How to Transfer From a Wheelchair to a Lift Chair

Lift chairs are chairs designed to aid the elderly and infirm with standing and and sitting comfortably. People who can benefit from lift chairs include sufferers of arthritis and strokes and those with hip and knee problems, diabetes, shoulder weakness and leg swelling. To use the seat, a wheelchair user must transfer from the wheelchair, a procedure that can be hazardous and result in a fall if not performed slowly and correctly.

Instructions

• 1

  Position the wheelchair to make the transfer. The wheelchair should be angled diagonally side-on to the front of the lift chair, with one of the front wheels touching the base of the lift chair. This angle allows you to move from the wheelchair without having to lift yourself over the peak of the back wheel. Ensure that the wheelchair's brakes are locked.

• 2

  Remove any barriers to the transfer from the wheelchair. If the wheelchair has removable mudguards or arm-rests, then those on the transfer side of the chair. Leave the ones on the other side so they can aid in making the transfer.

• 3

  Move your body to the front of the wheelchair, so that you are perched on the edge of the seat. If using a transfer board, then slide one end under your thigh on the transfer side. Move your legs so they will not get caught on the wheelchair during the transfer.

• 4

  Lift yourself out of the wheelchair onto the lift chair. Place the hand furthest away from the lift chair on the seat of the wheelchair and the other on the seat of the lift chair. With the hand on the wheelchair push yourself up and angle your head forward, so that your backside is lifted into the air. Guide your body over the gap and sit yourself in the lift chair, taking care not to sit on the supporting hand in the seat. If using a transfer board, then it is possible to use this as a bridge and rest between the two seats.

• 5

  Adjust your position in the lift chair. Moving your legs clear from the wheelchair, adjust yourself so you are sitting comfortably in the lift chair.