Good evening. My MIL has psp and her condition is deteriorating rapidly. she is currently unable to walk. do you have any recommendations for medical beds and wheelchairs. she is very petite so i am not sure what would be the best wheelchair for her. grateful for any suggestions.
thanks!
Ideally a specialist should make those recommendations - here in the UK the Occupational Therapist (OT) would typically assess the situation and order the bed (free of charge) while a wheelchair service would do the same for wheelchairs. That said, the waiting times can be such that it's necessary to make your own decisions.
We were given a profiling bed that can be raised for caregiving, legs or head can be raised separately and the whole bed can be tilted in an emergency to get blood to the head. My husband only uses it at naptime so far, but it gives confidence that he could eat, drink and be cared for if he was bedridden for a day or more for any reason.
His bed has a standard mattress (waterproof), bed handles either side (you might want bed rails) and 4-way slide sheet system. A consideration would be if your MIL cannot turn during the night, then a special air mattress is vital to avoid pressure points.
With regards to wheelchair, I would get a lightweight transit wheelchair with carer controlled brakes (they are inexpensive and practical). This is the type - you would want a smaller (16 inch?) model if your MIL is petite. amzn.eu/d/0isUbGaj
The one I'm using indoors for my husband has fixed armrests (so that he can use them to stand up) - if you need to do sideways transfers to/from the chair, you would need arm rests that can be moved out of the way. You should buy a good cushion for it; that is a big part of making it comfortable.
Hopefully there are others ( ideally in the US ) who can give more specific recommendations.
Best wishes 🌻🫂
Hi DaniSS!
This is what we have done:
Use mechanical wheelchairs with seat belt and anti-bedsore cushions (our anti-bedsores cushions: SYSTAM and JAY - Sunrise Medical Ltd or similar) There are also air bubble mattresses with changing pressure that prevent a certain part of the back from being continuously subjected to the pressure exerted by the weight of the body. Make suitable changes in the bathroom. Set up handrails on each side of the bed. Make use of an articulated bed. Also use a plastic wheelchair (type ETAC) special for hygiene and shower.
During the time that the patient was not in bed, we used an articulated chair (power recliner) with an anti-bedsore cushion that allowed the legs to be arranged horizontally.
Hug and luck.
Luis
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