Using power wheelchairs in the home

[SupportivePartner]

Hello all,

My husband and I just closed escrow on a single story home. We are currently in the process of remodeling (before we move in), and we have a contractor who will be making our shower ADA accessible. My husband is not using a wheelchair at this time, but will likely need a power wheelchair in the near future.

What I’m wondering is, can you use a power wheelchair in a hallway that has a number of turns? If so, how much space do you need to be able to turn your wheelchair in a different direction? Right now, we have one hallway in our new house that has a quick left turn, followed by another quick right turn, and again another quick left turn. The hallway is 33 inches wide. I’m worried my husband won’t be able to move through it with a power wheelchair. If that is the case, then we will most likely need to open up a wall and make another hallway that can just be a straight shot into the bedrooms.

Thanks,

SP

 

[lgelb]

It is a question of turning radius. And are these full turns or just a hall that is not straight? Ours definitely had its angles. How big is your husband? That would give us an idea of seat/frame size, which in turn would inform total width and therefore turning radius.

As an example, 20" wide seat such as a large guy would need (18" is standard), would generally result in a wheelchair about 28" wide in total. And then there is depth -- maybe 41". So for a full turn, that would be a problem at a 90-degree angle, because you'd run out of inches, esp. if there is no running room.

So whether a wheelchair will clear these turns, you can mock something up and find out. Then when the wheelchair is spec'ed out, if you keep the turns, make sure width and depth are minimized within your husband's dimensions, and don't plan to add depth to the chair later, as with a vent tray or bag.

Also factor in whether there is room in the bedroom for both the Hoyer and the wheelchair, for transferring to and from bed. If not, someone will have to drive the wheelchair into that hall, or to another room. Depending on how you do transfers, that might not ultimately be practical.

Your local DME or ALSA may also be able to lend you a chair to test, but every chair is a bit different and needs change (e.g. some PALS need more angled arm rests later in the disease, which adds to width), so if there is any question, plan for the worst.

 

[Diane H]

To evaluate the space, a tape measure is going to be needed. Two pieces of cardboard, one 4 x 4 feet to simulate a Hoyer type of patient lift, and another about 45 x 28 inches to simulate a power wheelchair, will be very helpful. The spec sheets on wheelchairs don't include the leg and foot rests so the length is more than the specs say! Same with the width. Armrests and joysticks add to the width of the chair so a chair is wider than the frame size given in the specs. 45 x 28 inches is close to the actual size of an average power wheelchair-- unless you are going to need an extra wide chair. Lay the cardboard on the floor and "drive" it around the house to see if the doorways, hallways and turns work. This won't be 100% accurate because power chairs vary in size, but it will give you an idea of remodeling needs. One thing that might help is extra wide or even double doors into the rooms he will need to enter. That would be easier the widening the hallway.

 

[KimT]

I would suggest widening the doors. My condo has a lot of turns but the halls were pretty wide. I used a loaner chair to assess my remodeling needs. I used a larger one than I would need and a different style as well. Of course, plan on bumping walls. That's just part of this. I got all my doors widened to 36 inches and completely removed my walk in closet door. I put in two outlets in my closet because it's large enough to park the chair. Right now my chair is in my master bedroom because I'm not using it but testing it was interesting. I ran tile throughout so there are no bumps at any of the thresholds and that is a plus for both walking and riding.

I think I'd want to borrow a chair and test it in your new home. If you go to an ALS support group,maybe you can invite someone over and see how they do.

Best wishes and happy thanksgiving.

 

[Larrytbm]

After you try Diane H's suggestion for a test 'drive', you may find that rather than a major remodel to make a straight hall, you may get by with just notching the corners of the existing hall. A 45 degree notch of just 12 inches can make a big difference w/o taking away a lot of area from the rooms affected.

Also, don't just assume that your contractor meeting ADA accessible specs is sufficient for your husband's needs. It should be a full roll-in shower about 5 ft by 5 ft. There is also several shower faucets on the market that use an ADA grab bar for the adjustable height shower head. And you need a roll-under sink, etc.

 

[Larrytbm]

Other thoughts as well, if you are doing major remodeling, consider installing pocket doors instead of conventional swing doors, easier to use in a wheel chair. Split pocket doors work great, two 18 inch wide pocket doors works much better than a 36 inch wide conventional door. Another option is replacing conventional doors with draperies, especially motorized rods with a switch on both sides of the door opening.

For the shower, consider avoiding a 3 sided enclosure with a narrow door, especially a hard door. Our shower has only two walls and a ceiling mounted shower curtain for the other two sides. Very similar to privacy curtains in hospitals with stainless steel chains above. This makes it ez to use a roll in shower chair and for assistance at any point in the shower process.

 

[gooseberry]

I would look at taking out a non load bearing wall and opening it . I would also widen your doors to 36".....in my opinion rookie drivers, tired drivers, and in general openings cant be too wide.

My husband had plenty of clearance but managed to run into the door frame hard enough that wood chips flew. At some point you may need to steer the chair and it isnt easy.

For the shower mod as wide and as open as possible is better. They can make it so you have a vent style drain along a side or at the end by the faucet. Both minimize mess

 

[Atsugi]

I took an axe, saw, and sledge hammer to the walls near our bathroom, then replaced the door with a curtain. Problem solved.

When I no longer needed room in the house for a wheelchair, I hired a contractor to put it all back together like new.

Landlady was not amused. Gotta do what ya gotta do.