subject: Transport Chair | Make Sure You Have Proper Wheelchair Equipment In Your Facility [print this page] Wheelchairs are, in and of themselves, a great boon to society and facilitate the independence of those with long term or permanent mobility issues, not to mention the movement of patients and clients in medical facilities. However, without the right wheelchair equipment, transport chairs in a medical or even a commercial setting are less effective than they should be.
There's More Than One Kind Of Wheelchair
What should be noted at the outset is that there are a range of wheelchair models and those built or designed with the permanent or semi-permanent needs of an individual in mind usually have the right accoutrements. If not, they are fabricated and added, sometimes even being invented to fit the need. This is as it should be.
However, in a medical, institutional or even commercial settings, such as hospitals or airports, there are differing needs for transport chairs and consequently, wheelchair equipment.
The problem is that meeting these needs can be complicated and expensive, and when it is only for a temporary and/one-time use, prohibitively expensive. Therefore, attendants and user alike are forced to deal with a one-size-fits-all piece of equipment. Unfortunately, it rarely does.
Meeting Transport Chair Needs without Breaking the Bank
This is not to say that all institutional transport chairs need to be customized to meet all needs. However, there are certain things that can significantly improve the experience for both the chair's occupant and the facility, while at the same time keeping the field open for those who are only using the wheelchair due to regulations.
There is currently a new and exciting, alternative to the standard wheelchair on the market. It has several features that are of great value to any facility - hospital, airport, shopping mall, etc. - the most notable being that of a highly theft resistant construction, but of greater importance here is a design that allows for a greater degree of customization and accommodation than currently exists.
Wheelchair Equipment Covers a Wide Range
For example, this alternative transport chair can be customized with easily attached - and removed - holders for IV stands, oxygen tanks, and infusion pumps. There is even an umbrella holder for those who live anywhere it rains often. And a luggage rack to avoid strain on the legs, attendant or family.
An excellent feature that has far too little presence in both medical and commercial facilities is the ability to add seatbelts. Particularly pediatric ones. It is a well-known fact that, outside of puppies, no one has as much difficulty sitting still as a small child, and very often it is hard to explain why they should not slip out of the chair. This feature provides safety for adults and children alike, as well as reducing liability for the chair's owner.
Add to these excellent features wheelchair equipment that comes standard with this new design. Both are so vital that is difficult to decide which is the best. However, the auto-locking brakes have a slight lead.
Whenever the steering handle is released, the brakes lock. This obviates a need for bending and searching for brakes when that may not always be easy or possible and eliminates the possibility of an accident.
Finally, this chair's armrests raise and lower to allow side loading the patient, which reduces stress and strain on both occupant and attendant. This also lowers the chance of on-the-job injury, as well as removing yet another litigation pitfall. While this is not a complete list of all the available wheelchair equipment for this model, it is clear it has already paid for itself.
