Exercise is important for everyone, including a wheelchair patient. Stretching, walking, all help make the patient more comfortable in the end. I have no luck getting my husband to exercise. He says that he gets enough exercise just trying to move his body from the bed to the wheelchair. On really good days, he can walk down the hall, a total of 20 steps. We rejoice in those days, but they are few and far between. Never stop encouraging the movement and rejoice in the achievements.
My husband had terribly restless legs during the day and at bedtime at the beginning of his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. The only thing he helped was using a portable bicycle pedal machine, the kind you put on the floor in front of a chair. He used it in bed, placed at the foot of the bed. An added benefit was stronger legs and better control of his legs when he attempted to walk. Since the disease has progressed and he is taking other medication, the restless legs do not bother him as much and he does not use the pedal machine. Unfortunately, his leg strength has diminished.
Physical therapy can help if the patient participates. It can become a welcome day away from home, a chance to see the outside world and socialize with therapists and other patients. When the patient doesn’t follow the program, there isn’t much she can do to force the issue. If you do not participate and receive the benefits of the program, both the patient and the caregiver suffer. Sympathizing with the patient’s condition and giving in to her indifference does not help. A tough love attitude can help, but it can also create more problems to solve once the patient is home. Choose your battles.
Having assistance, a helper, can make the biggest difference in your daily life. A trained assistant, I have a CNA to help me with my husband, he can help with moderate exercises and stretching. Still, the patient must be willing to participate. Having someone else exercise the patient can give the caregiver a well-deserved break and gives the patient a new face and personality to explore. Friends and family can help if they are available. It helps both the caregiver and the patient if the help and the helper are consistent. Changing helpers every day or every other day can be very difficult for you and the patient, as you have to retrain each new helper, whether it’s a friend or a paid CNA. Having a stable relationship with a trusted helper can add a dose of “normalcy” to your life that is so unpredictable.
Caregiver needs
The caregiver should also participate in some type of physical exercise to avoid injuring themselves by overreaching or trying to carry more weight than they can. Even just walking for a few minutes a day can help. Pushing and pulling the patient does not count as exercise. I know that I feel better, my muscles ache less if I also do other activities around the house. Gardening that requires bending and reaching can help when you bend down to tie your shoes. Walking the dog gets him out of the house for a few minutes in the fresh air and gives him a chance to stretch those stiff muscles from sitting with him. And it gives you the opportunity to put a few minutes of distance between you and your patient, a “breather”.
