Advice...Purchasing Wheelchair

[mzalicia]

Hello - I need advice/opinions on lightweight but strong brands/models from wheelchair owners or family/friends/caregivers of those who own wheelchairs.

Basically, we need a good quality stroller for Grandma! HELP!


Background -

I am purchasing a wheelchair for my mom because there are more and more occasions where she needs one, but I feel lost about brand/model to buy.

My mom is 75 and gets around just fine, she just can't walk long distances as she has congestive heart failure. Mom does not want to rent an ECV, plus we are renting a car this trip so we won't have room to transport an ECV between hotel and parks (staying off-site for part of our upcoming trip)

Lastly, I'm not that strong - we rented a standard "big wheel" chair when we went to the state fair this year and it was a beast to get in and out of my car - anyone know of a sturdy but light caregiver chair model?

Help (new) Friends!!

 

[peemagg]

If someone else is always going to push her, then I suggest getting a transport wheelchair. They are light weight and don't have the large rear wheels like a traditional chair

If it is for her to push herself with, then there are all sorts out there. I have found in research for mine that titanium or carbon fiber ones are the lightest, but they also come with a big expense.

I guess it all depends on how it is going to be operated the most as to what you should get.

 

[Que_Sarah_Sarah]

With the Disney Transportation options, as well as having a rental car, have you considered just renting at the parks? We use those wheelchairs as "strollers" for my nana. You can get them for the length of your stay and the ticket will transfer from park to park all day.

 

[mzalicia]

Peemag: Yes, definately looking at the transport wheelchairs, my head is just spinning on how many mfr/models available.

Que_Sarah_Sarah: We did rent from Disney on previous trips but mom struggled from hotel room to car / busses - the resorts are so large - plus we really need one at home now. Thank you


If anyone knows of a review site for wheelchairs, that would be helpful

-Alicia

 

[peemagg]

Try spinlife.com. They have many different models and give the pluses and minuses to each type of chair and their weights.

I used them a lot when researching the type of chair I wanted to buy.

 

[Disneykidsdad]

I would be very careful with a transport chair. We have one for our daughter that we use from time to time. Although it is very light and easy to fold, she says it is not very comfortable for long periods. Why not try to rent one from an off-site company and have it delivered to your hotel. This way you have it for 24 hour use.

 

[mzalicia]

Peemag: I was just looking at Spinlife.com yesterday They were the top of my google search for titanium wheelchairs.

Disneykidsdad: Renting from an off-site company was my plan A until we needed to start renting a wheelchair more often at home. We are needing a chair more and more for mom. My mom was a caregiver and has a pretty low opinion of transport chairs. Their size and weight is very tempting, but you are right, if its not comfortable we won't use it.

 

[krisnme]

If Grandma is not too large, take a look at the Convaid chairs. they fold like an umbrella stroller, and you can get larger, but not huge, rear wheels which makes them more comfy and easier to push. Also, check with her insurance and they may cover the cost if her Dr. will issue a perscription for it. If she has CHF it is likely she will be covered. Don't forget to get a vehicle Disability hang tag if you don't already have one.

 

[peemagg]

This is the chair that I have ordered for myself.

http://www.spinlife.com/TiLite-TiLi...elchair/spec.cfm?productID=90385#.Trl5NbKO6Wc

It does not fold up, but the back folds down and the wheels come off with the push of a button, so it is a small, lightweight package to fit in our trunk, or back seat.

 

[Bete]

We have a Medline lightweight Freedom transport wheechair. We use this wheelchair on vacation, to appointments, and on an ocassional dinner out. For us this wheelchair has worked for the last four years very well. My mom uses a walker most of the time, but we use the wheelchair for when we are out of the house. I don't take her shopping much in the wheelchair; because, I do all her shopping. I had to replace one bolt from the leg rest and I honestly thought this was my mom's fault for pushing down too hard on it. Periodically, I check and tighten any loose screws and so forth. Because of bumps and what have you parts do get a little loose and need to be tightened.

When we go to Orlando we spend from a week to two weeks and we visit many parks and for 8 to 10 hour days usually. I'm the pusher. I love the lightness of this chair. As far as comfort we use a seat cushion with the wheelchair and my mom seems ok with it. She's only 110 pounds; so, I'm thinking her lighter weight may help her be more comfortable with a transport wheelchair. We did not have a seat cushion from the very beginning and she seemed fine with it, as is.

