How to choose a suitable electric wheelchair for the elderly?

The electric wheelchair for the elderly is the most convenient means of transportation for the elderly who have difficulty walking. Many people worry about choosing a wheelchair. The selection of a wheelchair should be based on fit and comfort.
Due to the decrease of physical function, the elderly may cause lower limb dysfunction and difficulty in walking, which greatly affects the daily life and social activities of the elderly. Choosing a wheelchair is not the more expensive the better, the most important thing is that it is suitable for you. If the selection of wheelchairs is unreasonable, it will not only cause economic waste, but also cause physical harm. Therefore, when you choose an electric wheelchair for the elderly, try to go to a professional institution, and choose a wheelchair that suits your physical function under the evaluation and guidance of professional technicians.
1. Seat width
After the elderly sit on the elderly electric wheelchair, there should be a gap of 2.5-4 cm between the legs and the armrest. If it is too wide, the arms will stretch too much when pushing the wheelchair, which will cause fatigue, the body will not be able to maintain balance, and it will not be able to pass through the narrow aisle. When the elderly rest in a wheelchair, their hands cannot be comfortably placed on the armrests. If the seat is too narrow, it will damage the skin of the buttocks and outer thighs of the elderly, making it inconvenient for the elderly to get on and off the wheelchair.
2. Seat length
The reasonable length of the electric wheelchair seat for the elderly is that after the elderly sit down, the front edge of the cushion is 6.5 cm behind the knee, about 4 fingers wide. If the seat is too long, it will press against the back of the knee, compress blood vessels and nerve tissue, and damage the skin. If the seat is too short, it puts more pressure on the hips, causing discomfort, pain, soft tissue damage, and pressure ulcers.
3. Seat back height
Under normal circumstances, the upper edge of the chair back should be about 10 cm under the armpit, about the width of a finger. The lower the chair back, the greater the range of motion of the upper end of the body and the arms, and the more convenient the functional activities, but the support surface is small, which affects the stability of the body. Therefore, only the elderly with good balance and relatively light mobility impairment choose the electric wheelchair for the elderly with low seat back. On the contrary, the higher the back of the chair and the larger the support surface, it will affect the physical activity, so it is necessary to adjust the height depending on the person.
4. Armrest height
In the case of adduction of the arms, the forearm is placed on the back of the armrest, and the elbow flexion is about 90 degrees, which is normal. If the armrest is too high, the shoulders are easily fatigued, and the pushing of the wheel ring is very likely to cause abrasions to the skin of the upper arm. When the armrest is too low, driving the wheelchair will easily cause the upper arm to lean forward, causing the body to lean out of the electric wheelchair for the elderly. If you use a wheelchair in a forward leaning position for a long time, it is likely to cause deformation of the spine, compression of the chest, and poor breathing.
5. Height of seat and footrest

The height of the seat and the pedals are in a coordinated relationship with each other. If the seat is high, the pedals will be relatively low, and on the contrary, the pedals will be high. Under normal circumstances, when the elderly sit in a wheelchair, their lower limbs are placed on the pedals, and the front 1/3 of the lower leg is about 4 cm higher than the front edge. If the seat of the electric wheelchair for the elderly is too high or the pedals are too low, the lower limbs will lose their support points and hang in the air, and the body cannot maintain balance. On the contrary, if the seat is too low or the footrest is too high, the buttocks will bear all the gravity, causing discomfort for the elderly. Sitting for a long time will damage the soft tissues of the buttocks. In addition, it will be particularly difficult to use an electric wheelchair for the elderly.