If there is anyone hare who is a limited mobility wheelchair user or knows a limited mobility wheelchair user, I would like to know if you/they have been told how long they can stay/sit in the wheelchair without adversely affecting their health.
I am looking to make my Mum more comfortable during the day and especially during mealtimes. She is PEG fed and so during her mealtimes, she needs to sit at a certain angle to prevent aspiration. Until noe, she has been:
fed lying in bed, which she tolerated for some time before she started rolling out of position during her feed
fed in her riser recliner chair, which she again tolerated for some time, but now starts to slide down the chair as the feed progresses
fed in her wheelchair which she seems to be happy with (so far).
I am noe struggling to give her daily nutrition because she keeps losing the ideal feeding position making it risky to continue her feed.
As she is comfortable in the wheelchair (for now), I have the option to sit her in the w/chair but I donāt know if spending between 6 - 9 hours might be too much as the chair is compact and there is little scope to move around (not that she can move very much).
Any views/thoughts will happily be accepted as guidance on what I may or may not be able to do to try to ensure Mumās daily nutritional and hydration needs are met as best as possible.
It is becoming more challenging, but this is just another phase in her recovery from the stroke and we like challenges
As your question is about a relatively short period during meal times my comments here may not apply.
I frequently sit in a wheelchair. It becomes tiresome to sit in the one spot for hours. When Iāve had enough I transfer to the bed for a while. I can walk from one room to another but that takes effort. I sit in an easy chair and watch television with my wife for a couple of hours.
Mostly Iām at the table with my laptop, sitting in the wheelchair.
It would probably be a good idea to increase my range of movement. I get bored easily, am lazy so am not inclined to take on seated exercise routines.
If I was involved in something stimulating, maybe with others, I might have a go.
I have no desire to ātrainā or do any such thing.
If it is fun I might give it a try.
Having said that I believe there are groups who arrange activities with those who experience limitations.
Think AgeUK for example.
I took part on a couple of occasions in a seated yoga session at a local SA group. It involved following a leader performing a variety of simple exercises. I found it enjoyable and came away feeling that I had benefited.
So yes exercise of any kind is good particularly for mood, mental health, or whatever you want to call it.
Thinking about it later I remember years ago scooting up and down motorways sitting at the wheel of a white van for hours at a time sometimes for a working day of more than 10 hours.
Of course because it is possible that does not mean it is desirable.
Movement, including different position, different view, and activity with a variety of āthings to doā can all enhance our lives. Tiny and varying differences are sufficient stimuli and as they say āA little of what you like is beneficialā.
Someone mentioned that essential oils can be used. Sounds can produce a similar effect.
Is the 6 '-9 hours you mention all in one go? I would say that is probably too long in one position but if she could be moved to prevent pressure sores that might be better. You can buy cushions to relieve the pressure but even they become uncomfortable after a while. If you are able to split the feeds up into 2 - 3 hr sessions that would probably be better.
We try and get Mum to lead a ānormalā life as much as possible and so we help her to sit in her riser recliner chair as well as her wheel chair during the day. She gets carers coming to freshen her up four times during the day which means she is washed in bed and then sat out in her RR chair for her first meal.
The second care call takes place around noon by which time Mum has sat in the RR for about 4 hours. The care call lasts about 40 minutes and during this time she has been hoisted back to bed, freshened up, lite movements of limbs to help loosen and back to the RR. Occasionally, we transfer her to her wheel chair and take her out into the garden or outside. Her lunch is taken in the RR or the wheel chair and again this means she does another 3 hours in either the RR or wheelchair.
The next call starts at 4pm and again lasts 40 minutes and the same as the lunch call. This time she stays in bed and gets lite physio / massage. She sometimes sits on the edge of the bed and is encouraged to support herself. She spends about an hour and a half in bed before being transferred to the wheelchair for her teatime routine. She is wheeled to the kitchen diner and sits at the table to have her tea and watch TV/listen to music etc. Time in chair during this session is around an hour and a half.
