A Guide to Powerchairs for Parents of Children Who Use a Wheelchair

When you have a child who needs to use a wheelchair, there is no doubt that you want to do all that you can to ensure they have the very best quality of life possible. A big part of this comes down to ensuring that they can use the gadgets and equipment properly, that all add up to having a big impact on their lives. Powerchairs certainly fit firmly into this category. This guide should help parents who are looking to introduce their children to powerchairs for the first time to make it an experience that is altogether easier to deal with successfully.

Look at the Different Models Carefully

Your first step is certainly going to be to have a wider look around at the different powerchairs from mobilitysolutions.co.uk. This way, you are much more likely to end up with one that suits your child's needs properly. Not only this, but you should also look at the possibility of getting the chair customised depending on your child's individual needs. If you are not starting off with the right type of powerchair right from the outset, you could end up training your kid in something that is not useful to them in the long run.

Introduce the Controls Slowly

To begin with, you do not want to overwhelm your child, which means that you should be introducing the controls slowly rather than bringing them all in at once. If you take on a little and often approach, this is more likely to leave your child with the confidence to gradually build up their skills to the eventual point that they will manage to use the chair without concerns. Patience will be key from both your point of view and your child's.  

Start Off with a Familiar Environment

Undoubtedly, it can be highly useful to start off with a familiar environment rather than pushing them in at the deep end. Choose a place they are properly comfortable with and it is always going to be much more likely that they will build up confidence rather than feeling like they are being too rushed. Your house could be a great place, for instance. Then move onto your street or their school, and so on. 

Prepare to Give Plenty of Supervision

Of course, you don't want to worry that they will not be safe when using the chair. So while you want to give your child an eventual sense of increased levels of independence, it is also the case that you should be offering as much supervision as you can give in the first instance. This way, your child is going to be able to build up their confidence levels, and you can also ensure that you feel confident that they are ready.

There is no doubt that powerchairs can make a big difference in the lives of children, but they should always be introduced correctly rather than rushing anything too much when it is not going to be required.