Help finding electric wheelchair with lithium batteries AND a leg rest

boots_babe

Hi,

Posting to try to help my mum. She's been wheelchair bound for a few years, and as she cannot bend one of her knees, her wheelchair needs to have a single leg rest as an add on, to keep that leg elevated. For years she's had her existing electric wheelchair, but it weighs 60kg and my dad has always struggled with lifting it in and out of the car, and now he's been diagnosed with Parkinson's and just finds it a lot harder. 

So we suggested she looks into lithium battery wheelchairs which are much much lighter. However mum says she's spent ages online, called around lots of specialist places both locally and nationally, and hasn't yet actually found a lithium powered wheelchair, which has the option to buy a leg rest that fits :-(

I'm posting on the off chance that someone on here may know of something that exists somewhere? She can't be the only person with this requirement.

Many thanks.

Spoonie_Turtle

Are you able to post a picture of the type she currently has (not necessarily the exact model, just a general idea) and does she specifically need a powered wheelchair, or could she perhaps have a lightweight manual frame with a power add-on (so driven like a power chair but much much lighter, and able to be taken apart if need be)?

theoretica

An idle google brought me here https://lith-tech.com/shop/lith-tech-leg-extentions-smart-chair-1-1xl-enduro-multi-chair-1/

Rodders53

Consider a hoist for the car to lift the existing chair in and out?
Not cheap but nor are lightweight lithium powered chairs.
https://www.brig-aydcontrols.co.uk/product/hoists-3/ is an example maker.

I presume the existing chair breaks down to manageable parts weighing less than that 60kg!  It's possible that with a hoist less breaking down would be needed (depending on vehicle boot area space etc.,.).

We have a hoist in our Galaxy for the shopping scooter that probably weighs similar.  That goes in one piece. Just!

We have recently bought a very lightweight power wheelchair that folds down and the frame is 24kg plus another 4kg for the two lithium batteries (= 28kg).  I can just about manage to lift that in and out but wouldn't want to do more.  I'm still working on the best way to use the hoist to do it.  It wouldn't (IMHO) be suitable for an elevated leg support to be added on to it;  but some mobility shops should be able to advise more.

Torry_Quine

Have you got in touch with an occupational therapist?  

boots_babe

Rodders53 said:

Consider a hoist for the car to lift the existing chair in and out?
Not cheap but nor are lightweight lithium powered chairs.
https://www.brig-aydcontrols.co.uk/product/hoists-3/ is an example maker.

I presume the existing chair breaks down to manageable parts weighing less than that 60kg!  It's possible that with a hoist less breaking down would be needed (depending on vehicle boot area space etc.,.).

We have a hoist in our Galaxy for the shopping scooter that probably weighs similar.  That goes in one piece. Just!

We have recently bought a very lightweight power wheelchair that folds down and the frame is 24kg plus another 4kg for the two lithium batteries (= 28kg).  I can just about manage to lift that in and out but wouldn't want to do more.  I'm still working on the best way to use the hoist to do it.  It wouldn't (IMHO) be suitable for an elevated leg support to be added on to it;  but some mobility shops should be able to advise more.

That's actually how we started looking at lighterv(lithium) chairs. Their mot ability car is up for renewal, but they've found hardly any cars on the list that fit mum's wheelchair, and and when discussing with the sales person mum mentioned how hard it was now for dad to lift. He mentioned a hoist, they didn't even know these existed,  and said they start at £500. 

Mum and dad were really excited until they got home to find that due to weight limits on the hoists, they'd be looking at upwards of £2k for their existing chair which they could never afford.

So a lighter lithium chair would solve the hoist problem, and also open up their car search as they seem to fold down smaller too.

Your question re existing chair, yes it breaks down to a point, but, regardless you still have to 2 massively heavy batteries which even I can only just lift. So really a lithium battery would seem a fantastic solution. 

theoretica

How much of the problem is just the batteries?  You could maybe swap out the lead acid ones for lithium.

MouldyOldDough

boots_babe said:

Hi,

Posting to try to help my mum. She's been wheelchair bound for a few years, and as she cannot bend one of her knees, her wheelchair needs to have a single leg rest as an add on, to keep that leg elevated. For years she's had her existing electric wheelchair, but it weighs 60kg and my dad has always struggled with lifting it in and out of the car, and now he's been diagnosed with Parkinson's and just finds it a lot harder. 

So we suggested she looks into lithium battery wheelchairs which are much much lighter. However mum says she's spent ages online, called around lots of specialist places both locally and nationally, and hasn't yet actually found a lithium powered wheelchair, which has the option to buy a leg rest that fits :-(

I'm posting on the off chance that someone on here may know of something that exists somewhere? She can't be the only person with this requirement.

Many thanks.

Does your Mum receive PIP mobility ?

If so - it may be worth investigating the option using (part of) the mobility component to lease a light weight lithium powered wheelchair on motability

or try your local council adult services OT for one

MouldyOldDough

theoretica said:

How much of the problem is just the batteries?  You could maybe swap out the lead acid ones for lithium.

You can't just swap batteries - they run on different voltages and are physically not compatible

theoretica

MouldyOldDough said:

theoretica said:

How much of the problem is just the batteries?  You could maybe swap out the lead acid ones for lithium.

You can't just swap batteries - they run on different voltages and are physically not compatible

This place says they supply ones which are compatible https://www.lifelightmobility.co.uk/Lithium+Mobility+Batteries/0_CAAA039_CAAA041_CAAA061.htm

Spoonie_Turtle

MouldyOldDough said:

boots_babe said:

Hi,

Posting to try to help my mum. She's been wheelchair bound for a few years, and as she cannot bend one of her knees, her wheelchair needs to have a single leg rest as an add on, to keep that leg elevated. For years she's had her existing electric wheelchair, but it weighs 60kg and my dad has always struggled with lifting it in and out of the car, and now he's been diagnosed with Parkinson's and just finds it a lot harder. 

So we suggested she looks into lithium battery wheelchairs which are much much lighter. However mum says she's spent ages online, called around lots of specialist places both locally and nationally, and hasn't yet actually found a lithium powered wheelchair, which has the option to buy a leg rest that fits :-(

I'm posting on the off chance that someone on here may know of something that exists somewhere? She can't be the only person with this requirement.

Many thanks.

Does your Mum receive PIP mobility ?

If so - it may be worth investigating the option using (part of) the mobility component to lease a light weight lithium powered wheelchair on motability

or try your local council adult services OT for one

OP mentions Motability car, you can't lease both a car and wheelchair on the scheme at the same time.