Wheelchair transfer I left it with peace of mind ... December 26 18:52
Recently, elderly people in wheelchairs who have to be picked up by car at nursing homes have come to be seen frequently. However, there are accidents in which people fall in a car or die in a traffic accident while others are safe.
The family said. "I can't believe that I just got on a car in a car at a nursing care facility I took care of."
How do I protect the transfer and user of the wheelchair? (Hanadate broadcaster reporter Yuna Asai and Toyama broadcaster reporter Mio Yamazawa)
Falling in the car unconscious
In October, an accident occurred in a town in southern Hokkaido.
Day care facility staff had a passenger in his 80s on a wagon to pick up and drop off, waiting for a traffic light at an intersection.
When the car changed from red to blue, the car started and turned right, a man suddenly fell behind his wheelchair.
The man struck his head and became unconscious.
Male family "I fall in a car that I suppose to leave with peace of mind. I'm just in the car and I can't believe it. Every time I look at my father's face, I feel sick."
When interviewing the police at the time, he said that the hook for fixing the wheelchair to the floor had come off.
Recently, pick-up and drop-off of wheelchairs often seen in town. What are the safety measures?
When I was interviewing a nursing care-related company, she told me, "In Toyama City, two fatal accidents occurred during the transfer of wheelchairs on the same day recently. Was.
Only wheelchair users ...
This is an accident in Toyama City.
Around 8:30 am on November 2. A 87-year-old man was wheelchair-bound from the house to a pick-up car. When he was heading for a day service facility, he met a light passenger car at the intersection of a residential area and crashed into a car.
Another accident occurred at around 3.30 pm on the same day while sending day service users home.
On a one-lane road in a residential area, a pick-up car collides with a passenger car that seems to have run off the center line. A 94-year-old woman in a shuttle bus died two days later.
The lower right corner of the driver's seat was broken, but the driver and the staff on board were safe.
Five elderly people were picking up and off, but only a 94-year-old woman in a wheelchair died.
Seat belt squeezed
When they went to the police and officials, they died, and both wheelchairs were secured with special equipment and seat belts were worn.
However, instead of the three-point system we usually use, we died from hitting the chest and abdomen with a two-point system that holds the waist from the left and right.
It is known that a 94-year-old woman who had died had used a two-point system without a belt around her neck because her posture was leaning forward due to her age.
According to investigators, the impact of the accident may have caused the seatbelt to hit the abdomen without hitting the lumbar bones, or the upper body could become unstable and shake violently back and forth.
Uniform regulation is difficult
What are the safety measures for wheelchairs?
If you look at the pick-up car, it is equipped with seat belts and fixing devices for wheelchairs.
However, according to the government, wheelchairs are not considered "seats" and there are few laws and regulations such as seat belts.
The reason was that it is difficult for wheelchair users to regulate their physical conditions in a variety of ways.
He also says that there are no national statistics on what accidents and how many accidents occur in various places during wheelchair user transfers.
I want to know the safe way
In fact, it is not the government or nursing care operators that are familiar with these situations and measures, but those that rent and sell pick-up vehicles. This is because information gathers when an accident occurs.
When I asked Kenji Kinoshita, the president of a company that rents and sells vehicles in Toyama Prefecture, about the accident, he said, "A big accident has occurred. I told in.
What is a safer transfer?
In fact, I was told what points to watch out for.
First, hook the special hook on the strong part of the wheelchair frame to fix the wheelchair in the car so that it does not fall over. The shape of the wheelchair seems must have the correct knowledge whether hooked anywhere for a wide variety.
And seat belts. Basically, a three-point seat belt that holds down the waist and chest is used, but depending on the physical condition of the user, a two-point seat belt may be selected to prevent the belt from being worn around the neck.
Kinoshita emphasizes that there is something to be aware of at this time.
Wheelchairs have "armrests" that place their elbows beside the seats, but if you pass a belt over them, the force of the impact will not hit the hip bones, which may compress the internal organs and chest.
Mr. Kinoshita repeats these precautions at workshops and the like, but I feel that he is not fully aware of the precautions as accidents like this one after another occur one after another.
President Kinoshita: "Each elderly person has a different state and there are various types of wheelchairs, so it is necessary to consider sufficient safety measures. However, there are also situations where information sharing is not possible at some facilities. I'd like to call your attention in the future. "
What is the true intention of the business?
Why don't safety measures spread to the site?
We asked a question at a group of care providers.
Then a man said:
Man: "Unless the government strengthens guidance, safety measures will not progress."
For meals and bathing at day service facilities, strict regulations are stipulated by laws and regulations regarding staffing.
However, there is no special provision for pick-up and drop-off by nursing staff, and the government will only ask facilities to take voluntary safety measures.
Men: "The nursing homes are also in a rivalry for users, and there is little horizontal connection. Information sharing, including good and bad, has not progressed."
“Wheelchairs without transfers”
With the aging of society, at least 730,000 people use wheelchairs with care insurance throughout the country.
Are there any more effective countermeasures under these circumstances? We visited Naoto Fujii, a former lecturer at Kanagawa Prefectural University of Health and Welfare, who is studying safety measures for wheelchair transfer.
The first thing I showed was an experimental video taken in the UK.
This is an experiment that reproduces the impact of a 75-kilometer person colliding at 50 km / h while being picked up in a wheelchair.
"While it is necessary to fix the wheelchair and wear a three-point seat belt, it is clear that the headrest required for ordinary seats is not in the wheelchair, so it is very dangerous."
Fujii pointed out that:
"While conventional wheelchairs are made from the perspective of making everyday life more convenient, the situation of picking up and dropping in a car is not expected. That is why it is dangerous."
Pick up and drop off a wheelchair!
Fujii introduced a wheelchair developed by a major car manufacturer.
Just like a car seat, it has the strength to withstand a shock of 20G and is equipped with a headrest. The shape of the armrests and wheels are also devised so that seat belts and hooks to be fixed inside the vehicle can be securely attached.
However, the price is about 200,000 yen, and it is important to determine who prepares such a wheelchair for transportation and safety standards.
Mr. Fujii: I think that while safe wheelchairs are not widespread, nursing care staff at the site are struggling to secure safety. The relevant government agencies such as the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism cooperate to ensure safety. It is necessary to set standards for wheelchairs for easy transportation. ''
Make the fun of going out like an accident
Lastly, I heard from my family about Mitsue Yoshida, a 94-year-old woman who died in an accident in Toyama City.
Yoshida has always loved painting since she was young, and her home was decorated with ink paintings, such as snow scenes and townscapes, drawn by Yoshida.
I was looking forward to going out three times a week since my four years ago when I was almost bedridden due to bad feet. My family still says, "Why did you die when you were wearing a seatbelt? What should I do?"
I felt that it was now necessary to ensure safety during transfers so that going out in a wheelchair would not be a sad accident.
* We are looking forward to hearing similar experiences and opinions regarding transfers for wheelchair users. Please submit from the post form below.
https://www.nhk.or.jp/d-navi/2020/opinion.html
Hakodate Broadcasting Station reporter Yuna Asai Covered a wide range of incidents and accidents entered in 2018
Toyama Broadcasting Station ReporterMio Yamazawa Joined Police and Judiciary in 2019