Fasten Your Seatbelts
In "All About Eve," Bette Davis as Margo Channing says, "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night!"
Nearly fifty years later, in another movie about exceeding your limits, "The Matrix," Joe Pantoliano as Cypher says to "buckle your seatbelt, Dorothy, 'cause Kansas is going bye-bye."
Cypher and Margo weren't in wheelchairs, but they remind us that inside the chair or out, life can be a bumpy night. Most manual wheelchairs and standing lifts don't require seatbelts, though you might want to purchase a lap belt. You'll most likely need seatbelts for:
? Scooters
? Power wheelchairs
? All-terrain wheel chairs
? Bumpy terrain
? Wheel chairs used as van seats
As you would in a plane or car, make sure your seatbelt or lap belt is fastened, especially if you're zipping along in a power wheelchair or scooter. You don't need to read a guide to wheelchairs to understand common sense! Listen to the movie greats and always obey the seatbelt law.
Wheelchair Travel: Salut, Aloha, Guten Morgen!
The last thing you need to worry about on your vacation abroad is wheelchair accessibility or wheelchair rentals if you're a part-time wheel chair user. You should be more concerned with:
? State Department advisories
? Brushing up on your Russian
? Packing suntan lotion
? Choosing a bikini
? Learning how to pick up cute locals in several languages
Luckily, you don't have to be concerned with wheel chairs on your trip. Or with the language barrier--tour guides on accessible tours are fluent in several tongues. But what are your travel options? Wheelchairs are welcome and wheelchair rentals are there for the asking in:
? Europe
? Caribbean
? South America
? Middle East (isn't this supposed to be a relaxing trip?)
? Australia
? South African safaris (who's faster in your power chair, you or the gazelle?)
? Asia (don't forget to remove your shoes in Japan and don't touch someone's head in Thailand)
Many of these trips are available through groups that cater to people in wheelchairs if you're not ready to travel on your own and need extra assistance.
Whether you're traveling solo or with a group, remember as your guide or the locals give you a hand that the most important things to remember, in any language and any country, are "Please" and "Thank You."
Wheelchair, Rollator, Standing Lift
You and Michael J. Fox have something in common finally: You have Parkinson's Disease, and you're already wobbling when you walk. You try to maintain your independence, but you never know what Parkinson's will do to you next, your doctor doesn't even know. Your family and friends suggest a wheelchair.
You've gone online to the Parkinson's Resource Organization (http://www.parkinsonsresource.org/) and checked out all the pointers on the various Web sites. You know to wear good shoes with proper support and do walking exercises. You use a cane or walker. But are your friends and family correct！do you need a wheel chair?
You may need a wheelchair if:
? You're more easily thrown off balance than you used to be.
? You can't walk unassisted for fear of falling.
? You have difficulty with motor control.
Parkinson's is a progressive disorder of the central nervous system that still has no cure but plenty of promising therapies. Until there is a cure, you want to live as independently as possible. You're not ready for wheelchairs, even power wheelchairs or scooters with large grips that you can still control.
A rollator can support you, providing a barrier to slow you down and halt a fall before it happens. You can maintain your independence pushing a rollator. Also, a rollator brakes, since Parkinson's makes you want to walk faster and faster to catch up with everyone.
With the right aids to help your independence, you're still you. Maybe you don't need wheel chairs just yet. Keep on walking. As another great philosopher, Abraham Lincoln, said, "I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards." Or wheelchaired backwards for that matter.
ATW=All-Terrain Wheelchair
Your cousin has that cottage in the country with the nearest neighbor thirty miles away！luckily, that neighbor is a speed demon if you need anything. You're ready to kick back and relax. Your wheelchair, however, may be another story.
On sloping country roads, winding woodland paths and the beach, all-terrain wheelchairs, like sport wheel chairs, can take anything the new scenery throws at them so you can enjoy the sights. Call ahead to your destination and see if you can rent a wheelchair in the town. If not, rent one and have it shipped. Some great all-terrain wheelchairs include:
? The Rolleez All-Terrain Chair from Healthline (includes a safety belt and umbrella)
? The Landeez All Terrain Chair
? Pride Hurricane PMV Mobility Scooter
? Pride Luxury Line Victory XL Scooter
? Pride Luxury Line Maxima Scooter
Just remember, as you would with your own wheelchair, keep your rentals clean and maintained, free from dust, dirt, sand, leaves and gravel. After all, you might just want to visit that neighbor and have a leisurely chat on the porch sipping lemonade. Then down to the beach for a beach party!
