Floor to Wheelchair Transfer Step-by-Step Tutorial
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ส.ค. 2020
- Falling out of your wheelchair is awful. It's even more awful when you can't get back in by yourself. When it happens in public it's embarrassing and when it happens when you're all alone it's scary. I have been paralyzed for almost 22 years and for 19 of those years I had COULD NOT get in my my chair from the floor on my own. That meant that I never got down on the floor to play with my kids, was nervous to travel on my own, or be home alone for extended periods of time.
2 years ago I made it a priority to learn this skill. At first I was frustrated. I watched so many TH-cam videos and it looked so easy for everyone else. I tried what they were showing me but just couldn't seem to get it. One day I decided enough was enough and I went into my bedroom, made my husband promise not to follow me, and got on the floor and decided not to come out until I had gotten back in my wheelchair. It took me about 2 hours, lots of sweat, tears, and some cursing, but I finally did it. I used the technique that I am going to share in this video.
I hope it helps you or someone you love become more independent!
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Hi Brittany, I LOVE your videos. I'm raising my disabled grand daughter who is almost 9 years old and wheelchair bound. I am trying to figure out how to go on road trips with her and ran across your video. You are refreshingly realistic! I susbscribed and thank you for sharing. Ellen
Awe. Thanks so much! I want everyone in a wheelchair to live a HAPPY, HEALTHY, AWESOME life. And that includes your granddaughter. So glad to have you as a subscriber. If there is ever anything your granddaughter or yourself want to know about my life or how I do something just let me know and I will try to make a video about it!
You do this so well! Good technique, a lot of strength in your arms and shoulders, and even more importantly, great grit and determination!
Its amazing that you can do this! I'm sure this video will help a lot of people.
Very clear, thanks! I especially love where you show written words on the screen.
Will add more writing in my future videos!
Today I did a search of floor transfers to illustrate for a friend how they are done. Since I became a para I have always done the front facing. It was what I was taught. With age this has become increasingly difficult. Trying to find an easier one. I've never been able to do the rear one. However, I always tried to do it with both arms flexed up on the frame and could not get butt high enough. The dominant hand to frame and and lower hand caster with butt rest+lean back makes total sense. Now I must try this one. Subscribed....thanks!
I hope it helps! Keep me posted! I would love to hear how it goes if you try it!
Thank you so much!!! That is very helpful🙏🙏
You're so welcome!
This looks excellent way for me to try getting off and onto my chair i've only seen the hand to the floor technique and like you i feel overbalanced so have never dare try before but this way looks like it might just work for me . (10 years in the chair)
Holy moly young lady. You make it look easy. You're a rockstar! #NeverQuit -- Derec
Awe thanks! Checked out your channel and will subscribe! Excited to follow your van life! My husband wants to build a tiny house!
Great video, do you have a suggestion for if your chairs castor wheels don’t stick out on the sides?
Thank you love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You're welcome!!!!!
Thank you 🌸
You're welcome!
Amazing!!!!!!
😀 thanks!
Great instructional video. You’re a wonderful inspiration who spreads hope and courage. You have helped people like my wife and I whom you don’t even know, just wanted to say thank you kindly. My sweet wife was injured in a car accident 2 years ago, paralyzed t12. We just celebrated out 12 year wedding anniversary. I love her more and more each day , I deeply appreciate your work and the confidence it has inspired into my wife . I constantly tell my wife, “ you are not your hair, your not your skin, you are a soul that lives within”. If possible a video on compression socks, pressure sores and foot care would be helpful. Stay well and keep up the great work
What a wonderful comment to read! Thank you for your kind words! And thank you for the video suggestions! I will absolutely do videos on those things! If you or your wife have any other questions or need support feel free to email me at empoweredpara@gmail.com!
Empowered Para Are you married yes?
@@travelingperfusionist9646 yes I am married
Empowered Para Do you think you could talk about devotees?
@@travelingperfusionist9646 yes definitely! Are you a devotee? Is there something specific about devotees you would like me to talk about?
This looks really good 🌟
Been paralyzed for 3 years and never tried transferring from floor to chair or hardly get on the floor to begin with but two important things to add to your instructions is to have the right kind of chair, solid working brakes and the right design to the footrest as well as having light weight on the body to lift because that's not really possible and requires wayyyyyyyyyyyyy more work on the arms if the paralyzed person is chubby or overweight.
Those are all great suggestions! And super important for a successful transfer! I will try to update to video soon!
