transportation, it probably lacks specialized features that make transporting a wheelchair-bound individual easier.
Step by step guide on how to put a wheelchair patient into a standard car:
- Step #1: Open the door of the vehicle and put the wheelchair as close to the car as you can.
- Step #2: Don’t forget to check if the lock brakes on the wheelchair are enabled before you start transferring the patient.
- Step #3: Put a safety belt around the patient’s hip area. This will help keep them safe while transferring them between the wheelchair and the car.
- Step #4: Many wheelchairs allow you to remove footrests or swing them out to make transferring easier. Don’t forget to use this feature if the wheelchair has it.
- Step #5: Slide the car seat as far back as you can. You want to have as much room for the transfer as possible.
- Step #6: Move the wheelchair user to the edge of the wheelchair seat.
- Step #7: While they’re sitting at the edge of the wheelchair seat, tell them to lean in toward you. This helps ease body weight and makes moving them from the wheelchair to the vehicle easier.
- Step #8: Make sure the patient is putting their hands and weight on the wheelchair’s armrests rather than on you. As a caregiver, you must always be ready to prevent a slip up or a fall.
- Step #9: The patient should be able to apply enough pressure on the wheelchairs armrests to begin lifting themselves out of the wheelchair.
- Step #10: Make sure you have a strong grasp on the patient. If they have weak knees, you’ll have to line up your knees with theirs to provide extra support when you lift them up.
- Step #11: Help the patient turn their body so that it’s facing the open vehicle door. If they bend their knees, it will be easier to raise them up and get them into the car.
Where can I find reliable wheelchair car transportation in San Diego?
If the above seems too difficult or risky, or you’re a wheelchair-bound individual who lacks a caretaker or feels they don’t need one, consider outsourcing it to the pros. Here at Stay Classy Transportation, we’re proud to say we’re San Diego’s leading provider of non-emergency medical transportation services.
Between our seasoned and superbly-trained drivers, our fleet of state-of-the-art vehicles that boast the most modern wheelchair transportation features, and our easy-to-use online booking system, we’re by far the best transportation company in California. Get in touch with us today.
