Adjusting to Life in A WheelChair ~ 9 Top Tips

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Adjusting to Life in A Wheelchair

9 Tips to Help Your Make An Easy Transition

How do you think you would do adjusting to life in a wheelchair? Even if you don’t need one right now in your life, you might find that you come to rely on one at a later stage of your life.
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For instance, you might find that you become too frail to walk far when you become a pensioner. You might suffer some serious injuries in an accident that need you to resort to using a wheelchair. These are just a few reasons why you run into difficulties with your mobility.
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Right now, you might think that life in a wheelchair would be impossible for you. However, there are various ways you can adapt and make it convenient for you.
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Below are 9 steps you will need to take when Adjusting to Life in A Wheelchair:
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Adjusting to Life in A WheelChair: #1. Accept It

First and foremost, you should give yourself the time needed to come to terms with your new situation.
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Needing to use a wheelchair is completely life-changing, so it is understandable that you will go through a wide range of emotions.
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Some people will be very angry with what has happened to them while others might get quite down and could suffer from depression.
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Thankfully, though, over time these feelings should subside and you will come to a point where you can accept what has happened. Once you are at this point, you will be in a good position to start to look towards the future. You can now work at improving your life with the use of a wheelchair to move around in.
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Adjusting to Life in A WheelChair: #2. Save Up
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When you do need to get a wheelchair, you should be offered one from your doctor’s surgery.
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However, the ones that they offer their patients are often very basic and these might not be the most comfortable ones. They won’t be too suitable for everyday use, that’s for sure!
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So, it’s important that you save up for a good-quality wheelchair. If you are now in a wheelchair as the result of an accident, you might be able to apply for amputation compensation to try and get a bit more cash to put towards a wheelchair.
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Ideally, you should find a wheelchair that has padded seating with lots of suspension so that you can move around in as much comfort as possible. It’s also a good idea to look for a wheelchair which has plenty of storage space so that you can keep your valuables on you when you are out and about.
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Adjusting to Life in A WheelChair: #3. Research Wheelchair-Accessible Venues
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Now that you require the permanent use of a wheelchair, you might not be able to access as many venues as you could before.
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Unfortunately, not all cafes, bars, restaurants and shops have disabled access. And even the ones that do might not be a piece of cake for you to get into.
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So, for this reason, it is really important that you do your research to figure out which venues you will be able to get into in your local area.
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You should also do your research into any destination that you travel to. The next time you book a holiday, it’s a good idea to check the Disabled Travel Guide to find out where you will be able to access without too many problems.
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Adjusting to Life in A WheelChair: #4. Ask For Help When Needed
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Once you are in a wheelchair, some of the most simplest tasks can be difficult to manage. You will need to rely on the help of other people a lot more than what you used to.
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Do not be too proud to ask for help. It really will be beneficial to swallow your pride and always ask your friends or relatives for help and support whenever you need it. I’m sure they will be more than happy to give you a hand!
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If you don’t ask for help when you need it, then you could end up very easily in an accident and injure yourself.
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Adjusting to Life in A WheelChair: #5. Adapt Your Home

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It is very likely that you will need to make major adaptations to your home so that you can get around it in your wheelchair.
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For instance, you might need to remove any steps up to your front door and replace them with a ramp. You should also consider adding an accessible bathroom as well.
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There are also other fittings and adaptations you could make in the kitchen that will make cooking and meal preparation a lot easier. There are various grants and financial benefits that you should be able to apply for if you need some funding for these house adaptations.
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It might also be worth considering moving into a bungalow. Stairs will be extremely tricky for you to manage in a wheelchair. If you are unable to install a stair lift onto yours, it will be worth moving to a much more manageable bungalow.
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Adjusting to Life in A WheelChair: #6. Get Ready For Questions

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People will have many questions for you once you become reliant on a wheelchair. Most of them will be perfectly reasonable, and will come from people who you are happy to answer to such as your friends and family.
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However, you could also find random members of the public being quite nosy, insensitive and even rude with the questions that they try and get you to answer. Remember, that you never have to answer anyone if you don’t want to.
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You should ignore questions like “what happened to you?” and “why have you ended up in a wheelchair?” Just remember that you don’t need to explain your disability to anyone if you don’t want to.
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Adjusting to Life in A WheelChair: #7. Exercise Your Arms
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Just because you have lost the use of your legs, you don’t need to completely give up with your physical health.
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You need to focus on your arm strength now. In actual fact, it’s really worth exercising your arms and trying to increase their strength as this will be beneficial when you need to push yourself around in your chair.
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Working on your upper torso can also help you push your chair a lot easier as well. It’s a good idea to buy some dumbbells so that you can work out your arms while you are sitting in your chair.
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Adjusting to Life in A WheelChair: #8. Get A Bigger Car
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Now that you have a wheelchair, you will need to take it with you everywhere you go. So, it’s important that you have a car that is big enough to put the folded-up wheelchair into.
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Of course, this is if you are able to get out of the wheelchair to get into the car.
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If you are completely unable to use your legs and need to get into a vehicle while you are still in the chair, then you will probably have to look for a car into which you can wheel your wheelchair. There are specially adapted cars which are suitable for this.
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It’s also important that you then apply for a disabled blue badge for your car. This will allow you to park in disabled spaces in car parks.
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Adjusting to Life in A WheelChair: #9 Let Your Insurance Know

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Once your health status changes, you will need to let all of your insurers know. This is especially important for any health insurance policies that you might have. You should let your insurer know that you use a wheelchair sooner rather than later, as you could end up being penalised for not divulging this information.
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