At 8pm itās back to bed for the final care call, again 40 minutes and then out to the RR to finish off her late meal. Depending on how comfortable she is, she will be out in the RR for between 2 - 4 hours before being transferred back to bed.
So there is quite a bit of assisted movement during the day and not much opportunity for pressure sores to develop
During the night she is freshened up two or three times and re-positioned.
However, now she seems to get uncomfortable in the RR and this is a problem because this is where she gets the bulk of her meals. She does not like to sit up in bed for her meal and so the wheel chair is now what we are looking at to make sure she can get her full daily meals in a safe manner. Hence the question, how long?
The good news is that Mum will always let us know if there is a problem, just as she is now doing with the time in the RR. We can only try and see how things go.
Sometimes, I have to revert to the ādenial of libertiesā rule and do what is necessary to ensure Mumās care needs are met and are in her best interests.
Hello @ManjiB,sorry iāve been a little quiet for a while. Here at the nursing home i last anywhere from 4hours to all day in wheelchair but my bottom and back is often sore by 2pm having been hoisted to it about 11am. At the royal hospital for Neurodisability RHN where i was for 4 years they had a 10 hour policy. Not sure iāve been of much help but thatās my lived experience.
Love to your mum and sister.
Hey Michelle - Youāve not been quiet at all! Iāve seen your photos from your extensive archive/portfolio Hope all is well with you.
Thanks for sharing your lived in experience of wheelchair sitting. That helps give me some guidance, though Mum is quite good at letting us know when she is not happy about something. If she were to ākick offā whilst sitting in the wheelchair, it wouldnāt be too difficult to figure out what the problem is
It sounds like your mum gets plenty of variation in her position throughout the day thereby reducing the possibility of pressure sores. I am no expert but I think that sounds ok for her to be fed that way too. Itās not really any different being in the wheelchair to the rise and recliner I shouldnāt think. But like I say Iām not an expert. You and your sister do a great job of making sure she gets to enjoy as normal a life as she can in the circumstances and you should be very proud of what you do. I am sure your mum is very proud of you both.
Hi
My partner spends most of the time in his bed, he has a profile bed so can change position (he is also peg fed) and gets out into his wheelchair most days and he can manage about two hours before he gets uncomfortable. Like your mum he has carers four times a day and they usually get him out at lunchtime. He cannot weight bear so has to be hoisted. As well as the stroke he also has cerebral palsy and struggles to turn so needs both carers to put him in the sling but we have a ceiling track hoist so I can get him back to bed on my own when he has had enough! Then the carers remove the sling when they return around 4pm. He has had his chair for a few months and before he got it he couldnāt get out of bed at all for around 9 months so he is still gradually increasing the time he can manage in the chair.
Best wishes to you and your mum
Paula xxx
The Stroke Association and myself canāt give a personal opinion on this as itās very individual and will depend on different factors. However, from a professional perspective I would always advise people to seek advice from the relevant health professional. In this case it would be an Occupational Therapist. Their role is to assess and support daily living which can include equipment and aids. In some cases, they can also refer people to have a specialist wheelchair that has built in support for the individuals pressure points and to support posture. This service can vary in different Local Authorities and community care settings, and people would have to meet a specific criteria too.
We have some information on what Occupational Therapistās do and what they can help with. @ManjiB or anyone who may be considering a specialist wheelchair as an option, you can ask the Occupational therapist about this, if you donāt meet the criteria, there might be an option to go private. To help with the cost, it might be worth looking into information on available grants and loans on our website.
Please also remember that our Stroke Support Helplineare a hub of information and support, please reach out to them if any one of you needs further advice or information on this. You can call: 0303 3033 100 or email: helpline@stroke.org.uk
My daughter is imobile since her stroke and unable to sit in chair even a proper multi positional one.
Iāve been told 4 hrs in wherlchair.
Have you a wheelchair services in your area as if you contact them theyāll do an assessment for a suitable chair for her, they did this for us and she got a very good comfy wherlchair with good cushion and padded arm rests
