Mobility & Home Equipment

Be sure to place the bed clear of anything that might hinder its movement when being raised or lowered. This may include, but is not limited to, walls, curtains, tables, chairs, trash cans, etc. Also, keep the wheels of the bed locked at all times when not specifically moving the bed. After moving the bed, make sure power cord is still secure in wall outlet.

Your hospital bed has an electric control pad with controls to raise both the head and knees of the bed. It will also raise the entire bed height to allow for easier patient access for the caregiver. Some hospital bed controls have a “lock” feature. If your hospital bed has this feature, you can lock it so the patient cannot change the bed positions themselves or unlock it to give the patient full access to the control. Keep electric control pad dry to avoid malfunction and/or fire.

The side rails should be in the UP position if there is any danger of the patient falling from the bed. The side rails come in two lengths (full and half rails). To raise or lower the side rails, pull out release pin located at bottom of rail while holding rail with opposite hand and then move to desired position. Make sure release pin is secured in new position before leaving patient unattended. In case of a power outage, use the emergency crank that is placed into the bedsprings, under the mattress, at the foot of the bed. Place crank into base of motor and manually turn to raise or lower bed until your electricity has been restored.

To open wheelchair – place hands on the seat rails and push down with both hands.

To close wheelchair - grab the upholstery at center, front, and back of seat and pull up.

To adjust length of leg rests - loosen the nut by the foot plate, adjust, and retighten. Always make this adjustment with the patient’s leg in the elevated position.

To clean wheelchair – wipe with clean damp cloth.

To transport wheelchair – lock wheels, remove foot/leg rests, grab front of frame and rear wheels, and lift carefully.

Put on the shoes you will be wearing when you use the walker. Stand up straight with your feet close together, relax your shoulders, and put the walker in front and partially around you. Place your hands at your sides. The tops of the hand grips should be at the crease of your wrists, if not, adjust the height of the walker by pushing in the buttons on each of the legs and sliding the tube up or down, as appropriate. Make certain the buttons lock back into place and all the legs are adjusted to the same height. Take a few practice steps with the walker to ensure that you can move the walker without bending over.

Stand with the tip of the cane 4 inches to the outside of your foot. The cane should extend from the floor to your hip joint. When holding the cane, your elbow should be flexed at a 30-degree angle. If the cane is made of aluminum, adjust it by pushing in the metal button on the shaft and raising or lowering the shaft to the appropriate height. If the cane is made of wood, the length can be adjusted shorter by removing the rubber tip and sawing off any excess wood, then replacing the rubber tip. Setting up your equipment

When properly adjusted, your cane should allow the elbow to bend slightly. A 30° angle is preferable.

1. Hand/Wrist strap
2. Cane Parker
3. Snow boot or ice pick cane tip

Over toilet: Lift toilet seat and lid. Remove pail and lid from commode and adjust commode legs (as described previously when adjusting walker legs) to a height that allows commode to fit just over toilet. Place commode over open toilet and it is ready to use.

At bedside: Adjust commode legs (as described previously when adjusting walker legs). Place pail onto pail supports directly below.

Commode Opening: Place commode against a wall or other secure object and it is ready for use. When finished using commode, place lid over pail to contain odors and to insure against spills.

In Shower: Adjust commode legs (as described previously when adjusting walker legs). Remove pail and lid from commode. Make sure legs of commode are even and commode does not wobble. When finished showering, towel dry the commode.