Choosing Better Medical Care
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Choosing Better Medical Care

Do you remember the last time you received truly excellent medical care? Although it isn't always a common thing to find, you can have better luck by doing what you can to research different doctors and medical clinics. I wanted to share this website with the world, since this is what I have been doing for years. It has been a really excellent journey to find different ways to keep great care of myself, and I know that it is all due to the help of my great doctor. Read more about self care on this blog, so that you don't have to settle for anything less than the best.

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Choosing Better Medical Care

These Are Not Toys: Staying Safe In An Electric Wheelchair

Chris Burke

Powered wheelchairs are immensely helpful, but for those people who have never used one before, they can be tricky to use. If you have found yourself in need of one of these chairs, ensure it, and you are on the same page safety-wise. Look for specific features and ensure you know what to do in case of emergency. If you don't do these things, you could end up needing even more help, so pay close attention to safety when shopping for a chair.

Brakes and Seatbelt

Your electric wheelchair should have brakes that stop the chair quickly and that are easy to use. The brakes should be long-lasting, and the controls should be within easy reach. When you are evaluating chairs, always sit in the chair and test the brakes before agreeing to buy to ensure you are comfortable with the system that chair uses.

Your chair should also have a seatbelt. It may sound strange at first because, after all, a lot of powered vehicles like electric bikes and scooters (the recreational kind, not the mobility-assistance kind) don't have belts. It's a little different with electric wheelchairs because you don't have handlebars in front that you can use to brace yourself.   Check the stitching on the belt to ensure there's no fraying, and also make sure that the latch on the belt is both sturdy and easy for you to release on purpose.

Safety Plan

If you have a mobility issue that requires you to use an electric wheelchair, handling an emergency at home will be very different. Ensure you have a safety plan in place. Keep a medical alert button or a small cell phone with you all the time; it is disturbingly common for electric wheelchair users to become stuck and have no way to reach out for help. Make sure someone is checking up on you occasionally, too.

Home Setup

Ensure that your home is rearranged so that you can maneuver the chair easily through all doorways, hallways, and rooms. There should be no dead corners where you might get stuck, and you should be able to move the chair around all corners of the house. Doors -- both front and back -- should have ramps that you are comfortable using. Also, ensure that the thresholds at interior doorways are not too high.

Electric wheelchairs are simple to use with practice; the main thing is to ensure that you know how to safely use them. Always test a chair model before you buy. 


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