subject: Stackable Wheelchair Saves Floor Space [print this page] By utilizing a stackable wheelchair design, institutions are now able to save valuable floor space, improve traffic flow, and provide a more professional-looking environment. When unfolded, a standard wheelchair takes up as much as 26 inches in width and 32 inches in depth, with bariatric wheelchairs being even larger. With added accessories such as extended foot rests, the space required to store standard wheelchairs can be even greater. Large and cumbersome, standard wheelchairs not only take up a great deal of floor space, storing them can look haphazard at best. Unfolded, stored standard wheelchairs can also impede the flow of both fully mobile and mobility impaired patients through waiting areas.
Improved designs for transport chairs are available. Taking up as little as 11 inches of floor space, stacking (or nesting) wheelchairs can be stored together in a single row. Reducing the amount of space needed to store wheelchairs gets stored chairs out of walkways and hallways. This in turn improves available space for traffic, freeing up space for patients to move about.
Stacked wheelchairs also have a neater, more professional appearance. Rather than being stored wherever space can be found, stackable wheelchairs can be nested together into a single, orderly row, in much the same manner as other stacking chairs or carts.
In addition to saving space, stackable wheelchairs offer other benefits to institutions. Designed with institutional use in mind, many of the ergonomic problems associated with standard wheelchairs are no longer an issue. Stackable transport chairs offer a higher push bar, intended for greater attendant comfort. The attendant propels the stackable transport chair from a fully upright posture. Instead of hunching over for multiple transports per day, the attendant pushes from a natural position, reducing strain and the possibility of repetitive stress injuries.
Since they are designed to nest, rather than fold, stackable wheelchairs also offer a more comfortable, ergonomic position for the patient. The longer, more upright position of the chair's back is designed more like a standard chair, and offers a more favorable position for the patient's spine. For the mobility impaired patient being transported in a wheelchair, this makes longer term use more comfortable, making for a better experience in the hospital, clinic or care facility.
An inherently stronger, no-fold design also means that, unlike standard wheelchairs, stackable wheelchairs may be used for both average sized adults and bariatric patients. With a standard weight capacity of up to 450 pounds, stackable wheelchairs are ideal for institutions who wish to standardize on a single wheelchair design, rather than needing to make additional, special purchases for bariatric patients. Stackable models also provide excellent safety, making them suitable for pediatric use as well.
By selecting a stackable wheelchair for transport needs, institutions will achieve better traffic flow, reduce required floor space for storage and offer a neater, more professional appearance. In standardizing on a single transport wheelchair design, greater efficiencies of maintenance and cost savings will also be realized. Overall, stackable wheelchairs are the right choice for institutions and their patients.
