01、Carer ‘identity’
Apart from some professional caregivers, adult children are the ones who take care of the elderly in their daily lives and rehabilitation care, and they are more likely to ‘run back and forth’ between the scenes of elderly care, child care, and work, and they are often so busy that they are dizzy.
Studies have shown that 32% of adult children (family carers) who have to take care of the elderly for more than 20 hours a week will suffer from physical discomfort (back, neck, shoulders, hands, etc.) in the long run.
Because caring for the disabled/semi-disabled elderly definitely involves the use of wheelchairs and other assistive devices in their daily lives, pushing a wheelchair for a long period of time will bring about unavoidable injuries and pains to the carers, such as: tenosynovitis of the wrists, slipped shoulder, bursitis, rotator cuff injuries, Achilles tendonitis, pressure injuries, etc.
It is mentioned here that a good wheelchair will not only be comfortable for the rider, but will also have many benefits for the family carer.
02、Benefits of a good wheelchair for carers
Reducing the burden of caring
A well-designed wheelchair can significantly reduce the physical strain on the carer.
If a wheelchair is bulky and difficult to push, every journey can feel like a ‘labour of love’, which can easily tire the carer and in the long term affect the hands and shoulders.
Improving efficiency and quality of care
A good wheelchair not only saves effort to use, but also improves the efficiency and quality of care.
For example, some wheelchairs are equipped with user-friendly features such as braking system and foldable design, which can make the carer more comfortable in the caring process and improve the quality of care.
Braking system can ensure the stability of the wheelchair when parked, avoiding the safety hazard caused by sliding; foldable design is convenient for carers to carry and store, saving space.
Reducing caring stress and promoting harmonious relationships
When caring for someone for a long period of time, it is inevitable that you will feel stressed and anxious about some details or things.
A good wheelchair, like a right-hand man, can help the carer to better cope with the challenges of caring.
Reducing the problems and worries arising from wheelchairs can reduce the psychological pressure when getting along and make the relationship between carers and cared for more harmonious and stable.
The benefits of a good wheelchair to both the user and the carer are obvious.
Therefore, when it comes to choosing a wheelchair, we might as well put some extra thought and time into selecting a wheelchair that really suits the user.
