Hi Carol,
Even as a mere 47/10, I find getting out of bed whilst 'off' to be one
of life's more demanding tasks. In an effort to keep my independence
in this area for as long as posible I have come up with the following
techniques. They may prove ineffectual for some older, weaker or
more advanced PWP, but some people may find them usefull.
1. The Lever
This is useful if the PWP is lying on their back.
The PWP raises their knees until the thighs are at right
angles to their body and their lower legs are parallel to
the surface they are lying on. (if necessary a helper can
assist with this)
The PWP then reaches forward and grips their legs just
below the knees.
If working alone: the PWP sets up a rocking motion, at
the same time pushing forward with their legs. It is important
to maintain the grip just below the knees.
By increasing the arc of the rocking motion and the thrust
of the legs it is possible to achieve a sitting up position.
If working with assistance: the PWP must maintain their
grip below the knees whilst the assistant pulls on the lower
legs to swivel the PWP until they are at right angles to the
edge of the bed. (This is probably the hardest part of the
operation). The PWP can then allow their lower legs to sag
giving their assistant access to their knees. The assistant can
then pull/push the knees until the PWP is sitting up on the
edge of the bed.
There is a variation of this which is useful if, for example, the
PWP is flat out on the floor. Instead of the PWP lying with their
lower legs parallel to the floor, the whole leg is held at right angles
to the body. The PWP must still hold their legs just below the knee.
The assistant then pushes or pulls on the legs until a sitting posture
is acheived.
2. The Sneaky Slide (or "Hush hush whisper who dares,
Christopher Robin is saying his prayers.")
This is useful if lying on your side or front, but can require a
lot of patience as your legs can be quite uncooperative.
Hook a leg over the edge of the bed and use it to work
yourself onto your tummy with both legs over the side. You will
find that gravity will start to help. Eventually you should find
yourself on your knees facing the bed. I have found that once
I am in this position I can use my arms more affectivly to assist in
standing.
If all else fails you are in a good position for saying your prayers.
Please include me in them.
Dennis
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Dennis Greene 47/10
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