I need help with getting my mom in the car. Advice?

We use a pull sheet with a silk like bottom to get my mom into the van. It takes two to transfer her. She stands on the platform and we pivot her on to the seat and then use the pull sheet to position her in place. I am searching for a accessible van, it will be so much easier for my mother. She can stand for a short time with two assists. We also use a gait belt. Physical therapy observed our transfers and said we were doing it correctly. Transfer seat might be a good option, cheaper than buying an accessible van and some states pay for the conversion. Check out accessible dealerships, most do the install. Hope you find a solution soon.

Apply for Access a ride . She can go sit in wheelchair & go right in . Don’t risk her falling getting in & out of car. That happened to my mother & she fell a few times getting out of car ...or she couldn’t lift herself up from seat. She’s in wheelchair & goes w access a ride if she has to go anywhere. However, now I just keep her home because of plague. Hugs 🤗

Your posts says that she has frozen shoulders and your profile indicates that she also has dementia. First off, frozen shoulders are EXTREMELY painful. I've had them and it is horrible pain and horrific loss of range of motion. I don't see anyway a person with frozen shoulder can do much of anything if they are not mobile. I was young and otherwise healthy and it was all I could do to get in and out of a car. When you add dementia onto it, I wouldn't imagine that she would be able to much better with transferring. If she can't do it, she can't do it. I'd explore a way to get her transported, perhaps by ambulance, to get injections for her shoulders. Cortisone injections helped me greatly, plus, I had intensive physical therapy. It was very painful and required at home daily exercises. I can't imagine a frail senior could endure it. It is so painful that one method of therapy is to manipulate the frozen joints while patient is under sedation. I know, that's scary, but, it demonstrates just how challenging it is to treat frozen joints. My heart goes out to her.

I'd seek advice from an expert in how to best treat her pain. I can't stress enough how horrible it is. I hope you can find some help and transportation to get her to help or get the help to come to her. I'd treat it as an emergency. She may not be able to describe what she's feeling due to the dementia.

I had some similar problems with Luz. Not only the mini-van but the bed and going from the garage into and from the house.
I built small platform steps for her. I only needed about two inches for van and garage but four inches for the bed. These saved my back and lessened stress for her.
And the one for the van was just tucked into the back. She did not use or need a chair or walker.
Much of the problem was because she was just too short and getting weak.

there are fancy gait belts with loops and grab handles in different directions etc. They are very helpful.

some taxi cab services have wheel chair accessible vans. call and find out if htere is one in your area, how much etc... If you find you like the driver, then make sure you keep the name and number of taxi... Not all wheelchair taxi drivers are the same. One forgot to lock aunt's wheelchair, and another taxi was almost too small for the chair..

Thinking of trading in my car for a wheelchair accessible van,
But then, one can rent a van by the day.

Are you familiar with or tired slide boards?

I would ask her doctor for a referral for PT and OT. They can help you figure out how to safely do this for both of you. They may even be able to prescribe any assistance devices needed and get Medicare to help pay for them.

I hope you find something that helps you get her out and about safely. Being stuck at home sucks.

Check out these contraptions on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=car+handle+assist+for+elderly&crid=ZX16SRFY77BD&sprefix=car+handle%2Caps%2C226&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-a-p_1_10

The car handle thingy is particularly helpful for getting my overweight and wheelchair bound mother into my car. It just slips right into the side of the car door, no installation required, and provides a handle for her to hold onto. Like Grandma1954 said, a gait belt is also a life saver when trying to transfer someone.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=gait+belts+transfer+belts&crid=1I9IEJPRSD0ZU&sprefix=gait+belt%2Caps%2C198&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-a-p_1_9

Getting some guidance from a physical therapist isn't a bad idea, either. They tend to have helpful tips we'd never even think of to use in such situations.

Good luck!

I cut a large heavy duty garbage bag at the bottom so the bag was like a big tube shape.
I would have my husband turn and sit on the bag on the seat of the car. As I picked up his legs to get them into the car I would rotate his legs at the same time and the bag allowed him to slide easily into place. Exiting the car was just as easy, I would take his feet and swing them out while turning his legs. I would place the walker by the door and with him holding the walker and me holding the Gait Belt I would help him up.
This was all great UNTIL It became more difficult to get him to turn his body properly to be able to sit on the seat. I was afraid of him getting hurt ( in older people most hip fractures are BREAK then FALL not Fall and break) At that point the car rides stopped. Everything I did was based on SAFETY either his safety or mine. So if it becomes more dangerous to get her into the car then you have to make the decision to stop.

I had my client's PT show me how to do a safe transfer from car to standing and standing to car. We'd been doing it all wrong and my back was killing me.

A few simply techniques made all the difference. I can't explain them, but they may be available on YouTube, if you can't find a PT to help you.