Stepping into the vehicle was once something that your beloved parent did without giving it a second thought. However, nowadays, you will likely find your parent clinging onto the car door, having difficulty sitting down, or making multiple attempts to get up before getting into the car. An action that should only take a couple of seconds is now stressful and difficult for you both, especially if you are concerned about a fall.

For senior adults who have arthritis, muscle weakness, balance problems, Parkinson’s disease, or limited movement because of a surgical procedure, entering and exiting a vehicle is one of the most difficult things about leaving their home. Even a simple task such as going to the supermarket or a doctor’s appointment requires planning.

If you are taking care of an aging parent in East Brunswick, NJ, and surrounding areas, then learning how to help with transferring into the car can make those outings easier. However, the safest way will depend on your parent’s physical aptitudes, including strength, balance, understanding the directions, and type of the vehicle.

This guide explains how to prepare for a car transfer, what steps may help when your parent can stand and move with limited assistance, which mistakes to avoid, and when it’s safer to seek professional help.

What Is the Safest Way to Help an Elderly Person Get into a Car?

For an older adult who can stand, bear weight, and turn safely, a commonly suggested approach is to sit on the car seat first and then bring both legs into the vehicle. This reduces the need to balance on one leg while stepping into the car. Getting out generally involves reversing the movement: bring both legs outside, position the feet securely, and stand only when ready.

The method has to be tailored to suit the mobility and health status of the individual. If your parent is unable to carry his/her own weight, lacks coordination, or needs heavy lifting, do not undertake the manual transfer without a customized plan and proper training.

Why Getting into and Out of a Car Becomes Difficult with Age

Getting into or out of a car demands much more physical effort than one might realize. The individual has to walk up to the car, turn around, bend his body, sit down on a chair-like surface, maneuver his legs into the limited area, and do everything in reverse after.

Arthritis is one of the most prevalent problems that cause difficulties in moving to and from cars among older adults. Discomfort in the joints in the knees, hips, or lower back could affect the capability to bend and twist easily. Knee arthritis in a parent, for occurrence, might affect their aptitude to sit or stand up from the seat.

In addition, the elderly, who have muscle weakness due to aging, will find it difficult to rise from a seated position. Individuals, who have been hospitalized but are recovering from their condition, might find themselves being temporarily weak or tired even though they were physically fit before the condition. Situations such as those of Parkinson’s disease or stroke might make them slow in rising from their seated positions.

Other challenges would include cognitive challenges. The parents, who have dementia, can get confused with multiple instructions or may start moving without the caregiver being prepared. In addition, some may fear falling down, and consequently, they will tighten their bodies during movement.

Before Helping Your Elderly Parent into a Car, Prepare the Vehicle

Preparation for a safe car transfer starts even before your parent arrives at the door because a few minutes of preparation may actually make your transfer much easier.

Choose a Safe, Level Parking Area

When at all feasible, park in an area that is level and secure and has sufficient space to be able to fully open the door. Avoid parking in steep driveways, uneven pavement, loose gravel, and other locations where your parent will have to step into moving traffic.

Families living in East Brunswick, NJ may find themselves parking in a variety of locations from the family driveway to the parking lot of a physician’s office to a crowded shopping center.

It is important to keep in mind that during the warm seasons in New Jersey, the interiors of a car, metal buckles, and all the other surfaces become very hot. It is necessary to cool down the car and then help your parent to get into it.

Adjust the Seat Before the Transfer

Recline the passenger seat backwards for more legroom and ease of positioning. In cases where the seat can be reclined or adjusted in terms of height, take a position which would make the transfer process easier and comfortable.

A very low seat would require a lot of leg strength to get out of. Similarly, an extremely high seat would require some form of climbing action. There is nothing inherently safer about either of the options.

Make sure there are no loose items and that the seat belt is within reach.

Make Sure Your Parent Has Appropriate Footwear

Those shoes which are closed and have non-slip soles are more likely to be more steady than open-toe shoes, slippers, or socks only. If you know that your mother needs help while using a walking stick or walking frame to walk, then make sure that she gets it right from the beginning until she reaches her car seat.

Do not remove the walking aids from her until she sits in the car safely.

How to Help an Elderly Parent Get into a Car: Step-by-Step

The following instructions represent one way of helping an elderly individual that is able to stand and bear weight and move independently under some degree of supervision. These instructions are not for everyone. If you need to physically lift your parent, he or she is unsteady on their feet, or unable to move in some way, ask a physical or occupational therapist.

