Transporting Wheelchair Bound Mum to Car

[Peachu]

My Mum is in a care home and is now wheel care bound. She has dementia and had a fall last year and has not really walked since.

As we are now allowed we would like to bring her in a car to our house for a short visit.

The care home think getting her into a car will be difficult, (although it does depend on who I talk to as to how difficult it may be)

Apparently she can stand but the say "her mobility changes" so it is a bit hit and miss.

Do any of you know how hard and what equipment, skills etc we would need to be able to transport her or am I asking the impossible?

Tricky one.

You need a car where the door opens as wide as possible. Simply because you need to get the wheelchair plus you as close as possible to the the passenger seat. I used to use an extra safety door handle on the side of the car (goes in the latch bracket) for mil to hold on to. Then it was a case of helping her stand and turn, simultaneously holding her so she doesn’t fall backwards into the car or bump her head. Helps if someone else can remove the wheelchair out of you way.
Do not forget to put it he breaks on the wheelchair. And be careful of your back.
One day it will be easy, the next day difficult - you can’t tell which day you are going to get.

You can get a swivel pad which should make it much easier for her to turn herself into the car once she's sat down if this part is likely to be tricky for her.

Honesty you can know without trying. If possible have one of the carers help, they’ll be used to helping her to stand etc. Plastic bag on the seat will help with swivelling legs around into footwell

Swivel pads do not work in bucket style car seats or ones with dipped seats. !! (Guess who learnt the expensive way). Plastic bag is a good call.

Wheelchair accessible taxi? It doesn't sound as though you'll be doing it very often so the extra expense might be worth it to avoid the hassle.

I wouldn't do this visit. How will you cope when she wants to go to the loo? What if she has a fall, or becomes distressed, at your house?

I wouldn't try the car. Book a wheelchair accessible taxi - then she can stay in the chair and the taxi driver will lock the chair in place for the journey etc. Much less stress and danger to her or you.

I agree a taxi would be safer for everyone and she can stay in the wheelchai. Ask the staff to take her to the toilet just before she leaves and she may need to wear a pad if she has problems.

Also, is your house wheelchair friendly? Do you have steps, a step over the threshold? Are doors wheelchair friendly - some chairs are extra wide and not all layouts accommodate the ability to turn a wheelchair around easily.

My FILs mobility has become too poor for us to be able to get him safely in and out of the car so we have decided that we won't be taking home anywhere now. It's a shame but it is safer than not being able to move him correctly and the possibility he may fall. I would suggest you think twice about trying to take your DM in and out of your car.

Thank you all so much for your comments

Yes our house is wheelchair friendly. Going to the loo will not be an issue as we have accessibility in our downstairs washroom.

We did think of a wheelchair taxi but the home did not want her using it - I guess due to infection risk but I will follow this one up as it would be way easier. We did want to make it a regular event for as long as she can do it but cost will be swallowed up somehow.

ThursdayWeld thank you for you concern luckily in our situation Mum is not distressed and once back in her chair she will not be in danger in our house. (well no more than anywhere else).

One day it will be easy, the next day difficult - you can’t tell which day you are going to get Yes this is my understanding.

I really do appreciate all your comments and time thank you.

Off to think some more

@ApolloandDaphne

My FILs mobility has become too poor for us to be able to get him safely in and out of the car so we have decided that we won't be taking home anywhere now. It's a shame but it is safer than not being able to move him correctly and the possibility he may fall. I would suggest you think twice about trying to take your DM in and out of your car.

We do understand that this may be the situation soon (if not already) . It seems sadder as last year she would have been able to get out but like everyone else was in lockdown and now when she can get out....

I am sorry this is the situation for your FIL.

I am taking onboard all your wise advice

What car do you drive? In some cars the passenger seat is easier others the rear seat. Go with the one with the widest door. Or better still the sliding door if you have one.
The care home don't have any day in how she travels so can't dictate that she can't use a taxi. Could the have thought you meant her travelling unaccompanied in the taxi? - that I could understand them having concerns about.

I would give it a trial run with getting her in and out of your car but be prepared to use taxis.

The home's attitude to a wheelchair taxi is bizarre. I would definitely challenge it. They have screens between the passenger compartment and the driver, so really no different from you driving her.

Even when my MIL could still stand and walk a little, getting her in the car ended up being impossible. Her brain simply couldn't cope with what turns out to be the incredibly complex set of manoeuvres that are needed to get into a car. We take it so for granted, but when the signals can no longer travel to coordinate the body, it's simply impossible. It was very sad because we did like taking her out, even if it was just for a cup of tea somewhere (we live hours away, so couldn't bring her home).

I'd definitely push for the taxi.

i'd go with the taxi

but I'd also worry that, even with mobility aids, she might well struggle with the toilet in your home. would you be there to help? what would happen if she falls?

It would either be a Golf or an Audi A6 Estate. I think the Golf may be easier. Non of them ideal though!

Good question about the taxi I will ask them. Obviously I would drive to the home and then come back to ours in the taxi etc.

I would also check with your local council to see if there are any community transport options as they often have wheelchair cars etc that you may be able to use. Taxi would be a good option and they are very Covid secure at the moment because they have to be.

Umm you are all talking sense to me.

The downstairs loo is a huge washroom and is wheelchair adapted (previous owner lived downstairs in a wheelchair) so doors are wide, no steps and easy to move through and out into the garden.

The loo has a lot of space to get in a wheelchair and supports (we never got around to removing them). So I feel that we would be able to deal with that but I could easily not be considering the true reality.

The home were not to worried about toileting etc as they said she is very "regular and would not need to go for if it were a short visit"

If she is anything like me though I would need to go the minute I knew it was difficult!

It is so hard as I have only seen her in visits in a wheelchair for the last year and not seen her being moved around the home to her bed etc. We just feel so distant from her it would be nice to engulf her in her family again. I may be being unrealistic though.

Just a thought - if your car seats are the type which move up and down as well as forward and back, I found it easier to put the passenger seat on the highest setting and slid half way back on the runners.

Whatever you decide, move slowly, be confident and good luck.

At the care home, can she transfer from the wheelchair to a toilet by herself, or with the assistance of one or two people? Transferring from wheelchair to car is a few notches more difficult than wheelchair to loo, in my experience (two elderly disabled parents). Height of car seat and having an overhead handle or one of the safety ones mentioned in the first reply above can help.

She can self support apparently and can stand with a frame but has two carriers. They do not use a hoist with her

carriers? carers!

So will you have someone who can help her in the loo with you?

Maybe practice at the home first?

I know you said she doesn't get distressed, but that is in her familiar surroundings with nothing going wrong. You are going to be doing something that she hasn't done for over a year, I reay would take things easy. Maybe just go out for a 10 minute drive at first.

Ease her into it. She may find getting into and out of a car very difficult mentally. It used to unsettle my grandfather, which caused regression and toilet accidents. So we had to stop.

What is the purpose of the visit? If it is just a change of scene then is there anywhere near the home you can walk to with a picnic etc. Or get the taxi to go for a drive round.