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One of the main benefits of custom power wheelchairs is their ability to tilt and recline. This feature will help you relieve pressure on your back, rear, shoulders, and thighs.
Tilting and reclining once every 15-20 minutes will improve your circulation and help prevent bedsores, which are uncomfortable—and often lingering—injuries to skin and tissue that are caused by prolonged pressure on one area. |
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Staying in bed all day can lead to bedsores, edema (swelling caused by fluid trapped in your tissues), and depression. During the day, we encourage you to spend as much time in your custom power wheelchair as you are comfortable, both for your body and your mind. You will be more engaged with life and with others, and can still take naps and relax.
Ask your assistive technology professional (ATP) or physical or occupational therapist for training on how to tilt and recline as well as how to return to a seated position. |
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If, for any reason, a tilt-and-recline power wheelchair will not work for you, you may want to ask about manual tilt-in-space wheelchairs. These chairs do not have the same functionalities as a custom power chair, but they will give you the ability to tilt and relieve pressure.
Update: Power-Elevating Seats Are Now Covered
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Power-elevating seats allow you to rise vertically in your power wheelchair, which can make it easier to transfer, socialize, and perform activities of daily living.
Until recently, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) did not cover power-seat elevators. But it reversed course, and as of May 2023, Medicare will now cover seat-elevation devices because it deems them medically necessary for people who meet certain conditions. Learn more |
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