Finding out stuff

bouicca21 · 10 May 2019 at 8:58PM

Not at all sure this is the right place but hoping someone can point me in the right direction for information.

A friend is planning on coming on an extended visit. She is currently in a wheelchair. By the time she comes she may have a prosthetic limb but will probably still need a wheelchair as well.

I need to work out how much turning space will be needed for the chair - will it actually be able to be manoeuvred round my flat. Also how to get in and out of the shower - which is over a standard bath.

She may not be able to bring her own chair - how easy is it to hire one? How do you get a wheelchair on and off a train, especially if the platform is curved? Is it better to board a train on a mobility scooter than in a chair? She will need to travel into central London at least occasionally. Can one hire mobility scooters?

As she is a foreign national should she be getting private health insurance rather than rely on the NHS if anything goes wrong?

What other questions should I be asking that I haven’t thought of?

I appreciate that these are everyday issues for many, but I have never had to deal with them before - and it is not a question of adapting my home as we are talking one or two months not permanent residence.

[Deleted User] · 10 May 2019 at 9:06PM

I have no idea about wheelchairs but I would suggest private health insurance just as we would take it out if travelling abroad, is she from outside the EU?

kingfisherblue · 10 May 2019 at 9:29PM

bouicca21 wrote: »

Not at all sure this is the right place but hoping someone can point me in the right direction for information.

A friend is planning on coming on an extended visit. She is currently in a wheelchair. By the time she comes she may have a prosthetic limb but will probably still need a wheelchair as well.

I need to work out how much turning space will be needed for the chair - will it actually be able to be manoeuvred round my flat. Also how to get in and out of the shower - which is over a standard bath. You can get a bath board. This is put across the bath and allows a person to sit safely whilst showering, although she might need you to leave the shower head dangling in the bath before she goes in. A bath mat in the bottom of the bath would be advisable.

She may not be able to bring her own chair - how easy is it to hire one? How do you get a wheelchair on and off a train, especially if the platform is curved? Is it better to board a train on a mobility scooter than in a chair? She will need to travel into central London at least occasionally. Can one hire mobility scooters? The Red Cross hire out wheelchairs, as well as other organisations. Or look in second hand shops - our local hospiace shop has lots of disability equipment at very low prices. If she contacts the train station before she travels, a guard can put down ramps to help her wheel on and off the train. The guard can also accompany her across to another platform if necessary. This needs to be booked in advance. When I have used this service with my son, there has been no charge. I don't know anything about scooters, although our local Shopmobility hire them out.

As she is a foreign national should she be getting private health insurance rather than rely on the NHS if anything goes wrong? Definitely. It's not something that I know much about, but I wouldn't dream of travelling to another country without appropriate health insurance.

What other questions should I be asking that I haven’t thought of? *Where will she sleep - upstairs or downstairs?

* Is there a toilet that she can access easily?
* Consider buying a Radar key, as this gives access to disabled toilets around the country. They are only a couple of pounds to buy from Amazon.
* Will she need medication whilst she is here? I don't know anything about this, but I imagine that she is unlikely to be able to get a NHS prescription.

* You might want to have a look at The Rough Guide to Accessible Britain. It's a free download.
https://www.motability.co.uk/news-views-and-events/rough-guide-to-accessible-britain/?gclid=CjwKCAjwwtTmBRBqEiwA-b6c__3HNdfCj1u0O9nxnqvHPiR9u4_Cab7GFUOhgwDQDXogMn_0jNtyvhoCbcgQAvD_BwE

I appreciate that these are everyday issues for many, but I have never had to deal with them before - and it is not a question of adapting my home as we are talking one or two months not permanent residence.

Hope this helps a little.

bouicca21 · 10 May 2019 at 10:24PM

Thanks, that’s really helpful.

Not sure whether her US medical insurance works in the UK. Will have to check. I suspect she will bring a stack of medication with her so not too worried about prescriptions. Though, come to think of it, I will need to check out accessibility at my GP’s surgery or maybe suss out the one in a new purpose built centre that’s way further away.

