Health Tip: Pushing a Wheelchair Safely

(HealthDay News) — People with limited mobility may not be able to push themselves in a wheelchair. If you are assisting someone in a wheelchair, it is important that you follow safety precautions, says the Loddon Mallee Regional Palliative Care Consortium.

To safely push a wheelchair, the group encourages you to:

  • Plan your route by considering potential obstacles.
  • Avoid narrow doors, steps, low branches, slippery floors and steep footpaths.
  • When pushing, stay close to the wheelchair. Push with your entire body weight.
  • When pushing, keep your arms near your body and your elbows bent.
  • When stopped, ensure that the chair’s brakes are on.
  • To fully apply brakes, push them until they click.