25 replies to this topic

[Avocado Baby]

Hello everyone,

I'm a paraplegic and use a manual wheelchair all the time. I recently moved into a flat of my own and it's starting to feel like home.

I have a BIG problem though. I don't need much chair and am in the proccess of getting a package set up where someone pops in every evenning but I sometimes fall out of my chair and am unable to get back up again. I sued to be able to but then I had my spine fused and I'm no longer able to twist enough!

The last time I was dressed and managed to get my neighbour to come in and help me up again but last night, it was quite late and I was wearing my nightie and incontinence pad, which made me reluctant to call him. So, I ended up calling my dad (who'd had some wine) and had to ride his bike through town to get here.

I'm sposed to be getting an emergency pendant system set up soon but, I think all that does is call my emergency contacts (my parents) so they'd still end up coming out anyway!

Has anyone got any suggestions as to a solution? I'd be very gratedul for any help!!

Thanks!

[lune14]

Ali, We discussed that very thing in this old post...
I am happy to hear you are living independently but sorry to hear of this little glitch in things. Hope you can put together a good backup plan soon!


http://www.apparelyz...l without grace

[darrel]

June,

that was sweet of you to think of old threads, it made it simple

[silone74]

Hi, I live alone in a flat and sometimes i fall from the chair not often mind what i do first is pull the cushion off of my chair to sit on it so i am not on the hard floor this still does not make it high enough to do a transfer back to the chair so i have a small table from a nest of tables that i move myself towards taking a breather and sitting back on my cushion ever few movements, the table is alot lower than the chair so i transfer onto that then put the cushion back on the chair and transfer back onto it if for some reason i fail to get in the chair i have to phone my dad to help,I have a warden control device in the flat but as you say all they do is call the number you give them as a contact. I hope you can figure out away what suits you.I also bought some press up bars to lift on it raises the ammount you can lift yourself by quite abit to try and make it a little easier it does get easier learning to live on your own too at first i was on the phone all the time and now i dont have any 1 call on me unless i ask them. Take it easy.

Silone74

[Suzukicrash]

Scream, "help me, I fallen and I can't get up." Like the old lady in those commercials

[PetitMortVampyre]

Let see, as a 2nd natural born klutz (Darrel claimed it before I could) I cuss a lot, look for blood (and sure enough) and if I hurt bad enough, cry. Mind you I have been forced to walk *without* my crutch as the hand I am coordinated (ok not sure coordination is a klutz ability) to use, is screwed up, so I have been stumbling a lot more. And we won't discuss the bruises.

When I fell over in my wheel chair, I screamed, cussed and had to be picked up like a damn baby. Then again should not have let my son convince (more like nag) me to try to teach me to wheelie... stupid blonde.

Love, Light and Laughter,
Corvette

Edited by PetitMortVampyre, 08 October 2007 - 08:53 PM.

[rkzenrage]

I keep my cell on me and call my neighbor.

[Avocado Baby]

Thanks everyone. I'm just gonna have a look at the old thread now

[wheeliebear75]

Always have a cell phone on your person or clipped to a lower part of your chair(where you can reach it from the ground), have some people (at least a couple with an extra key) who could rush over to the rescue. Way cheaper than expensive alarm systems with a "help" button on a necklace, and having someone pull up to your home in a car attracts way less attention to the neighbors than an emergency vehicle with flashing lights(which is what an alarm company would send). Good Luck & very happy you've gotten out on your own.

[Tim13]

Most of the time i drag myself and the wheelchair to the closest car or bed, pull myself in (or on) and scoot back into the chair.

[darrel]

Pink Ali, on Oct 8 2007, 09:35 PM, said:

Thanks everyone. I'm just gonna have a look at the old thread now

have someone you trust, and do worst case seneriose. I know it sound stupid but you have to learn how to manipulate your body, try different ways and work with what best suits you. keep working with this till you feel comfy. I insisted on learning how to get up on my own be fore I could walk again and I still use the tech. to get up still, Hell I'm fore ever falling(I drag one foot and trip over it plus the ballance thing)

[nomis]

Yeah, if you can't get back in from the floor and you have the arm strength, go drag yourself and w/chair to a suitable midheight level - if you haven't any furniture to match that then get something. Easier than dragging people in at night.

[Tinbasher]

My friend has a sort of air powered cushion thingy its called a mangar lift?

http://www.movement2...r_products.html

[tom2hunt]

i have a footstool so i drag me and my chair to that then pull myself up onto the footstool then transfer back into my chair, i have a warden pendant but the others are right they just call your contact numbers (or emergency services if needed for anything serious)

[Avocado Baby]

Thanks Tinbasher!

I'm gonna send the link to my OT and she what she thinks. It looks ideal!!

[RacingAxe]

I've only been on the floor twice by accident. What I did was drag myself and my chair to the stairs (they were leading up not down). Going up two or three stairs then transferring back to the chair worked for me but it might be a stretch for some. I have used a small stool to work myself to half hight of the wheelchair seat but have also managed to fall off the stool! If you are going to make one make it bigger side to side and front to back than it is tall so it is not as easy to flip over.

[ParaforGod]

I have never been able to get up in my chair from the floor. I couldn't do it at rehab and can't do it now. I have a lifeline button which you wear around your neck. When the button is pushed someone comes on the speaker and ask if I need assistance. They then will contact someone for you such as a family member, friend, or medical assistance. If your not hurt they will even call the fire department because they don't charge you anything to come out. I also keep my cellphone at my chair. Congrats on your new place.

