The Ins and Outs of Life

Powerchairs need to be set up to match your needs at the time of delivery. But, as your abilities change over time, especially when it comes to getting in and out of your chair, it’s a good idea to review your set up periodically. Here are some things to help you check your set up is correct.

Forwards and backwards

Transfer tilt makes getting out of the chair much easier.

For people wanting or needing to get in and out of their chair from the front, anterior tilt and swingaway footrests could make life much easier.

Magic 360 users with a basic tilt function can tilt the seat forward, made possible by the forward-facing angle of the tilting mechanism mount. On most other models, an anterior or forward transfer-tilt unit can be added underneath your seat, as long as it is coupled with the right legrests.

With a centre-mounted legrest, this transfer tilt is made possible by an articulating footplate, which remains flat on the floor as the chair tilts forward allowing for an easier transfer.

Elevating your seat before tilting it forward makes it easier to get out of the chair and pull yourself into a standing position unassisted.

Swingaway legrests make getting in and out of your powerchair easy.

In either case, don’t forget to lower the seat again before you get back in – you want the seat height to be just below the level of your knees.

Swingaway footrests are another option to make frontal transfers easier.

These legrests can either be removed from the front of the chair or the footplates can be flipped up and each legrest swung to either side for easy access to the chair.

This is helpful when backing up to get into the chair, allowing you to get your feet and legs closer to the chair.

Flexi-arms tilt back to make lateral transfers easier.

Sideways

Two things that can make lateral transfers much easier are flexi-armrests, which swing up to be level with the seat back, and drop down joysticks.

Once again, removing these obstructions makes it far less challenging to slide sideways out your powerchair seat onto a bed or other seating surface.

Elevation is also important for a smooth transfer, to align the seat of your powerchair with the correct height to suit whatever surface you are transferring to.

By Hoist

Drop down joysticks are a helpful feature for hoist users.

Users who rely on a hoist to get in and out of their chair can benefit from the combination of flexi-arms, a drop down joystick and the tilt mechanism.

Removing the chair’s arms and joystick makes it much easier to get the sling in and out from under the legs.

Tilting the chair back and lowering the backrest to open up the angle of the chair also makes it easier and less risky, allowing for a comfortable position when getting back into the chair.

To review the set-up of your Magic Mobility powerchair, contact us to be connected with your local agent or distributor.