What to Do when Your Loved One Will Be in a Wheelchair

If your loved one is going to be using a wheelchair, or is already using one, then it is important for you to learn about the different things you can do to make it easier for them to move around and continue doing the things they want to do each day. This article will provide you with some changes you may want to make to better accommodate your loved one in his or her day-to-day life.

Install a walk-in tub

If you currently have a regular bathtub or shower in your home, your loved one will likely have difficulty taking a bath or shower while they are dependent on a wheelchair. You can make it a lot easier and safer for them to bathe by having one of your current tubs or showers replaced with a walk-in bathtub. When you have one of these tubs installed, it will have a door in the side and be larger. This will make it easier for you or someone else to help your loved one to be moved into the seat that is in the walk-in tub.

If your loved one has no mobility, then you can use their gait belt to place them in the seat and to put them back in the wheel chair when they are done. You can get a walk-in tub that even has a belt, so you won't have to worry about them sliding out of the seat. Walk-in tubs usually come with a handheld showerhead, so that users can get clean all over without having water pouring right on them, which can be uncomfortable and irritating.

Install ramps as needed

Survey the property and home looking for any place where steps keep the wheelchair from being able to safely access various areas. Have ramps installed that will allow your loved one to simply wheel to the areas he or she wants to go. Not being able to get to certain areas of a house can make a person feel isolated. Putting in ramps can change that, which can help with mood and overall sense of well-being.

Get a van conversion

If you don't already have a van, then you may want to get one. If you have a van, then you can have it turned into a conversion van by someone who specializes in van handicap conversion. Once you do this, you are going to make it so much easier for your loved one to get in and out of the van, so they can enjoy leaving the house knowing that getting in and out isn't going to be such a big deal anymore.

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