Coping With Everyday Obstacles; A Note To Wheelchair Assistants - Invacare 9000XT Recliner Owner's Operator And Maintenance Manual

SECTION 2—SAFETY/HANDLING OF WHEELCHAIRS
To!assure!stability!and!proper!operation!of!your!wheelchair,!you!MUST!maintain!proper!
balance!at!all!times.!Your!wheelchair!has!been!designed!to!remain!upright!and!stable!
during!normal!daily!activities!as!long!as!you!DO!NOT!move!beyond!the!center!of!gravity.
Virtually!all!activities!which!involve!movement!in!the!wheelchair!have!an!effect!on!the!
center!of!gravity.!Invacare!recommends!using!seat/chest!positioning!straps!for!additional!
safety!while!involved!in!activities!that!shift!your!weight.
DO!NOT!lean!forward!out!of!the!wheelchair!any!further!than!the!length!of!the!armrests.!
Make!sure!the!casters!are!pointing!in!the!forward!position!whenever!you!lean!forward.!
This!can!be!achieved!by!advancing!the!wheelchair!and!then!reversing!it!in!a!straight!line.

Coping With Everyday Obstacles

Coping!with!the!irritation!of!everyday!obstacles!can!be!alleviated!somewhat!by!learning!
how!to!manage!your!wheelchair.!Keep!in!mind!your!center!of!gravity!to!maintain!stability!
and!balance.

A Note to Wheelchair Assistants

When!assistance!to!the!wheelchair!user!is!required,!remember!to!use!good!body!
mechanics.!Keep!your!back!straight!and!bend!your!knees!whenever!tipping!the!
wheelchair!or!traversing!curbs,!or!other!impediments.
DO!NOT!attempt!to!lift!the!wheelchair!by!any!removable!(detachable)!parts.!Lifting!by!
means!of!any!removable!(detachable)!parts!of!the!wheelchair!may!result!in!injury!to!the!
user!or!damage!to!the!wheelchair.
ALWAYS!check!hand!grips!for!looseness!before!using!the!wheelchair.!If!loose!and/or!
worn,!replace!IMMEDIATELY.
9000!XT!RECLINER!ONLY!#!DO!NOT!use!the!spreader!bar!to!lift!the!wheelchair.
Also,!be!aware!of!detachable!parts!such!as!the!spreader!bar!(9000!XT!RECLINER!ONLY),!
armrests!or!legrests.!These!MUST!NEVER!be!used!to!move!the!wheelchair!or!as!lifting!
supports,!as!they!may!be!inadvertently!released,!resulting!in!possible!injury!to!the!user!
and/or!assistant(s).
When!learning!a!new!assistance!technique,!have!an!experienced!assistant!help!you!before!
attempting!it!alone.
WARNING
DO NOT attempt to reach objects if you have to move forward in the seat or pick
them up from the floor by reaching down between your knees.
The seat depth, back height/angle, seat angle, size/position of the front casters,
size/position of the rear wheels, anti-tipper model, as well as the user condition
directly relate to the stability of the wheelchair. Any change to one or any combina-
tion of the ten may cause the wheelchair to decrease in stability. These adjustments
MUST be performed by a qualified technician.
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9000 Series Part No. 1056953