Health Tip: Pushing a Wheelchair Safely

(HealthDay News) — People with limited mobility may not be able to push themselves in a wheelchair. If you are assisting someone in a wheelchair, it is important that you follow safety precautions, says the Loddon Mallee Regional Palliative Care Consortium.

To safely push a wheelchair, the group encourages you to:

1. Plan your route by considering potential obstacles.

2. Avoid narrow doors, steps, low branches, slippery floors and steep footpaths.

3. When pushing, stay close to the wheelchair. Push with your entire body weight.

4. When pushing, keep your arms near your body and your elbows bent.

5. When stopped, ensure that the chair’s brakes are on.

6. To fully apply brakes, push them until they click.

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