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A wheelchair is an indispensable assistant for people who are temporarily or permanently limited in vigorous activity. Their main task is to facilitate the movement of victims both indoors and outside.
But if earlier the patient’s relatives had a very limited choice of such devices, today everyone can choose the appropriate option from the many offered. Some companies even offer rental of specific vehicles.
Despite the fact that most consumers put the cost of this type of rehabilitation equipment in the first place, experts advise not to get hung up on this point. It is much more important to understand what types of equipment presented exist, to determine the current needs of the patient, his individual characteristics.
Against the background of the listed features, as well as additional options, the final price is formed. Therefore, it would be fairer to say that technical characteristics directly affect pricing, which is a “side effect” of functionality, wear resistance and durability.
Standard classification
Because each patient has their own medical prerequisite for purchasing wheelchair equipment, wheelchair designs can vary greatly. The differences are based not only on their functional distinctive features, but also on the spectrum of subsequent applications. Due to the fact that today the market for rehabilitation devices provides a wide range of products from various manufacturers, each client will be able to find a chair according to their own medical indications.
So, for cerebral palsy, specialists develop special mechanisms with soft grounds for the ability to freely move the victim for a long period without significant efforts on the part of the nurse or guardian. Also, all offers are of excellent dimensions, so that even with a large weight they can not constrain themselves in freedom of movement.
Particularly relevant now are products that provide for electric formats of draft power. Now, instead of having to ask someone to help push the stroller, or spend physical strength on independent movement, everything will be done by built-in batteries. They are easy to charge, and the duration of operation of such devices will please with large numbers.
Some non-medical people believe that the wheelchair does not or should not have varieties. But even such a simple rehabilitation toolkit has two broad categories that are constantly confused with each other:
- gurney;
- wheelchair.
The first version was developed by the authors, based on the inability of the victim to drive his unusual vehicle by default. This means that when choosing a wheelchair for the home, only an assistant will move the person. It can be a medical worker or a relative.
Simplified mechanisms of this kind are often used in medical institutions when it is necessary to quickly transport the victim, who is conscious, but unable to move independently.
The classic wheelchair is designed for mobile people with disabilities. With the help of such a chair, they gain access to the space outside the “four walls”. Some developers specifically launch walking collections for such purposes. They have different functionality and wheels.
And the most advanced people who cannot walk, are not ready to put up with such a situation and purchase modifications with an electric drive. Many European brands supply automated copies to the CIS market, even for children. They are equally well suited for both outdoors and indoors. Such transformers are called universal variations.
If you choose the right solution, it will be possible to facilitate the distribution of the mass of the victim on a wider surface. In the future, regular harmonious load sharing will neutralize muscle pain at the end of the day.
Good room versions do a great job of making it easier for the patient to move around the house. For the convenience of the entrance to the house, you just need to install additional ramps. Also, with a properly redistributed load, a person will avoid friction of body parts against the side walls, which then causes redness and even irritation of the skin.
When the choice falls on folding mechanisms, it will be possible to avoid the problem of cluttered space, which is especially important if the patient has several wheelchairs. The buyer will only have to correctly measure the dimensions of the new thing so that it fits into doorways, a bathroom or any other problematic space in an apartment with a limited area.
Doctors warn that before asking how much the device you like costs, you need to clarify whether it is suitable for the end user. Otherwise, the operation of an unusual chair can turn into a primary source of new injuries. And with the worst possible development of the scenario, the patient can earn all the signs of secondary deformation, which provokes involuntary incapacity. Some of the complications due to incorrect choice are irreversible.
For the same reason, it is recommended to hand over fixtures for repair immediately after a breakdown is discovered, and not try to fix everything on your own. Spare parts for the successful use of the chair must be original, and repairs should only be carried out by a master of his craft.
At some rehabilitation centers, this is generally done for free. In the same place, if necessary, you can clarify whether there is something similar for dogs. With the help of invalid structures for pets, their owners try to make life easier for animals with paralyzed limbs.
Features of wheelchairs
Not everyone knows the name of a wheelchair designed only for walking or transportation purposes without the participation of the victim. This is a wheelchair. Due to the fact that its narrow functionality does not allow the patient to move without assistance, it is acquired, for the most part, by medical, rehabilitation or sanatorium centers.
They are in particular demand among medical staff who control the recovery of victims due to fractures of the lower extremities with the prospect of a speedy recovery of motor functions.
But even when buying such a simple solution, you will need to take into account some of the nuances without fail:
- features of pathology;
- age;
- growth;
- motor limitation.
Separately, there are children’s varieties that are smaller and much lighter. Even their design indicates the age of the young victim.
But even new adult alternatives have relatively modest dimensions:
- 44 cm in seat width;
- 58 cm on the outside.
This makes it easier to maneuver with a minimum of effort for transportation. Additionally, the lightweight model will please with the most modest prices, unlike the upgraded standalone counterparts.