[Susi]

Like ParaforGod, I have never learnt to get back into my chair and don't have strength to do it either, due to being Incomplete.

I always have someone nearby when I do fall, which is not often. Usually when I fall asleep in the chair or as previously, late night toiletting, used to fall asleep on the loo. I have certainly bought my patch around the flat.

Luckily, though my care-giver or husband, are always near if I should fall.

[percepied]

I take a velcro strap and strap my legs together above the knees. Then I position myself, legs bent, in front of my chair. With my tires locked (and casters too if possible), I grab my chair with one hand and place my other palm down on the floor with the other. If I get my knees bent correctly, I can easily pull myself forward and up into a squat position. Then I simply do a regular transfer onto my chair. The key as always is keeping my weight forward. This doesn't take much strength just balance and a strapping device.

Definitely should practice first though!

[russ1]

percepied, on Oct 11 2007, 07:41 AM, said:

I take a velcro strap and strap my legs together above the knees. Then I position myself, legs bent, in front of my chair. With my tires locked (and casters too if possible), I grab my chair with one hand and place my other palm down on the floor with the other. If I get my knees bent correctly, I can easily pull myself forward and up into a squat position. Then I simply do a regular transfer onto my chair. The key as always is keeping my weight forward. This doesn't take much strength just balance and a strapping device.

This was the way they taught us in rehab, it's seriously bias towards lower injuries and having just a few ab muscles makes a huge difference, I've tried and tried this way and can, on occasion, get back onto my chair with the cushion removed but it's a right royal performance what with strapping legs together and balancing in the squat position.

I've found the following method much easier as do many higher level injuries
Floor to Chair Transfer the guy in the video is C8 and does the transfer without brakes on the chair.

[percepied]

russ1, on Oct 11 2007, 03:29 AM, said:

This was the way they taught us in rehab, it's seriously bias towards lower injuries and having just a few ab muscles makes a huge difference, I've tried and tried this way and can, on occasion, get back onto my chair with the cushion removed but it's a right royal performance what with strapping legs together and balancing in the squat position.

I've found the following method much easier as do many higher level injuries
Floor to Chair Transfer the guy in the video is C8 and does the transfer without brakes on the chair.

Interesting. The C8 way is how I was taught in rehab. I never mastered it. At 6 feet 4 inches the twist was too difficult. I did use the C8 approach one time after falling out of my chair soon after leaving rehab. It worked but I chopped up my knees pretty good on my footplate. No more shorts for me!

You're right though. At T12 I have a bit more trunk stability for holding a squat.

[BillS]

russ1, on Oct 11 2007, 05:29 AM, said:

I've found the following method much easier as do many higher level injuries
Floor to Chair Transfer the guy in the video is C8 and does the transfer without brakes on the chair.

That's how I used to do it and in a major emergency I might be able to still to it but I haven't done it in about 3 years. It was a lot easier to do when I was 18 then it is to do at 48. Now adays when I try it I tend to knock over the wheelchair when I'm pushing down on the seat.

The easiest way I've found for me is to place one hand on the seat of my chair and another hand on a table top or something of similar height that's sturdy. Then lift myself straight up by pushing down with my arms. Once I'm level with the seat I swing over into it. There's almost always something within crawling distance that I can use for this. I've used my car bumper, a lawn chair, railings, tables, desk tops, I've even just grabbed a doorknob in an emergency.

Edited by BillS, 12 October 2007 - 04:51 AM.

[LuckyinKentucky]

The way i was taugt in rehab sounds a lot like the way your describing percepied minus the knee strap. While sitting on the floor knees bent in front of chair I put one hand on the floor on my left side and one on the right knee of my chair (ya know the fork goin to the footplate) And kind bounce forward and up puttin a little tension on my bent legs and then sling backwards and up into my chair. I have done this method a number of times but must admit getting on a couch or something first is a lot easier. This sounds similar to your method Bill but with the left hand more elevated it would seem easier, i'll probably try next time as my right elbow is going to .

[kenf]

hi everybody , new guy here. this caught my attention. when i fall , i would have to call EMT's out to get me back into the chair. i live in BFE and most people are at work when it happens. of course it can't happen in the evening lol. my injury now is T-4. so i put a eye lag screw in the ceiling joist and attached a 1/2" rope with knots every foot to pull myself up. i put the chair against the wall. the rope is out about 2'. taking the coushion out makes it real easy to get back in. one problem i was having was my butt would catch the front of the chair and the chair would go up to lol. was alot to hold yourself and push chair back down. so i picked up a small block and tackle and hung that up there. it's like lifting a thrid of your weight. i put a 2" sling around my chest and hook it to the rope fall. (block and tackle) pull myself up and can hold myself easy , why i push the chair down. put a nail in the wall to put the rope on so it's out of the way. if i get a chance i'll post a pic of it. just nice to be able to put myself back into the chair with no help. hope this helps some.

[rkzenrage]

BTW, my answer is best-case-sceario... that is if I don't break a hip, shoulder or anything else.

[Avocado Baby]

[/quote]


I've found the following method much easier as do many higher level injuries
[url="http://www.cureparalysisnow.org/downloads/jimnms_C8_Floor-Chair_Transfer.wmv"]Floor to Chair Transfer[/url] the guy in the video is C8 and does the transfer without brakes on the chair.
[/quote]


This is the way I used to do it before I had my spinal fusion but I dont seem to be able to do the last bit of twisting round to get into the chair