How to Keep People Warm in Wheelchairs
Keeping people in wheelchairs warm involves special considerations. Warmth is an important concern for a wheelchair user, especially if her disability limits her from moving around much or involves poor circulation. Coats can be difficult to manage with a wheelchair. Whether you are traveling with someone who uses a wheelchair or helping him cope with a power outage, certain strategies will help keep people warm in wheelchairs.
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Things You'll Need
- Blanket
- Knit or cloth shawls, ponchos or wraps
- Hat, headband or earmuffs
- Gloves, mittens or muff
Instructions
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Dress the wheelchair user in layers. Long underwear and multiple shirts and socks are options as long as they don't irritate him. Avoid clothing with bulky belts, buttons or seams in the back, and make sure to pull the layers tight. According to "Comprehensive Rehabilitative Nursing" by Derstine and Hargrove, sitting on a wrinkle can cause a pressure ulcer.
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Put a blanket in the person's lap. The Fairfax County, Virginia Winter Preparedness website recommends wrapping the blanket around her legs.
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Dress the person in a hip-length shawl, wrap or fabric poncho. Outerwear that wraps around the shoulders or slips over the head is easier to manage than a traditional coat because it doesn't require the wearer to lean forward or put his arms through sleeves. It's also easier to layer.
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Cover the wheelchair user's head with a hat, headband and/or earmuffs. You can also wrap a short scarf around her head or neck.
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Protect the person's hands with gloves or mittens. If he wheels himself, the Fairfax County, Virginia Winter Preparedness website recommends using gripper driver gloves to prevent slipping. If she will not need to use her hands most of the time, consider using a muff.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are driving the wheelchair user somewhere, park close to your destination to avoid being outside for a prolonged period.
If you are traveling, bring another person who does not use a wheelchair. Your companion can open doors so you can get the wheelchair user inside more quickly.
If you are visiting a place you have never been before, call or visit ahead of time to make sure it is truly wheelchair accessible. Though most newer buildings in the United States are built to accommodate wheelchairs, careless proprietors sometimes block ramps or lock the accessible door. A wheelchair user can get cold waiting outside for staff to move obstructions.
The Virginia Department for the Aging warns against long scarfs, coats and sleeves for wheelchair users, as they can get caught in or dirty from the wheels.
