Wheelchairs

ni-james

Are you still wanting the powerchair to get into the car. If your carer can't lift even the heaviest wheelchair available then there is no chance they will be able to lift even the lightest powerchair available. Fully dismantled the heaviest piece of a powerchair is closer to 3 stone providing you manage to get a very light one.

Sorry if I'm pointing out the obvious, just I used to be a dealer and sold hundreds of powerchairs. Very few able bodied people could actually lift them into a car despite the fact thats what they are designed for. The power packs for wheelchairs are even worse, very fiddly to assemble and take apart and most customers I demonstrated them too couldn't manage it.

Chorlie

saving_pennies wrote: »

Apparently the chair weighs 2 stone and is a lighter version of what they used to use. My able-bodied carer struggled to get it into her car when we collected it, no idea how they expect me to do it.

I was given a cushion for the chair but had no assessment for this.

I agree, they seem lazy. Also they don't seem to treat me as someone with individual needs.

A light weight chair is not 28lbs (13kgs), a light weight chair is under 10kgs (around 20-22lbs). It's not custom made, I've had custom made and your whole body is measured it can't be done when in bed and you have to know how you like your chair set-up to be fully custom made, custom made chairs are made to the 'mm'. All chair come in different sizes seat width and depth, most go from 14" to 20" seat width.

You can buy a cheap chair for under £200 from most mobility stores, but a good chair is over a £1000 and a true custom made is over £2000.

As for an electric chair, my friend was only permitted one if he had a manual chair before hand which is in his shed and never been used.

saving_pennies

Chorlie wrote: »

A light weight chair is not 28lbs (13kgs), a light weight chair is under 10kgs (around 20-22lbs). It's not custom made, I've had custom made and your whole body is measured it can't be done when in bed and you have to know how you like your chair set-up to be fully custom made, custom made chairs are made to the 'mm'.

Wow, it seems the wheelchair services has been telling me lies. They stated several times this was a made to measure chair which is from a new company they use as the chairs are lighter. But like sunnyone said, the chair may be lighter than the other chairs they have but that doesn't necessarily mean lightweight.

Chorlie - How long did you friend have to have his manual chair unused before they assessed him for a power chair?

I called the DSC again this morning and requested a call from the manager, who I was told was in a meeting. So I said I wanted to speak to the next senior member of staff - the secretary couldn't find anyone free to talk to me but said she'll pass the message on and get the manager or deputy manager to call me. Still not heard from them.

I said if I don't have one by end of working day Thursday (tomorrow) I will be contacting the MP secretary again and ask her to send a email to chase them up. The DSC secretary encouraged me to contact the MP and said some people have to. I explained that I shouldn't have to contact the MP to get a return phone call from the manager (surely that is not much to ask?). The secretary agreed that the chair I have is not suitable but she has no influence on the decision made by the service.

saving_pennies

ni-james wrote: »

Are you still wanting the powerchair to get into the car. If your carer can't lift even the heaviest wheelchair available then there is no chance they will be able to lift even the lightest powerchair available. Fully dismantled the heaviest piece of a powerchair is closer to 3 stone providing you manage to get a very light one.

I have spoken to motability who have agreed, in theory, to terminate my contract so I can start a new one with a car adapted to help lift the wheelchair into it. So once I have the chair that mets my needs I have to call motability again so we can look at what adaptation/car will best meet my needs.

Chorlie

I don't know how long he waited, he wanted a voucher towards a chair and they told him he need a manual chair before they would assess him for an electric one. So they gave him a basic manual chair, therefore it could of been long.

As for a car, you really need to be looking at vans, one you can drive straight into in an electric chair, which means ramps or a lift...

http://www.usedcommercialvehiclesales.co.uk/results.php?submit=Search&cat[0]=20

Would a scooter be better if you don't need an electric chair 100% of the time?

saving_pennies

I'm not sure if a scooter would be any better for me. Think I need to talk to doctor/OT about that.

As for car, I did think of a van I could drive into. Guess the type of car/van will depend on type of chair I end up with.

Wish there was a quick solution to this. Seems a lot to take into consideration especially if the chair plus car/van will meet my needs for several years.

saving_pennies

Hello,

Jsut thought I would give an update. I finally got another assessment today and was told I meet the criteria for a powerchair from NHS! :j He will get the paperwork rolling and I have to have an eye test and a driving test, plus he has to talk to my doctor to check that there is no other health conditions that would mean I would be unsafe in an electric chair, e.g. frequent loss of consciousness or cognitive impairment etc (as far as I know I don't have any of these).

The assessor also spoke a little to me about adaptations for cars either so I can drive from the chair or be passenger.

I called motability. They were aware of the change in my condition and had agreed I can terminate my current contract early once I get the powerchair. Because I need funding help they gave me a number for the grant charity and said they will also do an assessment to find out which WAV is best for me. Two options are to either so I can drive from the wheelchair or drive the wheelchair into the car and then transfer to the chair seat. At the moment I can transfer but she said I have to ensure the car will meet my needs for 5 years. I have, however, just looked at other adaptations and some of the hoists will lift powerchairs into the car, so I think I will talk to them about this at the assessment. I will probably be looking for advice and support here re WAV's or hoists etc at a later date.

