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Powered Wheelchair

parkgate
parkgate Community member Posts: 26 Connected
Good evening.

I wonder whether anybody would be able to help me with this matter.

I live about 200 miles away from my disabled mother who is nearly 92 and can barely walk. I usually visit her on a monthly basis and she takes great pleasure in being pushed around the village ,and its environs in her manual wheelchair ,she enjoys the fresh air, visiting the local shops ,even if only to buy a newspaper ,meeting people and so on.

Sometimes we can cover 2 or 3 miles by this method.

However ,the last few times I have felt the strain on my knees and lower arms particularly going uphill ,and the trips are getting shorter.I am not getting any younger!

I think there must be a powered wheelchair that I can buy so I merely have to walk with it and guide it i.e. it is attendant controlled - she would never be able to use a powered wheelchair by herself.I would only be used when I make my visit.

Any suggestions or recommendations would be welcome.

Kind regards

Comments

  • Awesomelorenzo
    Awesomelorenzo Community member Posts: 114 Connected
    There are those ones that are advertised on tv.
  • Sorry_Susan
    Sorry_Susan Community member Posts: 58 Courageous
    Loads available. Pop into your local mobility centre or shop.
  • newborn
    newborn Community member Posts: 832 Pioneering
    The word they use is 'Attendant" control, meaning the person standing behind has charge of the power.  Search a bit.

    There are also powerpacks, where you use the existing chair and fix a battery to  it.  Also, when you have an idea what you want, generally there's  no harm in second hand, provided battery isn't  in a poor state.

    Heart foundation do reconditioned with guarantee,  but lots of folk leave it a bit late to buy, get persuaded  by a salesman,  then the personal  circumstances  change and the costly purchase gathers dust, so it eventually gets sold virtually unused..

    If her chair was boosted with a power pack, would others take her out? Obviously you can't do such a long journey yourself too frequently .   That's  partly why I'm thinking of power pack.  I forget all the details but once encountered a light weight fold up chair with a slot-on bracing bar, that combined being able to fold and lift it into a car boot, plus the  battery add-on made it easy to push.
  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,964 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi and welcome, I wold suggest you contact a local mobility centre and explain you could also visit one with your mum and they will recommend the best chair available. It doesnt mean you have to buy one from them but gives you an idea what you are looking for

    It may also be worth looking at leasing one rather than buying


  • parkgate
    parkgate Community member Posts: 26 Connected
    Thanks - I think the power pack is a good idea I will explore that option.

    She gets so much enjoyment from travelling round - it lifts depression and I quite enjoy the walks myself.A powered chair would mean a lot more enjoyment all round.

    I think I will visit Millercare next week to get some ideas - most powered wheelchairs I see on the Internet are user controlled - not attendant controlled.
  • Chloe_Scope
    Chloe_Scope Posts: 10,586 Disability Gamechanger
    I hope the suggestions have helped @parkgate, please do let us know how you get on!
    Scope

  • parkgate
    parkgate Community member Posts: 26 Connected
    I visited Millercare and they were very helpful - they collected the wheelchair and fitted a Power Drive.Because the wheels of the power drive only just fit under the seat of the wheelchair I was kicking them as I walked! - so they fitted extended handles at the back ,this did the job ,but I do kick the wheels very occasionally.

    Now I have to merely steer the wheelchair.

    However ,when I use it I seem to develop a pain in my neck on the left hand side.I am right handed.I never had this problem when I manually pushed it(although I had many other problems like sore arms,knees etc.)

    I also find that I have to “fight” a bit with the wheelchair ,especially on pavements ,often they are sloping towards the road ,or very rough and uneven.This often means adjusting the speed otherwise I tend to hang onto it and it pulls me in a direction I don’t want to go!.

    I also have to constantly find a drop kerb in advance when a car is parked on the pavement and go onto the road.

    In fact pushing on the road is often easier as they tend to be smoother, so on the quiet roads on the estate I tend to use them ,especially as say walking half a mile means constantly going in the road anyway and then back on the pavement due to the parked cars on the pavement.

    On one half mile stretch I had to this about twenty times so I may as well use the road anyway!

    I can’t see a solution to this - if the cars parked totally on the road then inevitably the road would be blocked to say an ambulance and other larger vehicles.

    This power wheel solution is far better than previously. I just need to get over the neck pain problem! - but I will experiment and report back.

    Thanks to everybody for their help.

    Kind Regards,






  • Chloe_Scope
    Chloe_Scope Posts: 10,586 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @parkgate, I imagine it will take some getting used to! I'm glad you found something useful, just a shame about the limitations it has caused.

    I hope with practice it will become easier. :)
    Scope

  • parkgate
    parkgate Community member Posts: 26 Connected
    Thank You.

    I will let you know how I get on.

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