@@nay8991 Hello Nathan
I'm doing fine thx --- but since it's been months that I wrote this - I can't remember, did I mention something about my accident ?
My spasms are so bad my legs dance around every time I lift up to get back in my chair. You showed me a better way. Thank you.
You're welcome! I hope it helps!
After 31 years post injury and age 54.... my arms won’t even budge to lift me up back in the chair! Ha! And I workout and stay as strong and healthy as possible. The good ole husband ( or grown children or friends) is my floor to chair transfer secret!! Just found your channel. Commented on a previous video. Keep up the great videos!! Me: T7 complete.
I wipp definitely be training my kids to be my lifting crew! My son is 12 and can already piggyback me around!
@@EmpoweredParaMy goodness! Either he is very strong or you are very light in order to piggyback you!
Baby girl looks just like you!!! Adorable 🥰.
She definitely is starting to look more like me as she gets older! She looked just like my husband for her toddler years. Thanks 😊
Well done. Keep in mind that your body will slowly change. In 30 years, your arms and shoulders will be shot to $hit from over use and everything bone, joint and muscle will ache. Just be prepared. Not just you because I think you’re doing a wonderful job. But all you young people. I was 21 and could conquer the world, which I did. Now I’m nearly 63 and all the years have caught up to me. Take care of your body and just be prepared. I’m just now switching from my car to a van. I never thought it would happen but things change. So use take good care of yourself. Respect!
I hear you loud and clear! I have actually made the conscious choice to not get on the floor as much. I am also really intentional about the exercise I get (meaning I don't overdo it). I always say I'd rather be able to transfer myself onto the toilet for the next 30 years than try to be a hero and show off for the next 5 years and then not be independent longterm. Thank you so much for your insight and advice. It means a lot!
@@EmpoweredPara You’re also smart in keeping tiny. I ballooned up when I got married and had my kids, then I got thin like you but gained some of it back. I’ve lost some again but, at this age, it’s not so easy. You’re doing great and you should be really proud of yourself.
@@k.r.murphy4301 thank you:) 😊 it's a chore to maintain our weight. Wish I could eat all the junk I wanted 😩. I guess we are lucky to be alive and have the privilege to work hard at life!
@@EmpoweredPara Oh you betcha!! Never does a day go by that I don’t give thanks to God in His glory for all the wonderful things that He has given me. Wonderful beyond all belief.
@@k.r.murphy4301 man I love this community and getting to chat with people like you that are supportive and positive! You made my day! 💕💕
Such great instructions!! I'm newly injured. This will help a lot.
I hope so! Keep me posted on whether it works for you! Wishing you so much success with your new circumstances!
@@EmpoweredPara thanks. I will keep you posted. I tried it yesterday and failed but I'm not giving up :)
@@rileywilsoncarson2082 I failed for 19 years lol. Don't give up!
@@EmpoweredPara omg thanks for the encouragement. It can be so frustrating!!!
@@rileywilsoncarson2082 life in a chair is hard sometimes for sure! But it can also be so beautiful if you have the right perspective! Keep your head up! Happy to be a source of support for you when you need it!
Hello ... I am from Algeria .. I do not know English very well ... I really liked your TH-cam channel ...
Thank you!
Respect! You are so SUPER. More greetings from Prague, capital city of Czech republic, Europe Union.👍
Thank you! A big Canadian greeting back at ya!
@@EmpoweredPara
Thanks 😉
what kind of cuisine do you use?
I was looking for your story video and I don’t know if you need one but I saw this and it gave me an idea and I thought I would suggest this until you told me to shut up with my dumb ideas but maybe you could attach a upside down U-shaped bar to your wheelchair with rings like the ones they have in the Olympics for gymnastics and then you could just grab onto the wink rings and pull yourself up and kind of let momentum center you into your chair before you lower your self downThey could even be extendable bars that lock into place so that you don’t always have to have them there. I’ve never ever seen a wheelchair like this and you might feel silly having it but I would feel pretty cool having one like that
Lol. Great suggestion. Not sure how practical it is but it would definitely be handy! We try to keep the weight down as much as possible so lifting the chair is easier when needed. Love that you are thinking outside the box to try and make my life easier!
I’d like to apologize for my earlier remark about floor transfers. Looking at it now it seems really negative and I didn’t intend it to be that way. I only meant that I get frustrated sometimes.
