How do I get my 96 year old dad into our car by myself in order to get him out and about?

I would hire a wheelchair accessible taxi for your outings.

The risk of you or Dad getting hurt is far to great to get him into your car.

I’d work on ways to get him fresh air on the porch or near window. There are some virtual tours online of some great places and gardens. Taking someone with such limited mobility out in a car without help is very risky. What if you break down or have an accident? Plus there’s covid. If possible, you could get a ramp, wheelchair and wheelchair accessible van that will lift him in and he stays in the wheelchair. That’s what I did with my LO when she had to leave house to get to doctor.

If y’all have family and friends that live close by, having him sit outside while they drive by to wave and wish him well might be fun. Maybe one car could circle back, sit outside in the shade, 6 feet away, and visit for a few minutes.

On the the other hand, you might spring for a wheelchair accessible taxi to drive him by family and friends’ homes, letting them know ahead of time that he’ll be driving by, and they could come to the curb and each tell him a knock knock joke. Maybe drive by as his church is dismissing, (if they are meeting in person now) letting the congregation know he’s coming through the parking lot and the groups can wave and wish him well.

You are a sweet daughter to try and find ways to bring your father joy. God bless you.

I would get a second opinion on the PT. I had it done several times. From my own experience, getting into a car that is lower to the ground is much harder. We have had much success with a Honda Van and also some smaller SUV’s. When we reached the point that my mom was no longer enjoying going on car outings, we started our search for a doctor that only treated the home-bound. Talked to visiting nurses for some references, their advice was invaluable. Good luck in the rest of your journey with your Dad 💞🙏. Enjoy every minute you can.

Car transfers can be really difficult. My Aunt took care of her husband who was a quadriplegic and it took a huge toll on her back and knees after years of manually transferring him in and out of the car so please make sure to take care of yourself too. We were looking for a lift to help with my mom and found out there are many different types....have you come across these options?
Hope you find a good solution.

https://www.takealonglifts.com/

http://www.blvd.com/vehicle-mobility-transfer-seats/milford-person-lift

http://accessunlimited.com/html/multi-lift-car.html

Twatson...I saw in a reply to a post that your dad is a Veteran. You might check with the VA if he is going to the VA for appointments or the CBOC some provide transportation. And if it is real difficult to get him out there is a program where the Doctors and Nurses come to the home. Ask about that. Will not work for specialists though.

I used a contractor garbage bag with the bottom cut to easily move my husband in the car. He would sit on the edge of the seat and I would swing his legs into the car and the bag would slide on itself (very much like using a draw sheet) and it would be easy to position him. (my Husband was 6'4 and over 200 pounds and I could slide him using the heavy duty garbage bag)

But, and this is important...SAFETY if it is no longer safe for you to try to get him in and out of a car or if it is no longer safe for him to try to get in and out of a car than the rides need to stop.
Get a medical transport.
Most Public Transportation services also have Handicap vans or small buses that will pick up passengers and take them to whatever destination and they will return to take you home.. Some require 24 hour notice.

Hi Just be really careful. Since their skin is so thin, I was transferring my mom and her leg got sliced and took over a year to heal, with home health care.

I lucked out. My husband had bought a Chevy Aveo for a commuter car. It happened that the seat height was just about perfect for my grandfather to stand and pivot to sit. And the handholds were pretty well placed too. Also the area to swing his legs in were really spacious. A minivan with a wheelchair ramp would be ideal. But if you can't find one, then trading your vehicle for something with better ergonomics might make you both happier.

Does your father WANT to go out in the car? That's the question. After my father developed mobility issues, he did not want to ride in the car anymore as he was frightened of me and my DH getting him in and out of it, even though the physical therapist had helped us develop a good technique.

If the answer is 'yes', that he does want to go out in the car, then get a physical therapist involved by coming into your home and showing you precisely how to do it safely.

If the answer is 'no', that he does not want to go out in the car, then leave him alone & honor his wishes, as I did with my father.

Good luck!

I have found some front seat devices that will swivel and extend out of the vehicle to allow transition from a chair to a car seat.
One was called a turney. I have no information on the cost. Don't confuse this to the seat for the driver which will do similar functions.
The one I am talking about is for the passenger side.
Good luck.