The car is the one part of the day that usually gets handled by guess. The trip starts when you open the passenger door and ends when she is seated, belted, and the door is closed. Between those two points there are four measurements that decide whether you can do the trip alone at all: the door opening, the seat height, the room for her legs, and the path from the front step to the car.

Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.

Do not attempt a car transfer alone until her therapist or care team has shown you the method she can use and you have written it down. This article is about the fit of the car, not the technique of the move.

Measure the door opening and the swing

Open the passenger door fully and measure the gap from the edge of the seat to the door frame at the top and at the sill. Then measure how far the door swings before it hits a wall, a post, a garage frame, or the next car. If the door cannot open wide enough for her to turn and sit, the car is the problem, not her.

Measure the seat height against her own chair

Measure from the ground to the top of the passenger seat cushion. Then measure the seat height of the chair she uses most at home, from the floor to the top of its cushion. Write both numbers on the day sheet. If the car seat is much lower than her home chair, she has to lower herself further to sit and pull herself further to stand. A swivel cushion raises the seat, so test it with the cushion in place and note its added height. Check that the swivel locks before you rely on it.

Check the room for her legs and the belt

Sit in the passenger seat yourself, with the door open to the width she would use, and check the footwell space. Find where the belt anchor sits and whether the belt reaches her across the seat without twisting. A belt that must be stretched or reached awkwardly is a sign the seat does not fit the job.

Test the wheelchair or walker in the trunk

If she uses a wheelchair or a rollator, measure the folded chair, its weight on a bathroom scale, and the height of the trunk opening. Note whether the back seat folds and where the chair sits when loaded. Then load it once with the brake set and take it out again. Ask the honest question: can you lift the folded chair out of the trunk alone, in the rain, at the end of a long appointment? If not, that answer goes on the handoff list, not on your back.

Walk the path from the door to the car

Walk from the front step to the car door at the speed she moves, with her chair or walker. Count the steps, and note curbs, cracked concrete, and any slope toward the driveway. Note where you will park on a day when the driveway is full. Put the walk time on the day sheet, because the first few feet decide how long the whole trip takes.

When the car does not fit

Some cars will never fit the job, and that is a legitimate answer. Compare your options on the same four measurements: a different seat height, a door that opens wider, a back seat that folds, or a ride service whose vehicle suits her chair. Before you book any ride, ask the provider to confirm the vehicle, the door, and the lift method in writing. If you need help finding a ride or a second person for the walk, see Local Help for Husband Caregivers.

What goes on the day sheet

Write each trip as its own line: start time, walk time, the transfer with a helper if one is needed, the drive, and the return at the end. Then copy the four numbers from this page onto a card in the glovebox, so the next trip starts from measurements, not memory. Recheck the numbers once a season, and again whenever the car or her chair changes.

The Passenger Seat Sets the Transfer: Measure the Door, the Seat Height, and the Path Before the First Ride