Her Wheelchair Brakes Are the Check Nobody Runs. Give the Weekly Test an Owner

A manual wheelchair is used every day, and its brakes, anti-tip wheels, and footrests wear without warning. Nobody notices until the chair rolls when it should not. The fix is a short test that repeats on a schedule, with one person who owns it.

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.

The five-minute test

Find a flat floor away from rugs and thresholds. Set both brakes, then push the chair gently forward and back. It should not roll. Release the brakes and confirm both levers return fully and the locking tabs engage without sticking.

Check the anti-tip wheels at the back. They should touch the floor when the chair is at rest and should not be worn flat or cracked. Swing each footrest out and back, and make sure it locks in place. Check the seat belt buckle and the frame bolts you can reach without tools.

Where the chair should not be

Keep the chair off slopes, ramps that have not been checked, and any floor with loose mats. If the brakes hold on one side and not the other, do not leave her in the chair on any incline. Move her to a bed or a sturdy chair, and call for service before the next use.

Clean the parts that touch her

Wash the seat cushion cover on the schedule the maker lists, and check the cushion for splits or flattening. Wipe down the armrests and footrests after meals and after any accident. These are simple jobs, but they go undone when nobody is assigned to them.

Who owns what

Write three names on the day sheet: the person who runs the weekly test, the person who calls for service, and the person who keeps the manual and the serial number. The manual and serial number belong with the sheet, not in a drawer, because a service call goes faster when the model is known.

Log each test in one line, with the date you do it, what you checked, and anything that felt different. A line that says brakes felt soft on the left is enough to start a service call before the chair fails.

When to call the shop

Call for service if a brake will not hold, a locking tab sticks, an anti-tip wheel is worn, or a footrest will not lock. Do not try to fix a brake spring or a wheel bearing yourself unless the maker's manual covers it step by step. A shop visit costs less than a fall, and the log gives the technician a starting point.