Stretcher Alternative
Stretcher Alternative Transportation in Greater Charlotte
Some riders can’t sit in a standard wheelchair for the length of a trip. After surgery, or deep into a long illness, an hour upright is too much. Our stretcher alternative is the Broda Traversa, a reclining transport chair that comes to the bedside, tilts to where the rider is comfortable, and keeps them seated and secured for the whole ride.
Who the Reclining Chair Is For
The chair is for riders who need more support than a standard wheelchair gives: riders with limited trunk strength or head control, riders in pain who can’t stay upright for long, riders going home from the hospital or into hospice care, and riders being moved between facilities. It is also the ride for long trips across county lines, which are hard on anyone in a standard chair.
The Broda Traversa Chair
Broda built the Traversa for medical transportation and says it can handle up to 90% of the non-emergency trips that would otherwise call for a stretcher. The chair rises to the height of the bed, which keeps the move from bed to chair short and gentle. The seat and back tilt together, so the rider’s weight is spread across the whole chair, and the shoulder, arm, and leg supports adjust to the rider. It is crash tested to the WC19 standard for wheelchairs used in vehicles. In the van, the chair is strapped to the floor at four points, and the rider is buckled into its harness.
How a Stretcher-Alternative Ride Works
Book ahead.
Call as soon as a discharge date is set. Tell us where the rider is, how they’re doing, and who is riding along.
The chair comes to the bedside.
Your driver brings the chair to the room, helps the rider from the bed into it, and adjusts the tilt until they’re comfortable.
Locked down before we move.
The chair is secured in the van and the rider is belted in. They stay in the same chair from the bedside to the destination, with no second transfer.
All the way to the room.
At the other end, the driver brings the rider to their room or unit, helps them out of the chair, and hands off to family or staff.
Rides Across County Lines
A move from a Charlotte hospital to a hospice house in Newton, or from a Gastonia rehab center to a daughter’s home in Salisbury, is exactly the kind of trip this chair is for. We take stretcher-alternative rides across county lines throughout our nine counties, and farther by quote. Tell us both addresses and we’ll plan the route and the timing.
Is the discharge date set? Call as soon as you know it, and we’ll hold the ride.
For Hospice Teams & Discharge Planners
One call books the ride, the chair is brought to the room, and your patient travels seated and comfortable to the next place of care. We serve facility-paid accounts, and a certificate of insurance is available on request.
Good to Know
What the chair is not.
It is not a stretcher, and we are not an ambulance. Riders who need medical care during the trip, or who must lie flat, need an ambulance service. If you’re not sure which is right, call and describe the rider, and we’ll tell you honestly.
Companions.
One family member or caregiver rides along at no charge, and on a hospice or discharge trip we encourage it.
Common Questions
Is this the same as a stretcher ride?
No. In North Carolina, stretcher transport is an ambulance service. Our reclining chair keeps the rider seated and secured, tilted back for comfort, which suits many riders who can’t manage a standard wheelchair.
Who decides whether the chair is right for the rider?
You know the rider, and the care team knows the condition. Tell us what they’ve said, and if we think an ambulance is the safer choice, we’ll say so before we book.
Can a family member ride along?
Yes, one, at no charge.
How far ahead should we book a discharge?
As soon as the date is set, and at least 24 hours ahead. If the time slips, call us and we’ll adjust.
Are you an ambulance?
No. In an emergency, always call 911.
Book a Stretcher-Alternative Ride
Call 980-860-2085, Monday through Friday from 7 AM to 5 PM. Describe the rider and where they’re going, and we’ll quote the trip and plan the timing with you.