Sunday, December 26, 2010

Using Ceiling lifts for Disabled

Most of the homes and public buildings now are not well equipped to be disabled friendly. This is a worrying trend because, as a society, we should always focus on the needy people and ensure that they are not forgotten by the rest. In fact, it is not difficult to equip your home with the right set of mobility aids to make it handicap ready. This article introduces the different lifting devices for old people so you can have a better idea and set about buying them if your home has a needy user.

Firstly, the ceiling lift is one which moves the user from the bed to the wheelchair. It is basically a track that is installed to the ceiling with a simple lifting mechanism in the middle. The crane has a canvas hanging from it where the user will be lifted in. To operate the ceiling lift, an assistant is required to be present. The assistant will tilt the user to the side and slip the canvas underneath. The patient will rest in the middle of the canvas. The ends of the canvas will be hooked on to the ceiling lift before theassistant can operate the lift.

Operating the ceiling lift is a simple process with only the up and down buttons to know. The important part is to ensure the user is in the correct position. When the assistant presses the up button, the user will be lifted slowly. The caregiver needs to ensure that the user is in the seated position when lifted. When the user is about one foot from the bed, the assistant can press the stop button.

This is when the user is in mid-air. The helper will need to move the patient along the designated track as installed on the ceiling to the next location. Push the patient slowly while keeping the canvas from swaying. The user will be pushed until he is right above his Quickie Power Wheelchairs where he will be lowered slowly into position. The canvas can be left under the patient on the wheelchair as it will be used again when he needs to be transferred back to the bed.

If you do not want to use the ceiling lift, an alternative is the floor lift which is similar in its functions. The difference is that the floor lift has a set of wheels and is more mobile than the ceiling lift which is restricted to the tracks.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Electric wheelchair joysticks

Snazzy electric wheelchairs are controlled by joysticks which are usually installed on the armrest of the electric wheelchairs. Joysticks for electric wheelchairs is one of the most important component of the wheelchair as the users basically rely on this wheelchair part to move around.
Electric wheelchair joysticks are usually shorter than normal vehicle joystick. It is long enough for wheelchair users to control using their thumb and index finger.

Maintaining electric wheelchair joysticks
Electric wheelchair joystick is actually one of the most vulnerable components as it is the single interface with the users. Sometimes, it is subjected to aggressive usage and may reach the end of its lifespan earlier than expected. As the joystick is also sticking out from the armrests, there is the likelihood that it will be damaged by people sitting on it and breaking it.

Where to buy Electric wheelchair joysticks

Joysticks are usually vendor neutral and this spare part can be purchased easily on the market from any stairlift distributors. You can find out where to buy joysticks by looking at the stairlift distributor directory. Invacare, Pride, Jazzy, Permobil and Teftec joystick replacements can be found locally.

Replacing Joysticks for Electric wheelchairs

You do not need specialized skills to change joysticks for your wheelchairs. Anyone can replace wheelchair joysticks on your own. All you need is a screwdriver to remove the top of the armrest. The joystick is actually a modular component attached using a simple connector. The new joystick can easily be connected to the electric wheelchair. Users should take note to connect the joysticks properly and not reverse. After attaching the joysticks, users will need to calibrate the joystick movements so that it will suit the instructions given by the users. The calibration methods will be in the instruction manual that comes with the electric wheelchairs.


Friday, February 19, 2010

Jazzy Lightweight electric wheelchairs

Jazzy electric wheelchairs are very popular now as wheelchair users aim to portray themselves as trendy and not affected by their disability. Most of these electric wheelchairs are actually lightweight electric wheelchairs and suitable for most users as you do not require much strength to use the wheelchairs. As the frame of the wheelchairs are made of light and strong materials, this will not put too much stress on the battery powering the wheelchairs. In fact, a fully charged light weight electric wheelchairs can last almost 4 days without recharging. The appearance of the jazzy wheelchairs are similar to other snazzy wheelchairs in the market and allow the users to customize the color and seats of the wheelchairs for extra comfort and fashion style. Jazzy electric wheelchair is suitable for all ages and they cost as much as the normal wheelchairs.