What are the risks of motorized wheelchairs?

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Motorized wheelchairs are useful in giving freedom to those with paralysis or other movement-inhibiting disabilities, especially those with weak upper-body strength or upper-body paralysis. The motorized wheelchair can be life-changing for its users, but they do not come without certain risks.

Standard Joystick Control

Most power wheelchairs for those with normal use of their arms and hands are driven with a joystick. These standard controls can be risky for those with impaired use of their hands, slow reflexes or impaired judgment, according to the National Institute for Rehabilitation Engineering.

Mouth Controls

Mouth joysticks and puff-and-sip controls are used by those who do not have the use of their hands to control a joystick. These controls are considered high-risk outside of the home because they do not allow for quick-response steering or braking.

Wheel Configuration

Anytime a motorized wheelchair is going to be used for outside purposes, it should have powered large wheels in the front and never have free-swinging casters, according to the National Institute for Rehabilitation Engineering. On uneven surfaces, grass or soil, these free-swinging wheels pose a serious risk and may cause accidents.

Inclines

Power wheelchairs should never be steered across an incline because of potential tipping. Steer wheelchairs only straight up or down an incline.

Batteries

Motorized wheelchairs require batteries that must be fully charged when venturing away from the home. For people in certain conditions, becoming stranded in the chair alone could be a serious risk to their heath, according to the National Institute for Rehabilitation Engineering.

Source

National Institute for Rehabilitation Engineering

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What are the risks of motorized wheelchairs?

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