topic Wheelchairs. in Wellness

Wheelchairs.

qualitygal — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 09:31:21 GMT

Any recommendations? What to know or look for?

Re: Wheelchairs.

Sweetbay magnolia — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 10:03:22 GMT

@qualitygal , I will ask my husband as soon as he gets up today. He works with many people who use them. He'll probably have a list of criteria and has first-hand, real-life experience.

I think I've read that you have a loved one who is experiencing health issues. I am sorry for that. About a week ago my DH had a stroke. He fortunately has fractional field of vision loss and speech aphasia, nothing worse, and we are seeing improvement.

I will definitely get back to you today.

Re: Wheelchairs.

Sweetbay magnolia — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 11:26:46 GMT

@qualitygal, DH recommends first and foremost consulting with a "DME", or durable medical equipment, specialist, in your area.

Whether you are using insurance or paying out of pocket, they would be able to guide you best for customization.

There are inexpensive ones out there but I would consider weight, and frequency of use. Again, a DME for your situation would be best.

If you care to share more details he may be able to get a bit more specific. March on. We are with you.

Re: Wheelchairs.

Ainhisg — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 12:02:36 GMT

I second what someone else just posted. Our town has a medical supply business. They are so nice in there! They can recommend one perfect for you or your loved one. Surprisingly, they are no more expensive than other places.

Re: Wheelchairs.

gardenman — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 12:32:27 GMT

A lot depends on what you need a wheelchair for and the user's condition. Weight should be a factor for you. You'll find that the wheelchair will need to be picked up and loaded into cars on a fairly regular basis. A large heavy wheelchair can make that a chore. A wider than necessary wheelchair can make maneuvering difficult in a house not specifically designed for wheelchairs. You want it wide enough to comfortably seat the user, but no more than necessary.

Does the user have use of their feet and legs? If so something like a transport chair with the smaller wheels might be all that's necessary as they can use their feet to walk the chair from room to room. If they have limited use of their feet but good upper body strength then a more conventional, large wheel wheelchair is more important. They can then push themselves around using those large rear wheels and their upper body.

My mother had a small (16" wide I think) convertible wheelchair with both sets of wheels. You could pop off the larger wheels for her to roll around the house by pulling herself with her feet, but then if needed you could just pop on the larger wheels for bigger excursions. Taking off those bigger wheels made the wheelchair much narrower to get through our older house that wasn't designed with wheelchairs in mind. It also made the chair a lot lighter for transport.

Re: Wheelchairs.

Mz iMac — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 12:49:44 GMT

Manual or electric?

Re: Wheelchairs.

qualitygal — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 12:50:39 GMT

Thank you, I'll look on line for one of those places and call them. Appreciate it!

My brother is over 6 Ft. tall, and over 200, but not sure how much. We are wondering about that part too. Yeah, we've had to do the wheelchair lift once already with the NH chair. So I know of what you speak. He's still got some dizzyness off and on, but we honestly feel he is doing better each time we see him. Thank you God.

Thank you all so much.

Re: Wheelchairs.

qualitygal — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 12:55:02 GMT

@Mz iMac wrote:
Manual or electric?

Manual.

Re: Wheelchairs.

Somertime — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 13:13:43 GMT

I only needed a wheelchair for my husband when we went out, he did not need in the house. He was 6'3". I ordered one on Amazon for a little over $100.00. It was great., light enough for me to pick up and place in the car all by myself, narrow enough to go through doorways both of those were necessary for me when we would go out in the car whether for doctors appointments, haircuts, restaurants, etc.

You can, always, order the heavy duty ones as long as you have someone able to get it into the care for you or if you chose to use it in the house or patio.

Re: Wheelchairs.

RedTop — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 17:24:50 GMT

@qualitygal

If your brother has insurance, and his doctor writes an order for a wheelchair, it will be covered as a medical necessity.

Re: Wheelchairs.

patbz — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 18:13:56 GMT

One of our doctors was accidentally shot in the spine while on a hunting trip. As he is in his forties, he needed an adaptive wheelchair in order to continue doing his frequent surgeries ( these chairs can run well over $25,000). He successfully found a second hand model on eBay for $12,000. At one of the Costcos in Glendale AZ the door greeter is severely disabled and uses one of these very fancy chairs, which are truly a marvel.

Re: Wheelchairs.

x Hedge — Sat, 09 Apr 2022 18:48:23 GMT

At one point in my career I worked with durable medical equipment. Among other things I repaired and customized wheelchairs.

If you need a wheeled chair to occasionally transport someone a short distance, don't pay for any extras except removable/swingaway foot pedals and good reliable brakes.

If the individual is going to transfer themselves into and out of the chair and wheel themselves about, the width and height of seat and backrest should be custom fitted.

Consider removable armrests and other features. The best choice will depend entirely on the strength and stamina of the person who'll be using the chair, and how much they will depend on the chair to participate in daily life.

If a physical therapist works with your person you should get their input before buying. If your person's physical condition is likely to substantially improve or deteriorate, a rental may be wiser than a purchase. Rentals can be customized too.

Re: Wheelchairs.

qualitygal — Sun, 10 Apr 2022 08:32:06 GMT

Thank you all so much. Your info is very valuable for us. Thanks again to all of you.