Disabled adult carseat support?

pierogibaby · Apr 29, 2011

I don't know if this is the right place to post this.. but I was hoping someone could help.

My mother in law has MS, she has no control of her body anymore. We bring her to our house once a week, but she has difficulty staying upright in the car.. she slumps forward or to the side with the movement of the car. She's about 5'4 and 100lbs. Is there any extra restraint system out there? Thank you

ketchupqueen · Apr 29, 2011

The Merritt Churchill may be ideal for her. It's a vest that attaches to a booster to support the body in the right position. It fits small adults wonderfully (we put a student in one at my special needs training.) Website: http://www.eztether.com/index.html

It does require either LATCH, or an adaptor to be used in a captains chair.

flipper68 · Apr 30, 2011

There are many car seats for children (and adults) with special needs, but they are expensive. The seats are considered "durable medical equipment" for children. A family's medical insurance will help pay for the seat with letters of justification from Drs./therapists. [I don't have any experience with obtaining equipment for adults, so I don't know if the process is different.]

Adaptivemall has several "car seats" for special needs that might fit. http://www.adaptivemall.com/safetycarseats1.html

An EZ On vest might also work. http://www.ezonpro.com/products/familyVehicle.shtml

Another question: How does your MIL travel to other places? It might be worthwhile to look into a WC accessible van for her use. Have you looked into transportation services for people with special needs in your community (Mass transit in my community has a "handi van" service that transport the elderly or disabled in WC accessible vans. A local cab service has WC accessible vans)?

ketchupqueen · May 2, 2011

Of note, when possible and feasible it is always preferable to transfer to a restraint other than a wheelchair, as transport in a wheelchair is much less safe. Wheelchair transport is a second-best option that should be used when other transport is not available or feasible.

AustinMusic · May 4, 2011

I would definitely look into the options mentioned above and although I don’t have anywhere near the expertise of the previous posters, I can recommend the E-Z-On Vest. We have been using one for a while for a very similar situation and they are very easy to use.

We have the 102 model vest with the push button buckles at the front which makes buckling the vest very simple and quick. Here is the link to the page on the E-Z-On website:

http://www.ezonpro.com/products/familyVehicle/vestClosure.shtml#102PB

If you choose to use the “floor mount”, as we did in our old vehicle, we discovered it was possible to keep the vest secured to the seat, leaving the buckles open when it is not in use. This way when it is needed the person using it can sit down and simply put it on like a jacket. It also makes it easier to assist someone in getting the vest on if they require any help.

Be aware however you will need to install the heavy duty tether anchors to use the vest (these come with whichever type of vest mounting system you choose).

I hope that makes some sense!

Gary.

Disabled adult carseat support?

pierogibaby

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ketchupqueen

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flipper68

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ketchupqueen

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AustinMusic

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