(SCIRE logo appears on top right corner of the screen with the words “Wheelchair Falls Prevention for Patients with SCI” in center and words “Part 4/6” on bottom right corner.)
(Words “Wheelchair Set-Up”appear onscreen.)
(Brief scene of a physiotherapist helpingwoman lock her wheelchair’s front casters.)
Female Narrator: A patient’s wheelchair set up will change as they move through their rehabilitation process.
(Cut to scene of woman with SCI and companion admiring a garden.)
This may affect transfers, wheeling, and access in the community.
Ian Denison: If we move the wheels forwards, we gain a lot in terms of mobility.
(Medium close-up of Ian Denison, Physiotherapist/Equipment Specialist.)
The chair is much more maneuverable. It’s shorter so it can be taken in and out of confined spaces a lot more easily, it has less of a tendency to turn down hill on a side slope, and it’s much more stable going down a hill because there’s weight on the drive wheels where you want them.
(Woman wheeling over a bump in the pavement)
In terms of stability, there’s a loss of ability to push hard because the front wheels can lift.
(Return to medium close-up of Ian Denison, Physiotherapist/Equipment Specialist.)
If you’re going up a hill, the chair can tip backwards if you’re not able to lean forwards to anticipate that.
(Cut to scene of companion offering to take a bag off of woman’s wheelchair.)
Female Narrator: It is important to educate your clients about the potential hazards and everyday occurrences that markedly affect wheelchair user’s centre of gravity.
(Graphic of model human on a wheelchair with a bag hung on the back of its chair, followed by a graphic of model human with a child on its lap, and finally an animation of it reaching behind its chair.)
Patients may hang a backpack on the back of the chair, carry a child, or reach behind the chair for something.
All of these actions move the centre of gravity backward, creating a tipping hazard.
(Medium close-up of Ian Denison, Physiotherapist/Equipment Specialist.)
Ian Denison: When you move the wheels forwards, you rob yourself of space to transfer.
(Man going over his wheelchair’s wheel to transfer to his bed.)
You’ll also have to go over the wheel instead of sliding across in front of it.
(Fades to medium close-up of Ian Denison, Physiotherapist/Equipment Specialist.)
As the person’s ability to transfer independently improves, their ability to transfer safely improves, then they can get some gains in terms of mobility.
(Words “To learn more visit scireproject.com” and “follow us @SCIREProject” appear.)
(Fades into next screen with bolded words “Thank you to” followed by the words “Equipment Specialist: Ian Denison,” and “Participants: Kim McIntosh, Gail McIntosh, Ed Bell, Jami Bennett, Matthew Querée, Shannon Sproule and the rest of the SCIRE Team.” Below: logos of the Rick Hansen Institute, University of British Columbia, icord, and Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation.)
(Words “Created by MerilinPaart at the Knowledge Mobilization Studio at the Centre for Hip Healthy and Mobility” and Knowledge Mobilization Studio logo appear on screen before dipping to black.)