Anyway, this transport wheelchair goes for about $150. It's rated for 300 pounds and it's 19 inches wide. The wheelchair is mostly aluminum and weighs 14.8 pounds. I like the way it folds up, too.

For our needs we have been quite satisfied.

 

[SueM in MN]

Another pretty good site is
http://www.1800wheelchair.com/home/wheelchairs

Your basic choices are Transport Chairs, which are basically meant for short trips and/or for getting easily in and out of a car trunk. Some smaller people find them comfortable for longer time periods, especially if they get out occassionally and walk. They are a good low cost option that is easy to transport. You can find them from around $200 on up.

Standard wheelchairs generally weigh between 35 and 45 pounds. That sounds heavy, but they actually need very little force to push them. The seats are usually sling seats, like director’s chairs. That type of seat may not be comfortable for someone to sit in for long periods without getting up. With a seat cushion added, they can be comfortable longer. They are the type most users get.
Many cost around $200 or even less. You can find seat cushions for about $20 on up. The more expensive wheelchairs generally have more options, like different widths, different footplates/footrests, etc.

Lightweight wheelchairs are similar, but weigh 29-35 pounds. Most are $300 - $600.

Ultralight wheelchairs are less than 30 pounds and are quite a bit more expensive. They start at about $400 and most are more expensive. There are more options, in terms of seat widths and types of footrests. They are considered to be custom orders and it is very helpful to have someone who knows about wheelchairs (like a therapist) help with figuring out the options.

The stroller style wheelchairs have a lower weight limit and are generally more than $500. Many of them have a seat that is tipped back, so may not be comfortable for an adult. Some are not that easy to get into and out of.

For someone like my DD, who is in her wheelchairs pretty much all the time she is awake, having a wheelchair that is well adapted to her is very important. She need specialized seat cushions and all sorts of other adaptations.

For your purposes, a transport chair may be a reasonable option.

 

[mzalicia]

Hi all - quick update.

We rented a transport chair this weekend and went shopping at the local mall - I really loved it - higher handles for pushing, easier to maneuver than a standard wheelchair, SOOOO much easier to get in and out of the car. Mom thought it was ok, she said it was comfortable but she was worried about uneven ground. We're going to look at some more transport chair models, but we are definitely heading in the right direction

I wanted to thank you all for your advice!!!
Alicia

 

[WheelieBigDisFan]

For wheelchair user reviews and testimonials go to: http://usatechguide.org/
They have a good number of wheelchairs listed there and quite a few product reviews from users.
Mandy

 

[scdak]

I purchased a Medline Freedom last year for my mother to use at Disney, we put it through a week long trip with great results. It does weigh about 14 lbs but that's without the legs attached, total less than 20lbs fully assembled, easy to fold and carry on all forms of Disney transportation, being able to carry it was important to me because I am limited in what I can lift. We found that it was easier to fold it and carry it on the monorail, boats, buses etc than use the ramps that are available, it saved so much time and the short distance that she walked to board any of those forms of transportation gave her a little break from sitting. She said it was comfortable for extended periods of time, I researched various types of seat pads to increase her comfort but we found a memory foam pillow was the most comfortable for her instead of ready made gel, sheepskin or foam pads.

We traversed Animal Kingdom without difficulty, which in my opinion had the bumpiest, most uneven surfaces that we encountered. It rode no worse than a standard w/c there (which we have used for the past 3-4 trips) as far as the uneven surfaces were concerned.

The nice feature of sloped arms were great to allow her to stay in the chair at restaurants if she chose to, and most of the time she opted to stay in the chair because it was more comfortable than the seats at the restaurants.

The only feature we did not use was the attachable cup holder, it was in the way when we folded the chair.

I believe I ordered it through Amazon, and also purchased a Medline wheelchair bag to put the chair in for air travel which worked great. There was a small "backpack" that I also opted to buy which was nice, if it was empty the chair could be easily folded and it was weather proof, in the past we have used a small backpack on the back of a regular w/c and it didn't fit well or it was lumpy against her back and applied pressure to her back which was uncomfortable, she said she could not feel this bag.

We did have a problem with a defective wheel early on into the trip which we were able to fix temporarily, once home I contacted the company and a replacement wheel was sent to me (actually 2 of them although I only needed one) free of charge and it took about 2 minutes to be replaced.

Overall I am very pleased with the chair and I know that it will be used alot more in the future.

 

[harrismargaret9]

Try MeridianHealthStore.com. It's an online medical supplies store with a good selection of wheelchairs. You can read about the different models available to find the best one for your mother. Good luck and enjoy your trip!