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Electric assistance motors for the caregivers or assistant of people in wheelchairs are a fundamental element. An attendant may be a spouse or other family member, a nurse or healthcare assistant, or a paid employee who helps the occupant move around. Pushing a wheelchair as an assistant may seem like an easy task, but assistants face the same difficulties as wheelchair users when interacting with the environment.
Additionally, pushing a wheelchair a long distance for a long period of time can be very tiring, as it is difficult to push wheelchairs up long slopes, over uneven terrain, or over uneven surfaces. Even ramps that meet standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) can be difficult to climb for wheelchair pushers of any strength. It is clear that the stress caused by pushing a wheelchair can lead to fatigue and injury.
Nurses, psychiatrists, and home health aides are occupations that consistently suffer a high number of workplace injuries with nearly 800,000 injuries and illnesses reported. In 2021, 54 percent of nursing injuries were determined to be musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
MSD is a condition in which a part of the musculoskeletal system is injured over time and is often caused by overexertion, repetitive motion, and repetitive action.
Pushing a wheelchair could cause excessive strain and lead to injury. Not only do nurses experience stress, but family members who assist may also face overexertion. Products that relieve the strain associated with pushing a wheelchair could prevent injuries and improve the lives of assistants who are nurses and family members of wheelchair users.
A wheelchair mobility aid can be used to assist an assistant in difficult situations and prevent strain or injury due to overexertion. There are some products that address these needs, however, they are very expensive and can take away the benefits of a manual wheelchair as they are large and cumbersome.
Most wheelchair users have a household income of less than $10,000, while a very small percentage of the population earns more than $25,000. The average family cannot afford existing products, so it is important that a modernized mobility aid is affordable and still maintains the benefits of a manual wheelchair.
Next week related articles: How can we improve accessibility for disabled people? How could you make the workplace more accessible for someone in a wheelchair? How do you overcome wheelchair barriers? How can we improve the lives of people with disabilities? Why is accessibility important for disabled people? What is accessibility in disability? What is wheelchair accessibility? What are the 3 aspects of accessibility? What is the difference between wheelchair accessibility and universal accessibility?