Distinctive features of strollers
The simplest construction is called the basic one. But even such variations have differences on issues:
- frame designs;
- armrests;
- footstool;
- wheels.
Sometimes a prefix is attached to them, but this is only relevant for those consumers whose motor activity is not 100% limited, and they are able to move from one chair to another.
Regardless of whether a guy or a girl will use the rehabilitation equipment, you will have to correctly measure the width of the seat in order to determine the level of its comfort. If we are talking about a person with a lot of weight, then he will need to purchase a solution with a reinforced frame.
The cameras in such devices are also more durable, while the tires are not much different from the standard ones. But the seat width here starts from 56 cm and above.
Wheelchairs with sanitary equipment deserve a separate division. Such offers are usually more expensive, but they have a built-in toilet facility. Sometimes this is something like a high chair, and sometimes it’s just a sanitary pot that is attached to the stroller frame.
Particularly advanced versions, when dismantling the upper part, can be installed on top of a conventional toilet bowl. The authors also took care of equipping such installations, using only moisture-resistant materials in their work. This allows you to simplify care, as well as take the vehicle with you even to the shower room.
Some of these models even work through a lift. This means that the structures are compatible with electronic ramps for climbing to the floor or even diving into the pool.
But not always a lever stroller fully satisfies the requirements of a patient who wants to move around in street conditions without problems. And if the outer rim of the wheels is used with the template scheme, then the electric drive is taken as the basis for modern alternatives.
The lightweight form of control is great for humans:
- lost the mobility of the upper body;
- there are a lot of people walking on the street.
With active movements, muscle fibers also need rest, because a person must have time to take breaks. To save his strength, for example, when climbing a steep road, an electric motor is involved. Moreover, some models provide for the presence of batteries by default, which function smoothly up to 40 kilometers.
The vigorous activity of the victim when using electric chairs will be less dependent on others. To control vehicles, he will use the joystick built into the armrest. But in the absence of mobility of the upper limbs, it will be more logical to choose settings with the launch of the mechanism when moving the chin. Such an assistant is especially useful for patients diagnosed with quadriplegia.
And while impulse-driven strollers like “thought power” technology are still out of the reach of most consumers, many Asian firms have started making them purely to order.
But additional conveniences like raising the chair with a passenger to a height of 30 centimeters is a very real function that is present in many classic electric strollers. Due to such an unusual “elevator”, a person will be able to get high-placed things.
Among other useful auxiliary qualities, the ability to reformat the position of the chair to a horizontal position is highlighted in order to lie down.
Main characteristics
Experts insist that the buyer must first calculate all the requirements put forward for the purchase. They should cover measurements of all important technical aspects of the design:
- width between wheels;
- chair depth;
- wheel height;
- sitting indicators;
- back level;
- wheel diameter.
Separately, they take into service the dimensions of the chair when folded, in order to know exactly where to store it later. But the very first point of the plan should be to measure the weight of the victim. The easiest way to pick up transport for those whose weight does not fall beyond hundreds of kilograms. Those who exceed the standard mark will have to look for more powerful devices with a reinforced metal body and an extended seat.
Even if it immediately seems that a typical frame can cope with an increased external load quite tolerably, the stroller will not be able to fulfill the functional duties assigned to it for a long time.
Particular attention should be paid to the sitting part. Trying to squeeze a passenger into a strict box is a bad idea, even if he does not immediately experience significant discomfort. With such a protracted dubious experiment, the risks of developing pathologies associated with destabilization of blood circulation only increase exponentially. Such “savings” will end with arthrosis, thrombosis, or even varicose veins.
It is equally important to pay attention to the volume of the patient’s pelvis, achieving its full compliance with the selection scheme when guided by the width of the seat. Typical modifications range from 43 to 46 cm according to a given parameter, which is enough for the average consumer without any special deviations in body mass index.
But the thin ones will have to be just as difficult as the full ones.
If you choose a base that is too wide, then fixing your back in a monolithic position to prevent spinal deformities will become a problematic task.
Among other important technical aspects, the overall width is also distinguished. But here everything rests on the features of the construction plan of a particular room. Otherwise, in front of each doorway, you will have to get the victim out of the chair, fold it and carry it over the threshold.
To get the right measurement, developers measure the distance between the farthest points, since the gaps between the wheels are usually always greater than between the handles.
From the auxiliary instructions, the mandatory accounting of the headrest, armrest and footrests is distinguished. Many outdated modifications did not have such frills at all. The stand will seem especially relevant to those people with disabilities who often face problems with leg swelling.
It would be ideal if the footrest can be manually adjusted to find the optimal angle for a certain height and length of the lower limbs.
Tires are the final item in the classification of all models of wheelchairs. We are talking about cast configurations and pneumatic analogues. But it’s impossible to say for sure which of the two proposals is really better. Doctors recommend taking into account the specific conditions of future operation, so as not to miscalculate the choice.