MAO Manual

Armrests Armrests are an important safety item on a wheelchair, as they help prevent the patients arms from dangling into the moving parts of the wheels and getting hurt. They also prevent a patient with poor motor control from slumping out of the wheelchair.

Since in many wheelchairs the armrests are removable, always be sure to use them when transporting a patient. Also, do not attach tie downs to the arm rests as they could come off and allow the chair to move., A last concern is that placing seatbelts over wheenchair arms creates a void between the patient’s lap and the belt. A patient can easily slip through that void and become injured during a collision. Make sure you send the seat belt through or behind the armrest so that there are no voids and the seatbelt lies snuggly over the patient’s hips. Legrests and Extenders Legrests and lower extremity accessories also serve an important safety task – to keep legs froim dragging under the chassis of the wheelchair. It is very important to use these accessories when transporting a patient as some patients with poor motor control will not be able to keep their feet up safetly during the trip. When you load and unload the chair however, the legrests can be a trip hazard to the patient when he or she stands up or sits down. A wise MAVO always uses the leg rests for the transport, but makes sure he or she moves the pedeals or legrests out of the way for the patient when the patient sits or stands.