Wheelchairs - Advice welcomed

[BeckyJan]

Some of you will know that my husband is in a Nursing Home. His mobility is poor and he just about copes with transfer from armchair to wheel chair for toileting and at mealtimes. (Sometimes he needs a hoist).

His quality of life, just sitting in an armchair, is fairly poor and I have asked for a referral to OT for advice for a more robust wheelchair. If this is possible I may be able to take him around the NH gardens and into some beautiful gardens adjacent to his NH.

The NH Manager seems to understand this need and I accept that I may have to buy a suitable wheelchair.

Have any of you had experience and suggestions?

Somehow I have more faith in advice from experienced TP members than the OT (I will apologise later if the OT
works beyond expectation ).

 

[lesmisralbles]

Hire one, or contact the red cross.
See if it works before buying one.
SS should provide one, they did for Ron, and it was a tough strong wheelchair.
Good luck

Barb X

 

[PostTenebrasLux]

Hello Jan,

My cousin benefits from being able to have her legs stretched out at seat level to prevent from all the blood/water gathering at her ankles and leading to poor circulation. This is a good change from spending all her time in the sitting position.
Another element is that the foot rest be one line all the way across rather than only a rest for each foot. She frequently drops her foot which otherwise drags on the ground. We have resorted to adding a removable thin piece of plywood across when we go out for walks.
Another useful item is a small table or cup holder which can swivel. If you are out on a walk, there never seems to be a decent place to put down your mobile whilst helping your Husband with a drink.
Another help for our cousin is to clip on to a "washing line" a series of useful items such as wet flannel, utensils, "toys", keys, activities such as for a pram, also clips for securing a cardigan, blanket.
Wheelchair lapbelt.
M

 

[Sam Iam]

Jan,
You get a referral through you GP/OT/CONSULTANT

www.buzzle.com/.../how-to-get-free-wheelchairs-nhs.html

I hope this helps as things are so different in Scotland, we have specialist who are linked to GP/OT/NURSING/PHYSIOTHERAPY and we can refer a patient to them.

 

[BeckyJan]

Thanks:

I have already approached the GP who has referred to OT - it just seems a difficult path for them!

My thread is to prepare me for the OT when she ultimately assesses my husband.

 

[BeckyJan]

Thanks Martina:

Sorry I had missed your post! I value your comments, thank you!

 

[Sam Iam]

Jan, sorry I miss read your thread xx


Your referral form will be read by an Occupational Therapist, who will make an assessment of the type of wheelchair that you require to meet your individual needs.
They will get in touch with you to arrange to see you at home to decide which is the best type of wheelchair that meets your individual needs.

There are many different types and sizes of wheelchairs available.

Manual wheelchairs are ones that require the occupant to either self push (known as self-propelled wheelchairs) or be pushed by an attendant (known as attendant-propelled wheelchairs).

The above chairs can be individualised or specialist seating systems can be used with any of these wheelchairs to give extra comfort or extra support for good positioning.
Hope this helps.

 

[connie]

Jan, do you just want a wheelchair to take David out into the grounds, or do you think the time is approaching for a more specialised chair?

Lionel has been in his 'special' chair now for three years, and whist his is fine for wheeling about freely within the home, for a small upgrade larger wheels can be fitted for outside use.

Not cheap, but worth every penny to us. Lionel, though, has no movement in his body and needs the extra support that a wheelchair did not give.

http://www.kirton-healthcare.co.uk/seating_range/postural_seating_adults.

Just a thought. Thinking of you both.

 

[Nan2seven]

Hi, Jan - I would suggest you pop along to your nearest retail outlet and have a look at what's going, just to get some idea. When Brian was having a real struggle to get to our beach hut (and it is SO important to ME that we continue to use it ) I bought a wheelchair for him last spring. Until you have a good look at them, you cannot judge their weight (which I think is quite an important issue), their comfort and their manoeuvrability.

The chap was very helpful, showing me the good and not so good points of each one, how some wheels pop off for easy stowage in the car, some handles fold down (as do ours) and some cushions are more luxurious than others. We plumped for a lighter weight one as it goes in and out of the car boot most days of the week and my car has a very small boot (I have a Citroen C1), but it is robust enough for me to take Brian for walks along the quay, the sea wall, through the local park, etc.. But it will not go up even and inch of kerb without being turned to go backwards. . Nevertheless we are very pleased with it. (It is a K---a.) Hope this might be of some help to you.