Footrests and Armrests
Your arms and legs are sore！admittedly you've been at the computer all day. You've also been in your wheelchair and, although the back and seat are comfortable, you're considering tossing the wheelchair into the computer. Darn this pain, and darn this prospectus you're writing for investors. While you can't do anything right now about P/E ratios, you can change your footrests and armrests. Some tips:
? Make sure your wheelchair is the adjustable kind. If not, consider add-on foot plates.
? You can buy armrest cushions or covers for wheelchairs that support your arms and hands ergonomically.
? When working at the computer, adjust your armrests to desk and keyboard height.
? Buy ergonomic wrist rests for your desk to add support and decrease pressure.
? If you can, upgrade your stationary legrest, footrest or foot plate to a swinging one. Make sure you select the correct one for your wheel chair brand and model.
? Chaps for wheel chairs can add further cushioning for your feet, especially in bad weather！which can affect you even when you're not outside.
Now you can be comfortable while you're figuring out how to tell investors why your company didn't meet the quarterly earnings estimate.
Poolside Wheelchairs
The blue chlorine beckons. The lounge chair beckons. The summer bestseller/copy of ULYSSES calls your name. But first, you have to get to the pool.
While regular rigid or fold-up manual wheelchairs (and electric if they stay back from the pool's edge) will get you to the pool, you may not feel like showing up in your regular wheel chair.
You may have problems walking and only need a wheelchair for the pool. The Healthline Pool Wheelchair, waterproof and user-friendly, is an excellent alternative. It won't tip or skid, even when the kids are splashing or running poolside despite the blatant "No Running" signs. Plus, parking brakes ensure you won't make a fancier dive than you intended. So what are you waiting for? There's a lap lane with your name on it.
Wheelchairs and Bathrooms
The most important room in the house is also the one you may have the hardest time occupying！the bathroom. Depressed showers, narrow toilets, sinks that are too high.
If you can't move or don't want to move from your dream home！you weren't planning, after all, to be in a wheelchair！you can adapt. Some whiz-kid (pardon the bathroom humor) ideas for making your bathroom more wheel chair accessible:
? If your shower is wheelchair accessible, try a shower chair if you need assistance from an in-home health care worker or family member.
? If your shower has a drop, install a rubber threshold ramp！just be sure to dry it off so you don't slip.
? Wheel chairs are a temporary thing for you, and you're not about to widen your doorways. If you can walk, use a cane to get into the enclosed toilet.
? Install a pedestal sink if your wheelchair can't be adjusted and you can't see the mirror when you're doing your morning shave or facial scrub. Or choose a wheelchair with recline, tilt, and raise options. An inflated air cushion may also help.
? Sore from sitting too long? A toilet air cushion may help.
? Turn off your electric wheelchair when washing up--after all, water and electricity don't mix.
Now you can take forever in the bathroom because you're fixing your makeup, not because you're struggling to get to the commode.
Travels With My Wheelchair
You're not looking forward to the hour-and-a-half wait time at the airport, especially since you'll be in line at the ticker counter and Homeland Security checkpoints. Barely enough time to head to the restroom or browse the duty-free shop.
If you're in a wheel chair, you probably can speed things up if you call ahead！but get there one and a half to two hours ahead of boarding time anyway. Be sure to let the travel agent or airline reservations agent know:
? Whether you need your wheelchair all the time or just to get on the plane
? Whether you'll be bringing an IV bag and pole (that can set off the metal detector).
? That you want a flight with 30 seats or more--try to avoid prop planes.
? That you need boarding assistance and aisle chair as well as a seat designated for people in wheel chairs.
? That you'll be passing through security with gel batteries or wet batteries (check with airport screeners to make sure you're not violating HAZMAT regulations or bringing flammable/toxic items on board).
If you pack everything securely and label your equipment with instructions and name and address tags, and if you charge ahead of the other passengers to store your wheelchair (just kidding), you'll ensure a smoother flight. Get your wheelchair stored early as there is usually room for at least one. Sit back and enjoy your flight.