Step 1: Position Your Parent Near the Passenger Seat

The passenger door should be fully opened to let your parents move about using whatever mobility device available. Help your parent move into a position where they can turn around and face the seat with their back.

Remind them to move at a slow pace and not twist their body. They need to have their feet in an anchored position and to be close to the chair.

Before proceeding, ask them if they feel stable or dizzy.

Step 2: Have Your Parent Reach for a Stable Support

If your parent is able to safely use his/her arms, then he/she might be able to reach backwards towards the support from the seat.

It is advisable that you do not depend on the open car door, car window or car interior trim as a means of weight bearing. This is because such areas might be movable or were not intended to hold any person’s body weight.

Do not encourage your parent to put force on your neck and shoulders as you assist them. Likewise, do not pull them with their arms and hands while moving. If physical support is required to a great extent, then it will be wise to consult a health care practitioner.

Step 3: Encourage Your Parent to Sit Down Slowly

After your parent can sense that there is a seat behind them and is supported properly, encourage them to bend at the hips and knees and sit down slowly.

Use simple instructions such as, “Take your time,” or “Sit down slowly.” Give them enough time to complete each movement rather than rushing through the transfer.

Check if they lose balance suddenly, have buckling knees, experience pain or dizziness. In case they are unable to control their descent, it will be better to assess an appropriate transfer rather than catching or lifting them.

Step 4: Help Your Parent Turn and Bring Their Legs Inside

Your parent will then be able to slowly turn their body towards the front of the car and put their legs inside the vehicle.

For some senior citizens, moving one leg at a time might work better for them, while others might prefer having their legs closer together and turn them as a whole along with their hips. Which way is right varies based on flexibility and restrictions in certain areas.

For instance, a senior citizen who recently had hip replacement surgery would have certain restrictions when it comes to movements. In this case, do not follow a regular transfer procedure but listen to what a surgeon or a therapist recommends.

In case your parent cannot put their legs up by themselves, make sure you learn the right way of doing that from a therapist so as not to pull and twist your parent’s painful joints.

Step 5: Check Their Position Before Closing the Door

Before closing the passenger door, it is important to check that the parent is seated comfortably and their hips are firmly situated on the seat while their legs are all the way in.

It is necessary to ensure that their feet, hands, and clothes do not obstruct the doorway and assist them to put on their seat belt correctly.

Asking how they feel can be especially useful if they have arthritis, back pains, or post-surgery pain.

How to Help an Elderly Parent Get Out of a Car Safely

Exiting a car can be more challenging than entering one because it needs the individual to rise from their seat and attain balance before proceeding to walk.

You will need to park your car in an even spot, shut off the engine, and open up the passenger side of the vehicle. Ensure that there is sufficient room for your parent to stand without entering the road or uneven surfaces.

Step 1: Turn Toward the Open Door

Get your parent to unfasten their seat belt and turn slowly towards the open car door. If they are comfortable doing so, then they should try moving their legs out of the car and getting their feet closer to the ground.

Do not force your parent’s legs to move, nor their hips to turn. There might be patients who would require extra time due to limited hip rotation.

Step 2: Position Both Feet Securely

Your parent needs both feet on the ground in a solid stance before you even think of lifting them up.

Their feet need to be neither too far forward nor in an odd position underneath the car. Look out for loose pebbles, water, curbs, and other obstructions that may cause your parent to slip.

If your parent can’t get their feet under them, do not try to lift them up by yourself.

Step 3: Allow Your Parent to Stand at Their Own Pace

If your parent is strong enough and knows how to get up safely, have him/her lean forward at the right position and push himself/herself off the stable surface on which he/she is placed.

Your parent should not be dragged up with force from the hands, wrists, or arms because it can put extra stress on the shoulders.

After getting up, you should direct your parent to wait for a little while before he/she walks, as some elderly people feel dizzy upon getting up due to prolonged sitting.

Step 4: Make Sure They Are Steady Before Walking

Allow your parent to regain their balance and assist them with the cane or walker accordingly. Ensure that the walking aid is properly positioned before they move.

In case you see that they are unbalanced, do not panic them into entering the building. In case they weak, lose strength or any other symptoms arise, do not proceed further and call for assistance.

What if Your Elderly Parent Uses a Walker or Wheelchair?

Transfer for a walker or a wheelchair becomes somewhat more difficult since the carer will need to take into account the disability as well as the equipment itself.

If your parent uses a walker, the main thing is to make sure that he/she will be able to approach the vehicle with steady support. The walker should not be used to pull up the user from his/her sitting position. Once your parent sits down, the walker will be able to collapse and put aside.