I am quite excited and also very hopeful. I feel now I am moving forward and there is some light at the end of the tunnel when I will be able to live more and be more independent again.

I don't know if other people have problems getting there needs met by the NHS services but I hope my story will encourage people to speak up if there needs are not met. As although its been stressful and frustrating, my efforts (with help of MP secretary) has paid off.

sunnyone

saving_pennies wrote: »

Hello,

Jsut thought I would give an update. I finally got another assessment today and was told I meet the criteria for a powerchair from NHS! :j He will get the paperwork rolling and I have to have an eye test and a driving test, plus he has to talk to my doctor to check that there is no other health conditions that would mean I would be unsafe in an electric chair, e.g. frequent loss of consciousness or cognitive impairment etc (as far as I know I don't have any of these).

The assessor also spoke a little to me about adaptations for cars either so I can drive from the chair or be passenger.

I called motability. They were aware of the change in my condition and had agreed I can terminate my current contract early once I get the powerchair. Because I need funding help they gave me a number for the grant charity and said they will also do an assessment to find out which WAV is best for me. Two options are to either so I can drive from the wheelchair or drive the wheelchair into the car and then transfer to the chair seat. At the moment I can transfer but she said I have to ensure the car will meet my needs for 5 years. I have, however, just looked at other adaptations and some of the hoists will lift powerchairs into the car, so I think I will talk to them about this at the assessment. I will probably be looking for advice and support here re WAV's or hoists etc at a later date.

I am quite excited and also very hopeful. I feel now I am moving forward and there is some light at the end of the tunnel when I will be able to live more and be more independent again.

I don't know if other people have problems getting there needs met by the NHS services but I hope my story will encourage people to speak up if there needs are not met. As although its been stressful and frustrating, my efforts (with help of MP secretary) has paid off.

Are you keeping the manual or getting a lighter one?

You get both manual and powerchair to meet your needs incase the powerchair breaks down and truthfully depending on where you go/what you do its handy to have a manual because diffrent situations require diffrent aids.

I tell people to apply for powerchairs because most just get a flat "no" and accept it like you did at first, you need to keep at it, read the criteria, show how you reach the criteria etc. to get the funding, did they give you a funding band?

I get the highest but most dont and even for lower bands there are a good choice of powerchairs to test drive, if you are even contemplateing a drive from you must have a crash tested powerchair, they are going to provide the powerchair arn't they and not give you a tiny voucher towards one?

If you get a voucher you need to factor in 5 years servicing/repairs but its better to get the powerchair provided than everything except insurance provided, they recomend that you insure a provided powerchair and I have just the same as my own wheelchairs.

thnks for pasing on the good news.

saving_pennies

Hello sunnyone,

Thank you for replying to my update. It is good to be able to share the good news here. I've been a quiet member of the forum for a long time and recently started to feel confident at using the forum. I get so much from reading other people's post, so I hope that my post on wheelchair does help others too.

The assessor did say that I will have a manual chair as well as the power chair. He said to keep the manual chair I have already. One of the first things he said was that the wheelchair was a relatively light one. I said it may be light for some people but not for me. But should powerchair fail at least I have something I can be pushed in.

I can imagine that some people who are turned down for a power chair just accept it. I felt strongly that they were not meeting my needs and followed advice to get copy of criteria etc. I emailed them thier own criteria and comments on how I meet them but they didn't seem to listen, just restated all they can offer me is a manual chair. It is interesting that now, with a second assessment, relatively quickly he said I met criteria for powerchair and was even going to provide one with a tilt function (which he only recommends for certain people) - that is a huge change from them saying all they can give me is a manual chair.

Like most things though, when people need to appeal a decision it takes lots of energy and is time consuming. People who need the help are having to fight to get there needs met, and often they don't have the energy to do this - I know I struggle to find the energy sometimes.

The assessor didn't mention a funding band. He is going to send through the paper work. Maybe that will have the funding band on it?

He didn't talk about the voucher scheme. So I think they will provide the powerchair. From what I read it is easier to get them to provide the chair. He did say if I drive from them they are not crash tested - but why they supply ones not crash tested i don't know, surely thats a health and safety risk! Apparently when I know what docking system the car will have I need to write to them and request adaptation to the chair to fit the docking system and then I have to sign to say I understand its not crash tested. But now you got me thinking that there must be crash tested ones out there.

Do they tell you which companies to use to insure the chair? Is it a specific wheelchair insurance or does it come under home insurance? (I suspect I am asking a very niave questions but humour me)

If you get a voucher you need to factor in 5 years servicing/repairs

can I ask why you say 5 years? is that the average length of use of a chair?

Sorry lots of questions here.

formaldehyde_perfume

I have my wheelchair assessment at my 'local' big hospital tomorrow, it's at the rehabilitation centre and I'm really nervous now I've read the rest of this thread. There's no way I could use a manual chair as my arms are just too weak, and I could dislocate a joint at any point. Seems like there's no point going really.