Answers To Your Wheelchair Questions

Answers to your Wheelchair Questions

By Joseph Parish

You certainly can understand the importance of mobility if you had ever experienced a broken leg or sprained ankle. The mere concept of having to maintain your posture in one position and being powerless to endeavor out of their environment to work or even to perform routine tasks can be very depressing. You can quickly come to realize that this lack of mobility will rapidly reduce your quality of life as well as to create emotional difficulties since you are incapable of getting around by yourself.

Although when one thinks of a wheelchair the view of elderly people is quickly brought to mind. However, in reality the wheelchair has been an asset to many lives on a daily basis. You probably are unaccustomed to wheelchairs and are wondering how a person is able to move around in one.

I have attempted in this article to explain the differences between the various types of wheelchairs and what one can expect when using such a device. It is no longer necessary that the handicapped person be stuck in their chair or in their bed any longer. The wheelchair has opened a new quality of life for these people and let them out of the hospitals and home.

The wheelchair has been around for a long time. In 1932 a Mr. Henry Jennings invented the first steel tubing folding wheelchair. Early style wheelchairs have been traced back as far as the Chinese in 525 BC and have been documented in the chronicles of history relating to the royalty. The Spanish King Phillip II was depicted resting in a wheelchair complete with head, arm and foot rests, however it was not motorized.

The wheelchair comes in sizes ranging from the kind used by children all the way to those chairs which can support extra-large adults. Of course, each wheelchair will have its maximum weight limit of which it can support. Should the individual weigh more than is recommended for that particular chair, then a larger chair will be required to support the added weight and girth.

If your physician authorizes a wheelchair for you then it is very likely that the insurance company will reimburse the cost or a portion of the cost associated with the chair purchase. You must have a valid medical necessity for the insurance to reimburse you for the chair. In the event you fail to have insurance you possibly may locate a chair from one of the medical supply outlets or perhaps locate a used wheelchair in very good shape. Several charitable organizations provide wheelchairs for those people who have limited income.

It is possible to make your wheelchair more accessible by the installation of a few additional items which can greatly help the handicapped individual. Ensure that your doorways are wide enough for the wheelchair to enter and exit it. You should install a ramp which will lead to the door if steps are involved.

If you don't have a bathroom downstairs you will need to install equipment which would permit the person to get to the upper level of the home. Should you lack the necessary skills required to renovate your home to accommodate the handicap you should contract the work out.

The manually operating wheelchairs can be rough on your hands and arms. Most of the people who continually use a wheelchair will wear special gloves. These gloves are created from light weight leather and contain padding in its palms. They are usually void of finger tips to permit the user the additional freedom towards performing tasks without having to remove the gloves.

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