I didn't take it negatively at all! We are in the same boat my friend. I hate lots of things that come with being paralyzed lol. That doesn't make it negative, just real! Thanks for your comments and for taking the time to watch my videos. I am truly grateful!
i use a slightly different technique for my transfers to or from the floor to chair. my technique to get down is the same. To get back in, once i lock the brakes, I place my non-dominant hand on the floor with my dominant hand on the frame of the chair. push up to the footrest. Next, flip around to put your knees on the footrest. Then, grab the back of the seat of the chair with your non-dominant hand and pull up to the seat (I find that this step works best if you have handlebars on the back) and put your dominant hand on the seat towards the middle and maybe slightly towards the non-dominant side of the seat. once you have your upper body securely in a position to do so, move your hand that is on the back of your seat to the wheel and twist your entire body around until your butt is in the seat. once secure adjust your feet as necessary on the footrest.
I cannot figure our how anyone does it that way lol!
@@EmpoweredPara it can be challenging but if you can manage to keep your balance once you get your knees on the footrest the most difficult part for me now is the last step as my seat cushion likes to try to shift under me as I get situated. Plus, since I have spina bifida, I have been dealing with being in a wheelchair all my life.
That might be easier than the way I’ve been doing it, I’ll have to give it a try.
Let me know if it works for you! I'm still working on a few different ways that so far I haven't seemed to be able to master.
@@EmpoweredPara the ONLY way I have been able to get from the floor to the chair (my hip also doesn't bend) is also to slide up on my belly onto a surface with no back, turn myself around and sit. For those with no bowel control, I have a toilet chair facing sideways. It has no back and I often do core strengthening exercises (pumping) in addition to digital stimulation. Sorry if that may have been too much info...but others reading this may benefit.
@@morgancalvi6675 I can't seem to get that technique to pull myself up. Never too much information! I love that you were willing to share that!
@@EmpoweredParaI guess playing basket ball in college helped with the shoulder/arm strength. It only works though if there is no back to an object. If I needed to get in my chair, and there was a back on it, it probably wouldn't work. Always glad to give tips and be helpful. Sadly, I learned much privacy/dignity tend to go out the window when you become a wheelchair user.
@@morgancalvi6675 100% no privacy anymore lol. I like that though 😏. Love talking about poop as soon as I meet someone lol
AS an above the amputee I know the frustration. For me, I have to pivot around and get my good leg/knee under me, and lift with both hands.
My neighbor is an above the knee amputee and boy I sure had no idea the things that amputees deal with! I bet it was,difficult learning to balance and maneuver with one side much heavier than the other!
I use a wheelchair and crutches everyday makes it easier when you have other people to lean on and connect with cuz you know there's other people out there that understand what you're going through you're not alone but that said I would just like to say thank you for the video and I will say you can watch all of the how to videos you want but you also have to do what works for you I discovered that in childhood I've been disabled my entire life however I have a beautiful family
I agree 100%. It's nice to watch TH-cam videos but you really do have to figure out what works for you. Everyone I different and while it helps to see what other people do, its ok to do things differently!
Oh I think you're a fantastic lady it's why I chose to subscribe and watch your videos because I find them helpful having a physical inconvenience you cannot be afraid to learn new things and learn a new way to do things so I absolutely think your channel is helpful and fantastic just like yourself
And as I said before it gives you a way to connect with people who are in similar circumstances it also gives you a way to connect with people and know that you're not alone in the world because I find too often that people with physical and mental disabilities tend to feel alone I know it took me a long time as a child they come to terms with the disability mine is purely physical but it is still a pain in the back side but having other people to connect with makes it bearable
@@coltonmorgan3610 I appreciate your feedback! Glad to have you part of my community!
@@coltonmorgan3610 yes Colton! Helping others with disabilities feel less alone is my top priority! I think having others with similar circumstances to talk to and relate to helps people live their lives to the fullest.
Brittany would you do anything different if yo had a dress on ?
I wouldn't be crawling around on the floor with a dress on lol
Thats one of the first things i had to learn in rehab and i still hate it
It is such a valuable skill!! Good for you for learning it right away instead if taking 19 years like me!
Experimentation is key. I've been in a wheelchair since the age most people learn to walk, but, I cannot get the hand placement correct in order to slide back into my chair; I have to boost up to sit on the foot rest, turn, and pull myself up into the chair.
I have been trying to do it that way and can not figure it out lol. Funny how we all have different ways that work for us! I'll keep trying your way to aee if I can get it!
