Caring for My Wife
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The day sheet

The Power Chair Battery Dies Mid-Day. Name Who Charges It, Who Logs It, and Who Calls for Service

A fixed charge time, a short charge log, and a planned way to move her if the chair goes down keep a power chair working.

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A power chair rarely fails on a quiet day. It fails when someone forgot to plug it in, or when the battery has been losing range for weeks without anyone noticing. Keeping it working is a set of small, named jobs.

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.

Put the charge on the day sheet

Give charging its own line on the 24-hour sheet, at a fixed time, usually when the chair is parked for the night. Plug it in and check the charger light before you leave the room. Keep the cord out of the walkway. Read the manual to learn whether the chair can charge while she is sitting in it, and whether it should be unplugged before she uses it.

Keep a short charge log

Write one line at the start and end of the day: the charge level if the display shows it, or a plain note of how far the chair ran. A trend shows up in about a week. If the chair runs a shorter distance each week, the battery is aging or the charge is not finishing. That is the moment to call for service, not after the chair stops in the hallway.

Know the service interval

Find the service interval in the manual and write it on the card. Ask the dealer whether their service includes a battery check, and whether they have a loaner chair if a repair runs long. Write the service desk phone number on the card too, so no one has to search for it while she is waiting.

Plan for the chair being down

The chair will fail when you need it most, so decide the backup now. If there is a manual wheelchair in the home, name who will bring it, check that it fits through the bedroom and bathroom doors, and name a second person by name on the sheet. The transfer itself belongs in its own written plan, so do not work it out on the day.

Storage and paperwork

Very cold garages and hot cars drain batteries faster. Ask the dealer what temperature range is fine for storing the chair and the battery. Keep the warranty terms on the card and the receipt in one folder inside the house, not in the car.