Best Ideas for Wheelchairs

All too often aging brings weakened limbs which may eventually leads to a wheelchair. Hopefully the person will keep walking as much and as long as they can to postpone the need.  Of course there are many reasons people of all ages are confined to a wheelchair.  Whether temporary or permanent, there is a wonderful variety of accessories to trick out their ride.

Once the need is there, you will find you can accessorize it to make it handier and much more comfortable for the user.  From carryalls to rain gear that protects the rider and the chair, many of the products allow them to live a little more independently and in much more comfort.

If they are in the chair most of their up time, their bodies gets sore.  Their tush, their back, even their elbows grow sore.  We often see seniors especially begin to lean. Sometimes it is hard for them to get out of that slide to a side. That must be so hard on their backs.  It makes it even less comfortable.

So many products are available that can help.  Seat cushions, full chair cushions, arm rest wraps, and always a favorite, a cup holder.  Some, like the cup holder, are such little things, but offer comfort and the ability to maintain their dignity and their ability to do things for themselves.

Things to consider

If a person is chair bound think of the body parts that will get uncomfortable.  You know how it feels to sit in a car for a long time.  Your forearms might get sore from the armrest, you get restless, trying to get comfortable.  You get tired of sitting in one position.  So the main thing is padding.  It may take a little experimenting before you find the perfect fit for comfort, but don’t give up.

Secondly, try to get natural fabrics for the covers.  Sitting for hours on polyester or any fabric that doesn’t breathe starts to feel like you are stuck to the chair.  If the product you buy doesn’t come with a breathable cover, it’s easy to make a slip cover for it.  That is why I like the sheepskin cushion set pictured above.  It provdies comfort for the fore arms, the bottom and the back.

Thirdly, if you have a ‘leaner’ who has trouble sitting up straight, you will want something more cushioned on their sides, to help them stay upright.  You may also want to check into a different style chair that offers more positions and more support.

Fourth,  be sure the accessories are washable!

Accessories to Organize

You can add a bit of storage to any chair, or walker for that matter.  I like the ones that hang on the arm rest to hold tissue, glasses, a little notebook, or other small stuff.  Little things that will be handy to get to when needed.

If the person gets out and about, a pack to go across the back of the chair is almost essential.  You can get them big enough to hold oxygen tanks or groceries, often with a couple of compartments.  They also make small baskets or netting to fasten beneath the seat of the chair to hold things.  There are some very cool products out there!

The last, and my favorite is a cup holder.  We all like our coffee, tea, or water!  It is ideal for a person to have a holder that will keep it secure so his/her hands are free for pushing the chair.  Such a little thing to help make their lives easier.

You can see the entire selection here.

Cheer Up The Passenger

There is a huge variety of accessories available for the many sizes of wheelchairs.  For walkers too. Try to think of a fun and practical way you can make the necessity more enjoyable.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Merry Citarella, often writing as Merrci, writes on a wide range of topics. Recently relocated to the Oregon Coast in the northwest United States, she frequently writes travel features on the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She specializes in health and aging, Alzheimer’s Disease, food, lifestyle, and book reviews. For more information you can see her on The Writers’Door. You can read more articles here or at her websites Mystery Suspense Reviews .