Ok fellow parents, I’m 54, and I was once a very healthy, strong, young woman who could lift a wheelchair into the boot of a car no problem or do any physio with David. I could help him move easily, lift him, bathe and shower him no problem.
Now ladies and gentleman, what happens, if you are doing it for 25 years….. you start to have severe back pain. This is not a “woe but me” article. However, if you only take this one piece of advice from me, I’m pleading with you to take this.
Before you lift a wheelchair or help your child onto a hoist, stair-lift, shower and change your child (no matter how old), ask a physiotherapist to your home, I honestly don’t care how much the cost is to you because the cost, in the long run, will be greater, not only to your pocket but to your personal health.
Ask the physio how you should be bending, reaching and holding yourself properly to avoid any damage. Ask them to look at how you lift a wheelchair into the car and again out of the car as the movements are different, what position you should be in when you take off and put on your child’s shoes. Ask how to stand in the best way to support your child and yourself. Even ask them if the wheelchair the correct height for you and are you pushing it properly. This may sound silly, but every 1% counts at the end of the day.
Ask the physio to go to your house and show any family members the correct method to lift and hold your child by putting the least amount of pressure onto their body.
Remember, your long-term health is exceptionally important to your child, and I was like a Superwoman who never thought of the consequences to my physical health. If I could go back in time, this would have been the first place, I would have spent money on and taken care of.
Any questions or queries don’t hesitate to contact me.
