Standing Wheelchairs

Standing wheelchairs have specific characteristics in Wheelchair Mobility that other wheelchairs do not offer. They typically have assistive technology that allows the user to raise the chair from a seated position to a standing position. The chair in this instance is similar to a standing frame and provides support to the user in this position and facilitates interaction with people and objects at eye level.

Types

These chairs are usually available as manual chairs, half-power or full-power wheelchairs. The powered chair uses a hydraulic or other powered lifting mechanism to raise the chair from a seating position to a standing position while the others have a manual lifting mechanism.

Usage and Benefits

These standing chairs are mostly used by people with various mild to severe disabilities such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury and others. They are also widely used by people with paraplegia and quadriplegia. They can also be a custom wheelchair as adjustments can be made to suit individual needs.

These custom wheelchairs may prevent some of the problems often associated with wheelchair confinement such as poor circulation, urinary track infections, skin breakdown, shoulder pain, and others. Using the chair for passive standing can help promote better circulation, better urinary drainage, help reduce skin breakdown, and facilitate a greater sense of well-being. It also increases the user’s independence and productivity for improved quality of life.

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