3 Tools to Help Avoid Back Pain When Getting Into & Out of a Car

Metro Car Handle Plus.
1 of 3 Tools to Help Avoid  Back Pain
When Getting Into & Out of a Car. 

If you’re like most caregivers around the country, you have probably helped your elderly friend or loved one get in-and-out of the car thousands of times. This can become a strenuous and sometimes painful activity for everyone involved. As the elderly lose their mobility, getting in-and-out of a car can become annoying and frustrating. For caregivers, frustration and annoyance are mere afterthoughts of the back or hip pain they may experience from the strain of constant lifting. In this post, we’ll share some solutions that we’ve found and that work for us.

For about seven years, I watched my mother spend day after day caring for my aging and very ill grandmother. She would help my Grandma Max with every daily activity including eating, bathing, and using the bathroom. In those seven years, I never heard one complaint from mom about all of the very personal things she had to do in order to care for my Grandma Max. However, there was one activity that my mother absolutely loathed, helping Grandma Max in-and-out of the car. This was a task that my 5’3” 135 lbs. mother was not able to do easily. Going to the pharmacy, grocery store, or doctor’s office became a nightmare for my mother, all because of she had to hold my grandmother’s weight as she sat in the car, and then help lift her up out of the low seat.

Caregivers around the country are faced with this same challenge. That’s why we at The CareGiver Partnership are excited to share some tools we’ve used and found really help. These tools can make transferring into and out of the car much easier. Here are three tools we’ve tried: They are offered by Stander Inc., a Utah based company.

Car Caddie

• HandyBar  has life saving seat belt cutter and window breaker and Metro Car Handle Plus has a flashlight in the handle - These sturdy handles can be placed in almost any car and are used to support the weight of your loved when entering or exiting the vehicle. They work almost universally in any car whether it be the driver’s door or passenger’s door. 

• Car Caddie - Buckle this simple strap on your car door and your loved one will have an ergonomic handle to help them balance while transferring from their seat. 

Swivel Seat Cushion

• Automobility Solutions combines the Swivel Seat Cushion and HandyBar  - The swivel cushion acts as a lazy Susan for your loved one. Because of its ability to rotate, your loved one will experience less stress on their hips and joints when trying to get into or out of the car. 

Unfortunately, my mother never found a solution to this all too common problem. In fact, she may have never even thought that solutions existed. She continued to manually help my Grandma in-and-out of the car for the rest of her life and now suffers from chronic back pain. With all the mobility products on the market, it’s a wonder that caregivers around the world still have relatively little knowledge about available auto safety products like the HandyBar.

If you or someone you know continues to struggle while entering or exiting a vehicle, using a bathroom, getting out of an easy chair, review the entire line of Stander mobility products.

Further Reading: 

Using the Right Products to Increase Mobility

High Tech Tools  Help Seniors Stay Safe and Independent 

How Grandma Clea Regained Her Confidence on Her 90th Birthday

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About The CareGiver Partnership. The CareGiver Partnership helps caregivers and their loved ones with answers to their caregiving questions, including information about home health care products and supplies, from our Wisconsin-based team of Product Specialists who are all current or former caregivers. The company’s Web site provides the largest online library of resources on subjects most important to caregivers — from arthritis to assisted living, and Parkinson’s to prostate cancer — as well as access to more than 3,000 home care products for incontinence, skin care, mobility, home safety and daily living aids. The CareGiver Partnership was founded in 2004 by Lynn Wilson of Neenah, Wisc. Visit www.caregiverpartnership.com to learn more or call 1-800-985-1353.

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