Entering and existing a vehicle

Pipaw

I have a terrible time getting my wife into our vehicle. She doesn’t have the strength to put her legs up into the vehicle (Highlander). We have the assist handles, but strength to pick/pull oneself up into the vehicle is not there. Putting her buttocks on the seat then swinging legs in is the best option, but getting into the seat is the area I’m struggling with. With a lot of effort on my part I manage to get her onto the seat, but she wants to lie down before I can swing her legs onto the car’s floorboard. This isn’t doing my back any good. My wife is in stage 5 and some 6 according to my own calculations. Any help/suggestions will be appreciated.

Pipaw

lqadams

My husband also has trouble getting into our SUV. He tries to get in head first . Physical therapist showed him how to put butt in first and then swing in legs. Like your wife, that is still difficult. I keep a hand towel close by. Fold it so its narrow and use it like a sling under his legs.  Lift legs, one at a time, and swing in for him while he is holding the hand grip by door frame.

Hal42

Hello Pipaw! We have a pick-up truck. I have a stool that we use for my wife to step up on and then onto the running board and then into the truck before sitting down on the seat. She also uses the grab bars to help pull herself in. The stool height is about half the distance from the ground to the running board. I keep an open top tote on the back seat to put the stool in when not using it.  

I have seen lower stools than ours, just don’t remember where. There are swivel seats you can buy to put on your car seat. You back up, sit down and swivel in to the vehicle. I haven’t tried those. 

Hope this helps.

Doityourselfer

I had a very difficult time getting my husband into a car starting 2 years ago.  He would try to get in sitting backwards.  He hasn't left the house since March of this year so we don't have that problem anymore.  His doctor makes house calls thank goodness.  He's in the severe stage of Alzheimer's.

ButterflyWings

Oh Pipaw -- sorry to hear this. As if we don't have enough challenges, it seems like there is always a little extra hurdle for our PWD LOs and us to have to deal with, no matter what.

My biggest challenge right now is DH refusing to go anywhere period. Meaning I am stuck too, and sometimes I really, really need to take care of a short but important errand. I only succeeded in getting a person to stay with him for 1 hour, once recently but she wasn't suitable for repeating that. 

Anyway, your post got my attention as the 4 or 5 times in the last couple of months that we have actually made it to the car and driven around a bit, I noticed DH is having trouble getting his 2nd leg out. His foot (shoe?) gets stuck at the last moment before actually clearing the door/floorboard part (don't know what that's called). We have a midsize SUV so I think the height is part of the problem now. You step down when getting out and he has trouble lifting the second leg higher or just pulling it harder to free it and stand solidly on both feet. So for a minute or so, he is standing with one foot outside the car, holding onto the door he just opened (and it moves when he leans), while trying to drag his remaining foot out of the car behind him. Of course he doesn't want my help, and I've been holding my breath hoping he doesn't faceplant during this balancing act. 

So, the dealerships been calling urging trade-ins (supposedly there are covid production shortages and they need cars...??) Could be a sales gimmick but watching DH struggle with exiting the car a few times it occurred to me that maybe our SUV days are behind us. Its only going to get harder for him. And maybe a regular car, lower to the ground, will make it easier to convince him to leave the house at least for a short ride, more often. BTW, he loves it when we actually are driving, listening to his favorite oldies streaming on satellite radio and reading out loud every sign he sees. 

I love hearing all the adaptive devices and strategies like the swivel seat and stepstool Hal42 mentioned, and lqadams sling strategy! I don't know that we will need those if he continues refusing to leave the house though. That's where we are lately.  Good luck Pipaw!

Rescue mom

Butterfly wings—it’s true there is a national shortage of used cars. It’s a great, seriously great, time to sell one. The problem is if you have to buy another, new or used. Prices for all, everywhere apparently, are through the roof, and big delays for many new models. There’s been a good bit of news about this in last couple months if you want more.

And a PS that yes, as said below, too low is also bad. DH could sort of “fall in” but getting out was a big problem.

Hal42

When shopping for another vehicle, don’t get one too low. You don’t want to fall in and have to climb out. My wife’s Honda Accord was that way.

Jo C.

So sorry this is happening and can well imagine the stress.  It may be that the vehicle may no longer be a good fit for this stage of her condition.

I see where the swivel seat, hand holds, step up stool, etc. have been discussed.  There is also a "leg lifter" that can be used getting into an out of a car or up onto the bed, etc.  This will not solve all the issues you present, but it is a big help.

When I had injured myself, this was a great help for me to lift the affected limb until I recouped; I used it in the sitting position to get my injured limb where I needed it to be:

https://www.amazon.com/RMS-Durable-Mobility-Wheelchair-Replacement/dp/B076CP2DS3/ref=zg_bs_3776811_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VHWGKTP78KY79JY3HEE6

Told my husband, that at this stage of our life at least one of our two vehicles must be a four doo sedan and a larger model car.  One of the issues is that many of the seats in vehicles are no longer flat; for some reason each side of the seat is "folded" up - to kind of cup the backside - unfortunately not an area of all sized rears.  

I so hope that some of the items will be helpful for you and will help that you will not sustain a injury.  I send very best wishes your way.

J.

shardy

I remember this well with Mom. When she first started having problems with it she would attempt to climb in to my explorer which would leave her with her upper torso in the driver's seat and her knees on the passenger seat and no way to turn and sit down. So she would have to be directed on how to crawl back out.

For us the answer was I always reminded her " Butt first". She could comprehend that and as long as her butt went in first she was then sitting and I could put her feet in and buckle her up.

Stuck in the middle

Pipaw, I have to climb to enter a Highlander too.  The are great cars and probably super comfortable for long-legged people, but that's not me.  If your wife's butt is lower than the seat when she's standing by the car, so you have to lift her to do the "butt first" maneuver described by Shardy, you probably should trade cars before you injure your back.

I drive a Nissan Maxima.  People ranging from 58 to 74 inches tall ride in it pretty comfortably.  YMMV of course.