The toilet and high sided bath are my worst worries. I’m on the ground floor so getting in and out of the flat will be ok with some sort of mini ramp to cope with a shallow step. But once inside, my hallway is quite narrow so I need to measure up and calculate turning space to make sure she can access the rooms.

B_G_B · 10 May 2019 at 10:36PM

Almost impossible to work out wheelchair manoeuvrability. Two slightly different chairs can be miles apart in this aspect.

soolin · 11 May 2019 at 10:07AM

bouicca21 wrote: »

Thanks, that’s really helpful.

Not sure whether her US medical insurance works in the UK. Will have to check. I suspect she will bring a stack of medication with her so not too worried about prescriptions. Though, come to think of it, I will need to check out accessibility at my GP’s surgery or maybe suss out the one in a new purpose built centre that’s way further away.

The toilet and high sided bath are my worst worries. I’m on the ground floor so getting in and out of the flat will be ok with some sort of mini ramp to cope with a shallow step. But once inside, my hallway is quite narrow so I need to measure up and calculate turning space to make sure she can access the rooms.

As US citizen she will not be entitled to free NHS care so will need to either check with her own insurers that they will cover her costs or take out additional insurance. Due to possible costs she might find it best to make enquiries about this before she spends money on booking flights etc, it might not be cheap

As for the GP, it is likely that she will need to check that they will take a non NHS patient, each practice can make it's own decisions as to which temporary patients they will register and which they will not, so check that as well as asking about access. Make sure she has good credit in cards or access to cash as well in case she needs any form of treatment, depending on her insurance she may have to pay upfront and then reclaim later from her insurance, so travelling with plenty of access to money is imperative.

M_Python · 11 May 2019 at 11:34AM

Can she not use crutches to get around in your flat?

sheramber · 11 May 2019 at 2:52PM

Check the width of your doorways as a wheelchair might be too wide to go through.

GlasweJen · 11 May 2019 at 5:28PM

How does your friend manage transfers (getting in and out of the wheelchair?)

If she uses a hoist you'll need to hire one that you're both familiar with using, if you've never used one before you might want to familiarise yourself with "moving and handing" techniques before your friend arrives.

If your friend is "in a chair" then of course she's going to bring her own, she's hardly going to bum shuffle around an airport until you bring the hired one to her is she? All this will need to be arranged with the airline.

The airline, despite your friend possibly being otherwise as fit as a fiddle will probably want a "fit to fly" note from her doctor and another from a U.K. doctor for the return flight if they're not close together, this will not be covered by either the NHS nor by travel insurance.

Anyone should have adequate travel insurance and obviously make sure any pre existing conditions are covered as well. The NHS will only treat emergency cases in A&E and won't help a flare up of a pre-existing condition. They're also not cheap when the bill arrives at the end, much to many overseas visitors surprise.

sheramber · 12 May 2019 at 4:13PM

You need to ask your friend how she manages at home. How does she get about, use the toilet, shower etc. There a re disability aids available but you most likely need to buy them, unless somebody like the Red Cross hires them out in your area.

There is a GOV.UK site about travelling with a wheelchair.
https://www.gov.uk/transport-disabled

Owain_Moneysaver · 12 May 2019 at 7:21PM

bouicca21 wrote: »

Is it better to board a train on a mobility scooter than in a chair?

Acceptance of mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs on trains is varied, depending on the train type and the scooter type. Some train companies have a permit system where they can pre-approve individual scooters. Some don't accept scooters at all (including Heathrow Express).

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/44969.aspx

For baths, local social services may have a day care facility with a roll-in shower or bath hoist which could be used occasionally. They may also operate an equipment loan facility which might include bath boards, bath lifts etc. The problem is they will usually need to 'assess' the 'client' and that involves a delay.

Finding out stuff

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