If you know someone with mobility issues, be it a loved one in an assisted living facility or someone with another physical limitation, you may have noticed that they have a hard time getting into and out of vehicles. And while this can be inconvenient for everyone, there are all kinds of things that you can do to help make this easier on them and make the process more comfortable.

To help you see how this can be done, here are three tips for helping someone with mobility issues get into and out of a car. 

Don’t Rush

What you need to remember when you’re trying to help someone with mobility issues get into or out of a car is that it’s important that everyone slows down and takes their time. If you’re in too much of a rush, there’s a much higher chance that they could get hurt in the process of transferring with the car. 

Knowing this, it’s important that you give yourself and your loved one enough time to get to your destination without having to rush through the process. When you’re not worried about trying to go fast and working under too tight of a time deadline, you and your loved one will have the time needed to really think about the transfer process and make it as painless as possible. 

Sit Sideways First

As you’re trying to help someone with mobility issues get into the car, it’s usually going to be best if you get them into a seated position on the side of the seat first. This can be done by having them facing away from the seat they’ll be using and then sitting right at the edge of it. Then, they can swivel themselves to get their legs into the car and sit forward.

In many instances, this swiveling is going to be easiest if you have some kind of plastic down on the seat so that they can move without getting caught on the materials of the seat. 

Find Something To Hold Onto

When attempting to get into and out of the car with mobility issues, it’s going to be incredibly helpful to have something to grab so that the person you’re helping has some assistance with their balance. 

While there are parts of the car that they can hold onto, include the door or various handles, if there isn’t something already a part of the car that they can hold onto, you can also get a grab bar that you can install into the car so that there is a stable and secure place for them to grab as they try to get in and out of the vehicle.

If you’re going to be helping someone with mobility issues get into and out of a vehicle, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you give them better assistance with this process.