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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.