@@EmpoweredPara It's much more important to find a way that works for the individual. Since your way works for you, by all means, keep doing it the way that you're used to; there's no "one size fits all" way to to transfer.
@@AndrewSmoot 100% agree. I had to find my own way.
@@EmpoweredPara Also, sometimes, if I don't shift quickly enough, I do end up pulling the chair and tipping it forward.
@@AndrewSmoot that's what I am always afraid of doing it forward.
💯% 😘
Question. What if I dont have a caster arm(fork and wheel assembly bolted directly to to horizontal frame), to use?
Maybe you could push off the floor with the hand I use the caster arm for?
I'll try that. I really need to learn to start getting out of my chair, the way you do. I'm not a para by medical definition, but my Dr says I basically am since I have minimal control of my legs. My go to way to get to the floor is litterally belly flop foreward(feet down thrust of and over); but as I get older my body isnt as impressed with that way as it was in the begininning.
@@wheelerdave I admire people that are brave enough to do it that way lol!
👌👌💪
Hmmmm... It's something I would try.
The way I transfer? Or a floor to chair transfer?
@@EmpoweredPara
I'll try your it your way.
@@itzeeyanbaby lol I read your comment wrong. I though it said it ISN'T something you would try. I was confused lol. Makes more sense now that I read it correctly!
🍓🌻🌻
At what height do you have the spinal injury?
T6
@@EmpoweredPara io T4
You have beautiful eyes
Thanks:)
Hello my friend I am also disabled and my hands are not good I am also like you and I am from Pakistan I had an accident in dubai I got hurt on my neck due to which I can't walk anything below my breast Not felt
Vc pode treme a penas
My chair just flips forward if I try that
I do the lift pretty quickly. It the chair is really light it will yip forward for a second until you get up. I alway have a heavy backpack on mine so it keeps it balanced.
Why don't they make a wheel chair were the seat can move all the way to floor and back up like a fork left fork🤔
That would be super cool 😎 . Probably expensive though
Do your wheels come off the chair ?
Yes they do.
@@EmpoweredPara yeah it’s better like that my boyfriend has the same type of chair. Also has a special gas petal on steering wheel on car
@@qwertya109 I have hand controls for my vehicle. Does your boyfriend have a spinal cord injury?
@@EmpoweredPara L4,L5 you know what’s funny he never told me exactly what it was
@@EmpoweredPara spina bofida
Do you not find it easier to bend your legs obviously lifting with your hands to give you more leverage
If I bend my legs they flop sideways and make it awkward to get up.
Empowered Para ahh I see sorry was just a idea
@@ilovebrean no worries! I appreciate the questions and LOVE suggestions from other people! Keep it coming! That's how we learn and grow!
U r so beautiful
Awe thanks!
Why is that chair so wide..did you lose weight? Your daughter's adorable. I was at a restaurant a week or so ago...went down the ramp (too quickly I guess) and the chair hit a clump of grass and I did a face plant out of my chair. I landed on my elbow, which I had already broken twice, and really wrenched my shoulder. I'm not able to get back in my chair because I have a busted hip, pelvis and leg, and was sooo embarrassed Finally my beau lifted me back into it...but I scared the hell out of everyone because I just laid there and didn't move and the chair was on top of me. Finally I unbuckled my seat belt (this is one of those times when having a seat belt on is a bad thing) and the chair fell over...so they knew I was alive at least.
No it was just ordered wrong! My first wheelchair was even bigger!
@@EmpoweredPara that's going to injure your shoulders. With 2 kids and a house...you need your shoulders.
@@morgancalvi6675 I got a new chair recently that fits me properly! Finally! I wish I had known easier how bad an I'll fitted chair was for my shoulders! Thank you for looking out for me!
@@EmpoweredPara I got power assist wheels and OMG, what a difference a day makes!
@@morgancalvi6675 that's on my list of things to get!
Your wheelchair looks a little wide to me
Yes it's too big for me:) getting a new one really soon!
I don't have a racy wheelchair like you have, what you are doing is no good for my kind of chair.
Hope you're able to figure out a way that works for you:)
No Socks add video exercise feet
Por qué tiwmblan tus piernas? No que eres paralitica y no mas mueves
Cuando está paralizado todavía tiene reflejos en las piernas que le provocan espasmos.
Wow gracias por la información deverias hacer un video hablando de esos reflejos. Saludos :)
@@valerymon9706 sí, planeo hacer un video sobre espasmos en el futuro!