Roll Mobility Blog
Caregiver Stories: Terri Corcoran
Thanks to Terri Corcoran for her caregiver advice!
As a full-time caregiver for her husband who suffers from a degenerative brain illness, Terri Corcoran knows the stress and isolation that can become overwhelming to a caregiver. In her search to find support, Terri came to realize the immeasurable benefits of sharing in a community of caregivers who know exactly what you are experiencing. She’s also come to learn the joy of using her experience to help others through her work on the Board of Directors at Well Spouse™ Association. Below, Terri shares some of the insights she has gained during her time as a caregiver.
Roll Mobility (RM): How do you find the support that you need as a caregiver?
Terri: My support is from my church and the Well Spouse Assn., for spousal caregivers.
RM: How do you help your husband stay as mobile and independent as possible?
Terri: I have home health aides to help me help my ill spouse do the little walking that he can. I have worked very hard at this for many years. I have kept him healthy aside from his degenerative brain illness, which has caused severe physical and cognitive disabilities. I hired a private therapist to work with him every 3 weeks.
RM: What steps have you taken to keep your husband safe?
Terri: He is never left alone in the house. At this point he cannot get up by himself, so he does not fall like he used to.
RM: What is the most helpful caregiving tip that you could share with another
caregiver?
Terri: Find a support group with other caregivers who are walking your difficult journey. Caregiving is extremely isolating, and you need to be with people who really understand what you are going through.
Prevent Falls for Seniors while Walking
A rollator can help prevent falls for seniors and rehabilitative patients.
Seniors commonly fall while doing everyday activities like walking to the bathroom or stepping up on a landing. Throw rugs, raised thresholds, and objects on the floor are just a few of the tripping hazards that seniors face. Thanks to mobility devices like rollators and canes, however, seniors can take back their independence and reduce the chances of a fall.
Canes and rollators provide walking support at home, at the mall, around the neighborhood, and almost anywhere your loved one needs to go. Single-point walking canes are best for users who need a slight balance check every once in awhile. For users who need more support, a quad cane is the next step up. With four points of contact with the ground, quad canes are more stable. A small base quad cane is small enough to use on stairs. A large base quad cane is too large for the average flight of stairs but provides more support for users who need it, especially for heavier users.
If a quad cane no longer provides enough support, consider a wrap-around frame. Walkers and rollators wrap around the body to provide support in front and on both sides. To move a walker, the user either slides the walker forward, lifts it and moves it forward, or lifts the back of the walker and rolls it forward on the two front wheels. Rollators are easier to move, but the user must be able to operate the hand brakes for control.
Deciding which type of mobility aid is right for your loved one is a choice that your doctor, health care provider, or physical therapist can help you make. Each individual’s needs and level of mobility is different, so don’t be afraid to ask for recommendations on mobility equipment from your medical support team.
Roll Mobility Now Authorized Invacare Dealer
Invacare Transport Wheelchair now available at Roll Mobility!
Roll Mobility is now an authorized dealer for Invacare, a leading manufacturer of home and long-term care products. Along with wheelchairs and rollators, Invacare also offers a full line of bariatric equipment, electric scooters, respiratory products, and other homecare products. Invacare ranked among the top 500 U.S. manufacturers in IndustryWeek magazine’s U.S. 500 for 2009.
Roll Mobility plans to expand its line of Invacare products soon. Current Invacare products available at Roll include the following:
Veranda Wheelchair – Durable, economical wheelchair with 18″ seat width, cushioned nylon upholstery, and a stylish silver vein frame.
Tracer Transport Chair – Affordable wheelchair transportation for shopping malls, airports, hospitals, churches, and other public locations. Folds down into a compact size for easy transport.
Value Line Bariatric Rollator – Deep, wide frame rollator with reduced overall width to fit easily through standard household doorways.
Value Line 6″ Wheel Rollator – Easy-to-operate rollator with padded seat and backrest for comfort and support.
Transporting a Wheelchair
Removing the leg rests and quick release wheels makes it easier to lift a wheelchair.
Loading a wheelchair into a vehicle can be cumbersome. Even a lightweight wheelchair can be awkward and heavy to lift, especially when the vehicle has a high threshold. But there are ways to make it easier to transport a wheelchair.
A folding wheelchair is easier to handle than a rigid frame or a standard power chair. Removing accessories such as the leg rests, arm rests, and quick release wheels (if available) makes the wheelchair lighter and easier to lift.
If you are lifting the wheelchair into the trunk or rear hatch of a vehicle, cover the bumper and sill with a thick rug or moving blanket to protect your vehicle from scratches. You can use the rug to cover the wheelchair and protect it from sliding around in the trunk. If you are lifting the wheelchair into the back seat, use a rug or heavy blanket to cover the seat and keep it from getting dirty or snagged.
Check the weight of the wheelchair and make sure it does not exceed the recommended weight for lifting. If the wheelchair is too heavy to lift safely, consider using a van ramp or vehicle lift instead. It’s better to play it safe than risk injuring your back.
A wheelchair van ramp can be installed semi-permanently or used as a portable ramp for temporary or occasional use. A manual ramp requires a little more effort to use but is cheaper and easier to install than a powered ramp or lift.
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