AIM:
To demonstrate a wheelchair to bed transfer to a person with complete C6 tetraplegia.
Rationale:
The therapist demonstrates the key components of the task to the patient
Equipment:
- Height-adjustable wide bed
- Wheelchair
Key Points:
The sub-tasks (in order) are:
- Positioning the wheelchair at 45 degrees to the bed
- Putting the brakes on
- Moving to the front edge of the wheelchair
- Lifting the first leg onto the bed
- Lifting the second leg onto the bed
- Moving trunk forwards in front of hips
- Positioning the hands
- Lifting and shifting the body onto the bed
Common Errors:
- Positioning the wheelchair – bed too high, ie, higher than the top of the wheelchair cushion
- Moving to the front edge – not positioning the hands directly behind the buttocks or not leaning the head back far enough as the buttocks are levered forwards
- Lifting legs – falling forwards due to an inability to hold the body with the arm hooked around the back of the wheelchair
- Lifting legs – not lifting the leg into sufficient hip flexion to ensure that the foot clears the bed when the leg is placed on the bed
- Positioning the hands – falling forwards when attempting to position hands
- Lifting and shifting – failing to externally rotate the shoulders resulting in elbow collapse.
- Lifting and shifting – failing to adequately lift and move forwards, thereby scraping the buttocks across the wheel.
- Lifting and shifting – failing to keep the IP joints flexed when weightbearing through the hands in long sitting
Progression and Variety:
- Not applicable