How to get weighed if you can’t sit up

louiseheatley

Hi. Asking on behalf of a friend with quadriplegic CP. He’s unable to sit unsupported so can’t use seated weighing scales. Following some health issues he’d like to have monthly weight checks. Can’t afford a hoist scale. Local wheelchair service can’t help outside of wheelchair appointments. 

He lives in south London. 

Anyone worked out how to do this? Thank you! 

Ails

Hi @louiseheatley and welcome to the Community.  It is nice to meet you and thank you for sharing with us.  I'm sorry to hear about your friend's struggles.  Does he have an O.T.?  I'm not sure what to suggest so will tag in our CP Specialist Information Officer, @Richard_Scope, to see if he can suggest anything.  Meantime, if there is anything else we can help/support you with then please just let us know.  All the best. 

louiseheatley

OT, physio, and GP are so far all unable to help. 

Ails

That's a shame @louiseheatley, sorry to hear that.  Hopefully @Richard_Scope or another member of the Community will be able to advise you.  Please keep in touch and let us know how you are getting on. 

pollyanna1052

Hi, I also have no way to be weighed. GP and wheelchair services cant help. I went to Slimming World earlier this year and they cant weigh me either.

Carl_abc

You'd think these places would have strapped chairs for weighing in order to accommodate people like your friend. Surely it's not a difficult thing to have. 

Hope someone comes along with the right answer for you ?

louiseheatley

Unfortunately he can’t sit even in a strapped chair. He sits in a moulded shell in his own chair. He needs to be weighed either on a platform scale (which the wheelchair service have, they just won’t let him use it except during how wheelchair appointments which isn’t often enough at the moment, or using a hoist scale (about £600+) which he can’t afford. 

Richard_Scope

Hi @louiseheatley
As I mentioned in our email conversation the local health authority has a responsibility if your friend needs to be weighed regularly as part of his ongoing healthcare. He should/would not need to purchase this piece of equipment himself. If the monthly weight checks are because he would like them, then that could be problematic. I do know of an organisation that may be able to help, The Hospital Saturday Fund. We also have some useful information about Grants. There are also online funding pages.

pollyanna1052

I was recently in hospital and got weighed for the first time in years.

I am a full time wheelchair user and need hoisting for all transfers.

The staff slung me up and attached a weighing component to the sling.....hey I was 2stone less than I thought!

louiseheatley

My friend has had to buy the weighing component for his sling, at his own expense. We tried really hard to find an alternative without success. 

Richard_Scope

Hi @louiseheatley
It's so frustrating! Did claim the VAT back?

louiseheatley

Indeed he did, Richard. Thank you for checking.