It is the first day for my sister to use a wheelchair. Me and her share a common inherited mitochondrial condition. My brother in law has little experience when it comes to pushing a wheelchair so I had to give him some important tips. What you have to know is that pushing a wheelchair needs some skills so as to ensure that the person sitting in it is comfortable. All these are from my own experience as I have spent years sitting in a wheelchair that is pushed by someone else, even though every person is different. In case you are pushing a wheelchair with a new wheelchair user, then ask them if they prefer anything. These may include the following:
- Communication: Ask them if there is anything that you should know first. Never start pushing the wheelchair without the person’s permission.
- Never overshoot checkouts as well as reception desks: In case you are level, your passenger may have gone extremely far past it.
- Never bump your passenger’s feet into things or people: Always be careful especially when you are in elevators.
- Never follow anyone so closely: Consider the previous point, as your passenger is always closer to everything than you are, seeing the backsides that close might get tedious.
- Be careful to watch out for any sloping pavements ahead of you: You have to take extra measures especially when you are pushing a wheelchair near dropped kerbs as the wheelchair will veer sideways within traffic in case you are not as careful as you should.
- Always look ahead of you to identify any bumps: Dropped kerbs are sometimes not completely dropped as you might have expected. Make sure that you are prepared to walk a long way going around the road.
- You must always approach the bumps directly: If you are not approaching them in a straight way, you will have to turn first.
- You can easily move back over bumps in case the wheelchair is made up of large wheels.
- Pay a lot of attention to the surface in which you are travel over and follow the smoother path as cobbles might be painful or tiring for the one sitting in a wheelchair.
- Never let the wheelchair run off the road. Ensure that you take on slopes from the back so that you are able to hold back the wheelchair firmly.
- In case your passenger tells you to stop, just stop immediately. You must also listen and follow other instructions.
- Make sure that you go through heavy doors by approaching them from the back so that you are able to push the door using your body.
- Some of the wheelchairs are installed with a braking mechanism which is operated by the passenger. Never try assuming that those brakes are on or off. Make sure that you check the brakes every time.
- In case someone asks you something that they should ask your passenger, direct them to do so.
- Always forgive your passenger. This is because they have no control and this is the reason why they are sometimes frumpy. Wheelchair users must also keep in mind that they might be shouting at their caregivers than they realize.
- In case you are going to push the wheelchair for a long distance, then you will have to put on gloves.