How to Better Use an Electric Wheelchair
- 1). Survey your home with a relative, friend or health care provider to assess your home environment and to determine whether adjustments need to be made. Measure your doorways. Chances are they will vary in width. Will your electric wheelchair fit through each of them? Can your electric wheelchair navigate entrance ramps? Hallways are a very important consideration. Make sure they are wide enough. Another consideration are smaller areas in your home. Can your wheelchair fit comfortably in your bathrooms? How about your food pantry? Evaluate your outdoor areas. These include driveways, decks and yards. All of these areas must be level enough for your electric wheelchair to pass through.
- 2). Adjust the seat of your electric wheelchair for better comfort. Enlist the help of a family member or friend, or request the help of your health care provider. A seat that is not in the correct position for your body type can do more harm than good. Choose the correct angle, which is the position from the seat to the floor. Correct depth provides adequate support for your back and legs. Your seat should also have adequate width. It should not be too wide or too narrow. Back height is also important, and should provide support from the seat to the shoulders.
- 3). Assess the material of your electric wheelchair seat. After many months of use, there may be tears, or perhaps an unpleasant smell. You may also find that leather seats become sticky in warm weather. The seat of an electric wheelchair can be replaced, as well as the armrests.