Love, Nan XXX

 

[larivy]

i would wait and see what OT offers 1st mums manual chair came within a couple of days her motorised chair came within 14months i found the big wheels easier to push then the small ones larivy

 

[sad nell]

Hi Jan, just last week we were having the same problem. Trevs mobility is zero now cannot stand unaided, the wheelchair we have provided just not suitable, just delivered with out seeing what trev needed, Trev took his feet off footplates every 10 yards, listed to the right and nearly overturned chair on many occasions, of all the agencies i have dealt with the wheel chair people were the least helpfull, so i got my strong head on and they agreed to asscess him, well once they actually saw how imobile Trev was and i stressed the dangers to my health also, they could not have been more helpfull and a new much more suitable chair has been ordered, it will be 12 weeks, but if it means we can get out safely it will be great bonus for trev and i. To be able to take your husband out into beautiful surroundings and enjoy the sunshine will be such a boost for you both, hope you can get it sorted, i insisted on brakes that i could control because we have avoided some run aways on subways by the skin of our teeth, just to be outside together puts such a big beam on my face, hope it does for you both love pam and Trev

 

[Margaret W]

http://www.thehelpfulhand.co.uk/

Jan, this place is in Macclesfield, at the bottom of Chestergate, where it joins Chester Road. From Buxton, turn right onto the Silk Road for a few hundred yards. At the roundabout turn left up Hibel Road. At the traffic lights go straight on. At the Kings School Roundabout turn left. At the next set of lights (very short distance) turn right. Turn right again very soon and there is a big car park on your left. Park.

Helpful hand is virtually in the bottom left hand corner of the car park.

The staff are fabulous, I have bought all sorts of stuff from them for my mother in law. Knowledgeable and helpful, and supply the local council. I don't know any equivalent shop in Buxton or closer.

Margaret

 

[BeckyJan]

Thank you all for your thoughts.

David does have a wheelchair - it is lightweight to cater for me taking him out and about when he was home, plus use within the house. Now even the lightweight one is heavy to push (he is XL now!).

Margaret, I am aware of Helping Hands, as I have used them over the 10 yrs or so of Alzheimers, plus taking other people there who needed help. Once I have my thoughts right then it is likely I will go there.

I am quite happy to pay but there are big questions. Not least is his comfort but at the same time being aware he may NOT want to go out. At present I am not sure whether his reluctance is discomfort or plainly disinterested. (I fear it may be the latter). It is virtually impossible to transfer him to a car, both physically and mentally, and I do have the lightweight one should that ever be needed.

Barb suggested hiring - maybe that will be good for a trial period. I will chase the OT and see what she has to say.

 

[DeborahBlythe]

Just adding my tuppence-worth..
.. some suppliers of wheelchairs will bring demonstration models to the care home for your loved one to try out. This happened in my mum's case and was very helpful. They also showed us a range of different seat pads.

You need to check that the dimensions of the chair actually suit the home as much as they suit the resident.. one of the models shown to us would not fit into the home's lift. My mum's chair was a tight fit and needed a knack to fit chair and pusher ina t the same time.

It was helpful to get a chair that reclined and had adjustable leg rest so that my mum could have her legs up if she wanted to. The chair we got also reclined (sounds obvious, but this means the back was adjustable) and also tilted, which meant the angle of the whole chair, (back, seat and leg support) could be changed which helped relieve pressure on any particular point.

I think I'd definitely go for a power assisted chair. We didn't with my mum but I can see it would have been very helpful. Wheelchair users can be quite a weight to shift even if nominally they are supposed to be 'light'. Consider your back!

x

 

[Winnie Kjaer]

Hello Jan,
My husband as you may remember is a stroke survivor, so that may make a difference even though it should not.
He initially had a standard wheelchair, but we were told that if we were willing to wait to the new budget came in the year after he could have a chair completely fitted to his needs, which we did. It is fabulous. The OT from the community Service came to the hospital and measured him here there and everywhere and when we eventually got the chair it only needed slight adjustments as we went along. He can lye down in it, the seat and the back tilts, he has a special cushion, and feet and headrest which are all adjustable. I never paid a penny and neither should anyone else have to. Equipment is free on the NHS.

If your husband does not like it no harm done they just take it back. My husband does not like going out anymore and always wants to come home very quickly. It is the unknown and uncertainty.

The chair does not go in the boot of a car, but I have a Kangoo, with a ramp and electric hoist so he just wheels in, unfortunately that was not on the NHS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish

If you want more details of which chair my husband has please PM me, as I am not sure if I am allowed to write it here.

Take care Jan.