When you're heading to the beach for a family vacation, you want every member of your family to feel included. However, if there's an elderly family member who would struggle with navigating the sand or a child who has recently sustained a broken leg and is using crutches, you won't want to leave these loved ones on the sidelines. Instead of finding a different activity and having everyone miss out on the fun, consider renting a beach wheelchair for your family member who needs it. This wheelchair is dramatically different from a conventional wheelchair but is commonly available at medical equipment rental businesses. Here are some ways that this wheelchair will suit your beach visit:
Large Tires
Perhaps the biggest visual difference between a traditional wheelchair and a beach wheelchair is that the latter has enormous inflatable tires. Whereas traditional wheelchair tires are small and narrow, and wouldn't likely be able to propel the user through the sand, the tires on a beach wheelchair have a wide diameter to make sandy travel easy, as well as a thick width to keep the chair on top of the sand, rather than sinking into it. Whether your loved one is propelling himself or herself in the beach wheelchair or another family member is pushing the device, the user will appreciate being able to join in the beach fun.
Resistance To Water
Traditional wheelchairs should generally remain dry, but this isn't the case with a beach wheelchair. Although these devices can be built of different materials, you'll commonly see them made of PVC-like pipe, which makes them suitable for use in the water. Of course, you want to ensure that your loved one who is using the wheelchair doesn't get too far into the water, but it can be fun to push the user along the edge of the beach so that he or she can feel the splash of the surf and perhaps dip his or her toes in the water.
Protection From The Sun
The bulk of your family may seek shelter from the sun under an umbrella stuck into the sand, but this might not be possible for the person who will be using the beach wheelchair. The good news is that many chairs come equipped with an umbrella that you can quickly open and give the person seated in the chair some shade. Each of these features helps to ensure that your loved one will be a part of your beach excursion.
Contact a medical equipment service for more information and assistance.
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