A Few New Things

Wow, it has been so long since my last post.  Very busy summer and with the many fires in CA the air quality is bad which is hard on Junior. 
Recently we have been struggling with Junior getting lots of bruises because the seizure meds he is on cause low platelets.  I have been trying to find ways to keep him from getting the bruises which is a challenge. 
Not too long ago he got a wonderful new wheelchair and though it fits him nicely and he is very comfortable in it, I realized the tray and arm rests are the culprit for many if not most of the bruises.  When he attempts to move he presses into the tray or armrests and just that small pressure causes problems. 
Time to bruise proof his chair and tray.  I thought I would share here in case others have the same issues. 
I used 1 and 2 inch foam for these(found at walmart and very reasonably priced) and Junior's choice of fabric.
For now I am just going to share what we did for the padding and will try to do a few others posts with the step by step directions.
 First off his stroller/transport chair.  He is not comfortable in shoes and without them the foot plates hurt his feet. I used a large piece of 2 inch foam cut to the size we needed then covered with a fleece cover.  On the bottom is a pocket which allows this to slip over the foot plates easily so it can be removed quickly when the chair is folded for transport. 
We then made some fun covers with Junior's favorite fabrics. When it is cold Junior's feet can go inside the covers to stay warm. 
 
The slip covers can either be velcroed on top to act as a foot "pocket" or put over the whole thing when it is hot.

  

It has made a huge difference in his comfort

 

Next his wheelchair tray

For this I used 1 inch foam cut to the size we wanted. I wanted the pads large enough so his entire forearm is resting on the pad when his tray is used.   I used a piece of heavy duty velcro on the tray where the pads attach and then stitched velcro to the bottom of the pad cover. 

His wheelchair after bruise proofing.  I added a 2 inch piece of foam to the bottom of his foot box and also a piece on the back.  Neither are "attached" to the box itself because we often move and adjust their angel.  For the arm rests I used a strip of 1 inch foam covered in flannel material and then added velcro so it can wrap around the armrest and stay in place. 

Lastly Junior needed a "soft" tray to use when he sits in his recliner.  Typically we use his wheelchair tray but it is heavy and hard to get positioned just right.  Junior has his sensory tray which he loves but needed something to use when he wants to play with other toys or do activities in the chair.  

I only had 1 inch foam on hand so stacked 2 and added a thin piece of cardboard in the middle so it was a little more stiff.  I used a hot glue gun to secure the foam and then cut out the center so it would fit around Junior.  

I measure my material and stitched it into a cover leaving it loose around the center. I stitched velcro to the top edges so we could pull it tight to keep it in place.  

After sliding the foam into the cover I then used pillow stuffing around the edge that would be against Junior.  This way the tray can be snug against him without risking it pressing on his tubes or causing a problem.  I added extra stuffing to the bottom of the tray then velcroed it tightly closed. 

 Kind of like a boppy pillow except larger and has a flat surface for Junior to use for toys, books, ipad, etc.