What Kind of Tool Is a Wheelchair? Little-Known Points on Choosing and Using One
Written by: 栗原 俊介 (Welfare Equipment Planner and Welfare Equipment Specialist Advisor)
Do you know what kind of tool a wheelchair is?
Among those reading this article, there is probably no one who has never seen a wheelchair or doesn’t know what one is. In this column, I’ll talk about what wheelchairs are for and what to watch out for: a familiar tool about which, surprisingly, much is not widely known.
The two purposes of a wheelchair: “moving” and “sitting”
First, let’s sort out what wheelchairs are used for.
The first purpose that comes to mind is probably “moving” the user from place to place, seen from the caregiver’s point of view. The other is “sitting,” seen from the user’s point of view.
Broadly speaking, these are the two purposes, and both are important functions. In Japan, however, there is strong demand for the “moving” function, as shown by the common request for “a light, compact wheelchair.”
This is because, besides the issue of storage space, reducing the caregiver’s burden tends to be given more weight than the user’s needs when a wheelchair is chosen. This is by no means a bad thing; it varies with culture, housing conditions and the way the tool came into wide use.
What matters is correctly understanding what the tool was designed to do and how it affects the user and the caregiver. Choose and use the tool knowing not only its advantages but also its drawbacks.
Pros and cons of a lightweight wheelchair
For example, let’s consider the advantages and disadvantages of a lightweight wheelchair.
The advantages of a lightweight wheelchair are that it is easier to carry to a storage spot after folding and less of a burden to load into a car. On the other hand, it has a drawback that is hard to notice: it tends to be less comfortable to sit in and to push.
Wheelchairs made of light metal flex easily, so part of the force the caregiver applies when pushing goes into bending the frame instead of moving the chair forward. As a result, a wheelchair can end up “light to lift but heavy to push on a flat road.”
They also flex easily under the user’s weight, so depending on how much the user weighs, the wheelchair may even become deformed. Pay attention to the weight capacity as well. A typical wheelchair can carry about 100 kg (220 lb), but some lightweight models are rated for only 80 kg (176 lb).
Why large rear wheels are better, even for caregivers
Wheelchairs fall broadly into two categories: self-propelled wheelchairs, which have large rear wheels, and attendant-propelled wheelchairs, which have small rear wheels.
Small rear wheels take up less space and make the chair lighter, so when the user doesn’t propel the chair themselves, an attendant-propelled wheelchair is often chosen.
But did you know that large rear wheels actually make a wheelchair easier for the caregiver to push? Think of a bicycle.
A major difference between children’s and adults’ bicycles is the size of the wheels. Can you picture a child pedaling hard while an adult pedals leisurely at the same speed? This is because the distance covered with each turn of the pedals depends on the size of the wheels. In other words, larger wheels let you travel farther with less effort.
The same is true of wheelchairs. Larger rear wheels give more forward propulsion and bring other benefits too, such as making it easier to get over steps and bumps.
So, if storage and lifting are not a problem, a wheelchair with large rear wheels actually puts less strain on the caregiver, especially when the chair will mainly be pushed by someone else.
Check the tire pressure regularly
As my example suggests, wheelchairs and bicycles are in fact very similar in structure.
Wheelchair tires are built in almost the same way as bicycle tires, so if you get a flat while out, a local bicycle shop can often make an emergency repair.
Keeping the tires inflated is also important maintenance, just as with a bicycle. A bicycle with soft tires is very hard to pedal, isn’t it? The same goes for wheelchairs: with low tire pressure they become very heavy to push and more likely to get a flat, so top up the air as needed.
And unlike a bicycle, a wheelchair has one more part that tire pressure affects: how well the parking brakes work.
On a typical wheelchair, pulling the parking brake lever presses a bar into the tire to hold the wheel. So when the pressure is low, the bar doesn’t press in as firmly, and the brake holds less well.
If the brakes don’t hold, the wheelchair may move when the user stands up or sits down, which can lead to unexpected accidents. Please be careful.
“It’s only for a moment” can lead to accidents
One kind of wheelchair accident that sometimes makes the news is a fall from a train station platform.
A common pattern in such accidents is that the caregiver stepped away from the wheelchair without applying the brakes, thinking, “It’s only for a moment.”
On truly flat ground, this might not be a problem. But station platforms and roads are actually built with drainage slopes so that water runs off naturally, and almost nowhere is completely flat. So when the caregiver lets go, the wheelchair can start rolling on its own, leading to accidents such as falling off the platform or rolling from the sidewalk into the road.
To prevent such accidents, keep the following in mind:
Always apply the brakes when the caregiver steps away
Park the wheelchair sideways to any direction in which rolling would be dangerous
Knowing the characteristics of the tool and using it correctly helps protect the health of both the user and the caregiver.
About the author: 栗原 俊介 (Welfare Equipment Planner and Welfare Equipment Specialist Advisor)
This article is a contribution from a medical or care professional, re-edited by our editorial team. It provides general information as of the time of writing, and symptoms and circumstances differ from person to person. For specific decisions, please consult your doctor, dentist, pharmacist or another professional.
This is an English translation of a column originally published in Japanese by Next Co., Ltd.
About Next Co., Ltd. We are a Tokyo-based company working in Japan’s senior care and end-of-life planning field. Alongside these expert columns, we publish professional training textbooks and support businesses entering Japan’s eldercare market. More expert columns | Our English textbook | Contact us
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