How To Properly And Safely Use A Wheelchair Lift

If you have never used a wheelchair lift before, it is important that you learn how to operate it properly before attempting it fully loaded to ensure the safety of both yourself and your passenger. Whilst it can be beneficial to have a demonstration or two of a lift in action, these instructions should be able to give you a basic idea of what you’re doing:

Step 1: Make sure that the vehicle is parked on level ground and that there is plenty of room for the platform to be opened. Double check that the parking brake is engaged.

Step 2: Open the door to the vehicle and lock it into position so that it doesn’t move. Then, press the button that lowers the wheelchair lift to the ground. Wait until it has come to a complete stop before telling the passenger that it is ok to move onto the platform.

Step 3: Wrap the provided seat-belt around the passenger and make sure that it is tightly fastened. Set the wheelchair locks to make sure that it doesn’t roll whilst in transit. You should also advise the passenger to hold onto the handrails.

Step 4: Press the button that raises the wheelchair lift back into the vehicle. After the platform has risen a few inches, stop it to check that the safety barrier has been locked into place. If it is, press the button to finish raising the platform.

Step 5: Release the wheelchair locks and move the chair into the appropriate position inside the vehicle. Then, fold the lift into its proper travel position and shut the doors to the vehicle.

You are now ready to embark on your travels. If you are ever hesitant about how you have loaded your wheelchair lift, stop what you are doing and ask for assistance. You should never attempt to raise the lift if there is a chance that the passenger may sustain an injury due to improper loading.

How to Choose Residential Wheelchair Lifts

Residential wheelchair lifts are available in all sorts of shapes and sizes, from the very sleek and compact to the comfortably large. It should be simple, therefore, to find the size and model perfect for your home and lifestyle.

Even when it proves difficult to find just the right elevator or stair machine, you can consider getting a custom solution designed just for your home. In all cases, safety and convenience should be your top priorities when selecting any residential mobility solution.

Choosing a wheelchair lift for the home is not only a matter of improving your mobility, but also complementing your style and contributing to your whole quality of life. Many models are produced in a uniform fashion with basic colours and finishes, but with a little searching you should be able to find a customisable elevating solution that can act as a stylish feature in your home or as a subtle and hardly noticeable presence.

You should make sure that these stylish models also conform to the necessary safety specifications, such as having emergency brakes, non-skid platforms and emergency hand cranks.

Sometimes, you may require more than one wheelchair lift around the home. This can be extremely useful for large residences and when getting around quickly and efficiently is necessary. It can be very frustrating for many people to have to use the same, slightly awkward route to get to any part of the house, so having a few different access points to a second story can be a real lifestyle changer.

 These can include a combination of elevators, ramps and stair assistance to provide a truly comprehensive mobility solution.

Do you Need Wheelchair Restraint Vehicle Adaptions?

Wheelchair restraints are one of the most important vehicle adaptions conducted on accessible vans, as they guarantee the safety of the mobility challenged passenger or driver within the van. It is extremely important that the wheelchair is secured safely and comfortable in the moving van, as any slipping or jolting can result in severe discomfort and even serious injury.

If you have a converted wheelchair van you should ask yourself today whether the quality of your wheelchair restraint vehicle adaptions are up to scratch and protecting your safety as you travel. If you are using an outdated or worn down wheelchair restraint system you should consider upgrading your  vehicle adaptions  as soon as possible to prevent a disastrous accident in the future.

The best wheelchair restraints use an electrical locking system for automated comfort and ease. You should also look for vehicle adaptions that provide flexible solutions, such as allowing you to travel in different positions and with a small or large group of passengers. You may also want to choose a wheelchair restraint system that works symbiotically with the wheelchair lift or ramp installed in your van, to ensure smooth and stress free entries and exits.

Electrically automated vehicle adaptions offer a much safer solution than manual wheelchair belts, which require a carer or supervisor to adjust the tension by hand for a secure fit. With the reduction of manual handling, the wheelchair user can enter the van with more ease and feel much more stable and safe during the journey.

How to Minimise Manual Labour With Wheelchair Lifts

Helping a disabled person move around without the help of wheelchair lifts and other accessibility devices can involve a lot of manual labour and heavy weights, as well as a loss of dignity for both parties. While you might think that a wheelchair lift fitted to your van or installed around your home isn't absolutely necessary, the device can significantly reduce chronic health problems for both the mobility challenged person and the carer. Caring for mobility challenged people can be an exhausting full time job, so any measure that takes away some of that work is worth investing in. 

To get rid of cumbersome manual labour altogether, it is essential that you choose the right type of wheelchair lift for your purposes and install it correctly. The last thing you want is to purchase a top of the range mobility device to find it leaves a sizeable gap between the ground and the seat that needs to be overcome with a helping hand.

Luckily, most wheelchair lift manufacturers will not let you make this mistake, and will assist in the installation of their product themselves to ensure a flush and stress free fit. You should also make sure that you choose a wheelchair lift that is completely automated with electric or hydraulic power.

Some models, such as hoists, still require the manual labour of a carer to carry and move a heavy mobility device. These can be useful because they don't require any power and therefore will not break down suddenly, but often the constant hoisting can become troublesome and annoying.