13
Locking the front casters will help ensure that the commode is stable and will not roll away or
pivot during the transfer.
Make sure the equipment the patient is being transferred to is stable and will not slide away from
the patient and/or care provider during the transfer.
Be careful of the footrests. To avoid a trip or fall when transferring the patient on and off of the
commode, the patient should make sure their feet DO NOT “hang up” or get caught in the space
between the footrests.
If it there is an opportunity to remove or swing the footrests out of the way, then they should be
placed out of the user’s transfer path.
Center of Balance
To avoid a fall or tip over, you should have someone help you until you know the balance points
of your chair and how to avoid a tip over.
To help the patient maintain a proper center of balance of the commode as it travels over an
inclined obstacle the patient should lean their upper body forward slightly while the commode is
on an inclining plane.
To help the patient maintain a proper center of balance of the commode as it travels over a
declining obstacle the patient should lean their upper body backwards slightly while the
commode is on a declining plane.
WARNING: Going up or down a slope will change the center of balance of the
chair.
CAUTION: Be very careful if climbing a slope greater than 10%. (A 10% slope
means: One foot of elevation for every ten feet in length of the slope.) The
patient is advised to ask for help if the slope may be beyond patient ability.
Avoid turning on a slope, as a tip over is likely. Always go as straight up and straight down as
possible when travelling in the commode.
Always control the speed of the commode when going downhill to ensure the patient’s safety as
well as the safety of bystanders in the near vicinity. If the commode travels too fast, the patient
and care provider can lose control of the commode.
The patient or care provider can control the commode’s speed by keeping constant pressure on
the rear wheels.
If equipped with rear wheel locks, never use the rear wheel locks to try to slow or stop the
commode. Doing so is likely to cause the commode to veer out of control or tip over.
