In the modern world, a person’s partial loss of motor function by unlimited motor functions isolates him from society and does not force him to put an end to his own life. A huge selection of wheelchairs once again confirms all this. The main thing is to choose a means of transportation that will meet the individual needs of a particular person. Evaluate the chair should be based on the expected term of its use. In our article we will consider what the modern Russian market is ready to offer.
Wheelchair and Wheelchair Difference
Strollers and wheelchairs should be distinguished. The stroller is independently controlled by the one who sits in it, and the wheelchair rolls by another person, for example, a nurse or relative. Wheelchairs are intended for short-term transportation of patients who cannot move independently. Therefore, they are very light, simple in design, cheaper in price.
Toilet device
Of all the amenities in wheelchairs, only a toilet device is integrated in the wheelchair seat. It is not assumed that such a patient will remain alone in a gurney for a long time. The exceptions are, as a rule, transport analogues, which are no longer an armchair, but actually a whole mobile bed. They are intended for ambulances, for surgical and resuscitation departments of hospitals.
A wheelchair is a means of transportation intended for people who have permanently or temporarily lost their ability to walk independently, but can remain in a sitting position for a long time. Depending on particular characteristics and lifestyle, individual patients may require far more than one, but two or even three different chairs at once.
Kinds
Wheelchairs are very different, depending on the mode of their use and control method. By purpose, the following devices are distinguished:
- Base type. Designed for continuous use at home and outdoors. They are designed for daily operation for several months or even years.
- Active type of wheelchair. Suitable for those patients who intend to lead a mobile lifestyle, making long walks (as far as possible).
- Lightweight type. Made of aluminum. They weigh from seven to fifteen kilograms, are often folding. Such chairs are used in cases when the gurney is often necessary to transport and carry, and the assistant to the disabled person cannot lift weights for one reason or another.
What other types of wheelchairs exist on the market today
Today (in addition to the already listed varieties of wheelchairs), the following model options exist:
- Sanitary wheelchairs. They are distinguished by the presence of a toilet device integrated in the seat. Intend for people with dysfunction of the excretory system in the body.
- Baby. These are very lightweight strollers that are small in size. As a rule, such devices are equipped with safety belts. Some models provide tables so that the child can eat, draw or play. Children's wheelchairs look very similar to standard strollers, which are used for healthy children, but are designed for long-term use and have different special functions (for example, a head clamp for babies with cerebral palsy).
Consider what is characterized by a wheelchair for the disabled.
Characteristics
What should I look for when comparing different models? The following characteristics are usually taken into account:
- Manufacturer. You need to focus on the reputation of a particular brand, as well as on the availability of service centers and product certificates, model functionality and components. From this point of view, domestic well-known manufacturers are in no way inferior to foreign ones. However, they offer products at a not very high price. But the financial liquidity of a wheelchair is also important: if necessary, a chair of a well-known brand is always much easier to sell.
- It is important to pay attention to the material of the case. It can be made of steel, aluminum, carbon and titanium. The lightest are carbon, and the most durable are steel models.
- An important role is also played by geometric parameters, such as the depth of the chair, width, height of the seat, armrests, and backs. The best option is a gurney, in which all this is individually configured taking into account the parameters of each user, since different people with the same height can have different proportions.
- The weight of the wheelchair for the disabled largely depends on the material of the body and upholstery, the geometric parameter, design, functionality and other similar characteristics. The lightest are carbon fiber chairs weighing seven kilograms. Note that the average weight of wheelchairs is about twenty kilograms.
additional characteristics
What other criteria should I look for when buying a wheelchair for a disabled person? As a rule, you should be guided by the following characteristics:
- Footrest construction. They come in the form of a continuous shelf under both legs, separate small supports for each leg, fixed, removable or folding. Removable and folding are intended for those who can get up for a short time or do not need one of the steps (for example, due to amputation).
- The presence of an anti-tipping system. The greater the requirements for the maneuverability of the gurney, the easier it should be. True, a lightweight wheelchair should be as durable as possible (do not tip over when moving or when changing a person’s body).
- The presence of a folding frame in the wheelchair. Under the seat it can be stiff. Then the gurney cannot be folded, which will lead to difficulties in its transportation. Also, the frame can be folding, so it can be transported in the trunk of any car.
- Pay attention to the wheels, which can be pneumatic or metal cast. The latter, as a rule, are characterized by high wear resistance, but low depreciation properties, so they are more used at home. They require virtually no care. Pneumatic wheels for chairs can be similar to bicycle analogues: they provide softness of movement, but they need to be inflated periodically.
- Carrying capacity criterion. There are wheelchairs of ordinary (up to seventy-five - one hundred kilograms) and increased carrying capacity (up to one hundred sixty or two hundred). From this will depend on how easily the patient will be transported on a wheelchair.
Despite the fact that there are quite a few parameters, it’s quite possible to choose a gurney ideal for a particular person.
Wheelchair with sanitary equipment
Wheelchairs with sanitary equipment can combine several functions at once. They serve not only for movement, but also for the fulfillment of natural needs. It is worth saying that the category of users of such devices is very extensive today.
The sanitary device of the wheelchair facilitates the process of fulfilling the natural need of patients with disabilities, as well as elderly and sick people during the rehabilitation period. The wheelchair is equipped with a sanitary removable device with a lid, a soft seat, which can be removed if desired, and swivel footrests, as well as armrests, which can be removed if necessary.
Accompanying Persons
Movement in a gurney is allowed only with the presence of accompanying persons. The weight of such a device along with a chair can be up to twenty kilograms higher, which depends on the model chosen, of which there are a great many on the market today. The carrying capacity is usually from one hundred to one hundred eighty kilograms, which also depends on the brand of the product. When choosing a chair with sanitary equipment, in addition to the main parameters, it is very important to pay attention to the width of the seat.
Conclusion
Currently, the easily adjustable removable seats of wheelchairs for the disabled are made, as a rule, of artificial leather. The device is additionally equipped with a retractable removable vessel, which makes it possible to use this equipment to fulfill sanitary needs. And with the installation of a soft patch seat, this device can be used as a regular wheelchair for movement.