Going out for the first time in a wheelchair

saving_pennies

Well I didn't get to go out today Spent the whole day in bed again But did chat for almost two hours with a friend on the phone this evening to catch up on what I missed today.

Chorlie - I have actually met with the care agency supervisor at the end of last week to discuss a problem with my care and also a change in my care needs. She thinks maybe as I am young some of my needs are being missed. Today is a prime example. She is on holiday next week but is going to pass details of our meeting to the other supervisor so that things can begin to change.

OnAndUp - yes it would have to be a soft landing! :rotfl:

formaldehyde_perfume

I have my wheelchair assessment on wednesday. I'm really nervous, not only about the whole assessment but about being a wheelchair user. I have a mobility scooter which is great but is quite limiting for the things I want to be able to do, like for instance I want to get to the bus stop under my own steam, get on the bus, go to another town, go round town, and come home again. It seems like such a simple thing but to be able to do it on my own would be such an amazing feeling (in this area mobility scooters are accepted on a discressionary basis by the driver and they're one every 2 hours during the day!) and especially as I'm due to be moving in to my own home soon, I need to know I'm able to do these things for myself.

I am hoping to get an electric wheelchair and a manual one but I don't know what is available. I would need an electric one for myself as there's no way I can push myself any distance, although I am lucky in that I think I'd probably be able to move myself round to face the right direction etc if it was a good flat surface. The reason I want a manual one as well is that I want the option of being able to go somewhere for the day, even when I can't manage it on crutches/sticks.. My family (excluding my mum, she's fab) make me feel like I'm such an inconveniece because it takes a while and someone has to be quite fit to take my scooter apart, put it in the boot, and take it out and assemble it again and my dad has even damaged it because he was so stressed out and resentful about having to do it that he wasn't careful; whereas a manual wheelchair is simple in comparison. I imagine an electric wheelchair is just as complicated as a scooter. I love to go to the beach in the summer, especially now I have my dog, but just the thought of anyone accept my mum taking me fills me with dread because she is the only one I know won't make me feel bad about it. Sad but true.

Anyway, that's my rant over.

saving_pennies

Hi Formaldehyde_perfume,

It's quite a change isn't it, moving into a wheelchair. As I said in other posts I had some concerns, still do, but guess it won't take long to get use to it. Despite the concerns, when I foud out today that I meet criteria for a powerchair I was just so happy. I know there is a wait for the chair, but I feel hopeful that I can start to do more with my life now.

I had another thread about the problems I was having getting a suitable wheelchair and I updated it with how I managed to get another assessment with a better outcome. I really hope you don't come across the same problems I did.

Both the assessments I had were different so I am not sure what the standard assessment involves. But for me I was asked about my health conditions and how they impact me, what i hope to do with the wheelchair (e.g. indoor use, outdoor or both - i also think how long you will use it will affect battery size etc), looked at the support my body needs when sitting, measured my body and also looked at space in home for getting chair through door and turning space.

Re electric and manual chair. I was told that as I meet criteria for power chair I will still have a manual chair as a back up in case the power chair breaks down.

I've never had a scooter nor a power chair so can't help re how complicated they are to get into a car. I do know that if you use the motability scheme then there are various adaptations including hoists to lift chair into boot. I don't know much about these as it is only today that I have really started to look into how my car can be changed to meet my current needs.

Let us know how you get on tomorrow,