2nd TRAINING- Driving the Van

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Pending 

Procedure for driving the van

  • Before driving me anywhere, make sure that my head band is snug and centered . Even when the headband is on- Always hold my head when going through doorways or bumps when not in the van. 
  • If the sun is bright, I would like to wear my sun glasses before going outside into the brightness. 
  • New or Old Railroad tracks: Slow down to a reasonable speed where you won’t rattle my teeth out of my head. Use flashers when necessary. The flashers don’t operate in the rear when you brake, so make sure that you turn them on early. Adjust speed as necessary on the older tracks. Some of the new tracks are worse than the older tracks

Emergency Procedures

You are required to carry your cell phone with you whenever you take me out. 
If you hear the vent alarm go off, stop driving, put on the flashers, come to see what is causing the Low Pressure Alarm. Check the trach first and then follow the circuit the way it hooks to the vent. If I start to panic because you cannot find the cause, get the Ambu Bag and start to give me air. Call 911 if necessary. 

Procedure for getting me in or out of the van

  • If it is hot, open up the doors or put ac on. If it’s below 35 degrees and the van is warmed up, turn on the heater. Use your judgment in the settings. Look at the picture in the glove box. 
  • Make sure that both hands are not sticking out. I don’t want to loose any fingers. 
  • Since I usually like my left elbow to stick out, make certain that you put up my hand high on the arm  rest, especially going through doors. 
  • Keep my right hand on the bell. 
  • If I’m wearing a coat, don’t jerk it snug or you will choke me. 
  • Assist my head to lean forward by pushing my head forward through the door of the van. When you get me in the van, my head usually drops down, so pay attention and raise my head up so I am not in pain. Put my head band on immediately. 
  • Be careful of the little Bertha power cord, don’t drive over it. If you ruin it, you pay for it. 
  • After moving wheelchair into place, hook my vent to the power cord. Make sure that the green light is on at the source. 
  • Always give me mouth suction. 
  • If my bib is not sticking out, pull on it so when I drool, it won’t get my brace all slimy. 
  • If you take me on the highway, buckle me in with the big seat belt. 
I love to listen to my rock and roll (FM 107.9). I don’t mind if you sing along!

Check on me every five minutes when you first start driving to see if I’m okay.

Normally if you are hot, I’m on fire. Start by making small changes like opening the rear vents. The rear vent controls are on the driver’s side arm rest. I like to roll down the front windows too. If the ac is on, ask me if it needs adjusting up or down. If so point to the lower dials and I will tell you if it needs adjustment. In cold weather, the same condition applies.

A note about how the van operates-

  • When you open a door the power gets shut off, and the power to the vent and the radio. 
  • If you accidentally push the kneeling button or forget to push it, when the door starts to open, don’t wait for the door to fully close, simply push the door button to make the door stop. That way you don’t put more strain on the mechanism. 
  • If the ac is on don’t turn it off until you get me out of the van. The same applies to the heater. 
Very important: If you start the van and the ramp is in the kneeling position, the van will unkneel. If the van is running and you turn off the van, nothing will happen to the kneeling. 

To exit the van-

  • Take my head band off. 
  • Adjust wheelchair to the same settings as before. 
  • Always take the ambu bag with you when you take me somewhere. 
  • Always lock the van when you leave it. 
  • Also connect my lithium to little Bertha when you take me on adventures. 

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