Transfers using a wheelchair imply some further preparation since some users will be able to stand up and spin around without much help while others will not be able to withstand any load.

Just because you think a person can transfer from a wheelchair to an automobile seat does not mean that he or she is safe doing so. There should be an evaluation by a physical therapist or occupational therapist to determine the person’s transfer ability.

A wheelchair-accessible vehicle may be preferable for your mother if she cannot stand up and bear weight.

Can Car Transfer Aids Make Getting In and Out Easier?

While some devices may assist with ease of movement into the vehicle, the specific devices should be chosen according to the needs of the individual and type of vehicle.

For instance, the swivel seat cushion can assist in rotating the legs of older persons toward the front part of the vehicle. It can be problematic because the device can rotate unexpectedly or affect the seating position, hence needs to be tested.

The portable vehicle support handles are also worth trying out. Not all handles work with different vehicles; therefore, it is important to consider whether the device can be safely used in the vehicle, according to the instructions provided.

Transfer boards and mechanical lifts are usually designed to suit particular cases of mobility and therefore need a proper assessment and training. They should never be adapted to serve in a normal passenger vehicle.

Prior to buying any equipment, you could seek advice from an occupational therapist on what is suitable for your parent’s condition.

Common Mistakes That Can Cause Injuries During Car Transfers

Sometimes, family members attempt to assist by lifting, tugging, or hurrying to complete the challenging process. In spite of being aimed at helping, these actions can raise the risks of injuries.

For instance, the most widespread error made by family members is pulling up an older person by his or her arms, which can lead to shoulder joint tension. Another example is letting an older person use an opening car door as an aid because it can open suddenly.

Moving an elder when he or she is dizzy, exhausted, or cannot put pressure on the body is one of the most serious issues. For example, if you notice that your parent feels exceptionally feeble after visiting a doctor or hospitalization, it would be better to postpone moving him or her.

Families should also avoid assuming that one technique will work indefinitely. A parent whose mobility is gradually declining may need a new assessment, different equipment, or a different transportation arrangement.

When Should You Stop Trying to Help Your Parent into the Car Yourself?

However, there might arise an occasion where it will become dangerous for you to assist your parent to enter the conventional car unless he is professionally evaluated or uses any other equipment.

Be alert if your parent is prone to losing balance, unable to get up from a chair without a lot of help, his knees give away at unexpected moments, and becomes highly anxious while being transferred.

Any rapid change in mobility needs to be noted. Any signs of weakness, confusion, severe pain, or inability to stand are not necessarily symptoms of age. Have yourself checked by a physician. In cases of stroke symptoms, loss of consciousness, injury, or any emergencies, contact 911 immediately.

In the case where your elderly parent has just been discharged from the hospital, then you need to adhere to their discharge instructions regarding mobility.

When Professional Home Care Can Help with Mobility and Transportation

Helping an aging parent get into and out of a car is often one of the first signs that everyday activities are becoming more difficult. You may also notice your parent struggling to stand from the sofa, walk to the bathroom, get dressed, or prepare meals without assistance.

These issues do not necessarily mean that your parent will have to leave the house. According to his/her particular situation, having professional in-home care can be helpful and assist family caregivers in meeting their obligations.

For instance, the non-medical home caregiver can assist your loved one with preparation for medical appointments, walk using appropriate mobility equipment, give company, help with self-care activities, and transport if necessary.

However, it is vital for caregivers to make transfers only within the possibility of their training and the guidelines outlined by their agency. If the person requires heavy lifting or special equipment, he/she will require a plan that has been prescribed by a therapist.

For families from East Brunswick, NJ and surrounding areas, home care services will help relieve the stress of adult children juggling career demands along with the increasing requirements of their aging parents.

How A Place at Home East Brunswick, NJ Can Support Your Aging Parent

At A Place at Home East Brunswick, NJ, we understand how concerning it can be when an aging parent begins struggling with everyday activities. Something as simple as getting into a car may become a reminder that your loved one needs more support than they did a few months ago.

What we aim to do is to ensure that the elderly are able to feel comfortable at home while enjoying their freedom and dignity. In-home care services, based on the unique requirements of the client and his/her care plan, may vary from personal care, companionship, cooking to mobility services, among others.

If your parent is having difficulty with their mobility, we can assess the needs for care that they have each day and assist you with identifying relevant services. If there is any need for special transfer procedures and equipment, it should be done by a healthcare professional.