ECV with an elevated leg?

[Ducky4Disney]

My S-Mom will be in WDW with us for a couple nights and she just broke her ankle in over 10 places and had 2 surgeries to fix it. Needless to say, she'll be in a WC atleast. I told her how easy it is to get an ECV for the whole trip and she mentioned having her leg elevated. Anyone know if there is a way to elevate a leg in an ECV?

D4D

 

[Cheshire Figment]

There is no method that I know of.

Also, even if there were an easy way it would not be a good idea. If a person is in a wheelchair with a leg elevated there is still the footplate to provide protection against someone walking into them; in an ECV there would be nothing to prevent the foot from hitting soemone or something.

 

[SueM in MN]

I agree with Cheshire Figment.

 

[Ducky4Disney]

Yeah, I was coming to that conclusion too. Just hoping for some magic with this!

Thanks!
D4D

 

[Ducky4Disney]

S-Mom is still asking about this. I mentioned to her that even if we managed a way to make it elevated it would be unprotected and at risk of being ran into by other people. In the end, I told her to call the rental place and ask their advice. I was also curious about the possibility of a powered wheelchair, but they seem to be more difficult to maneuver and therefore rent.

This ought to be fun.

D4D

 

[SueM in MN]

I was also curious about the possibility of a powered wheelchair, but they seem to be more difficult to maneuver and therefore rent.

This ought to be fun.

D4D

Power wheelchairs look much easier to drive than they are. An ECV is quite easy and intuitive - there is one throttle for going forwards and a separate throttle in a different place for going backwards. To steer, you turn the handlebar/tiller in one direction or the other; it is very much like steering a bike (and not that more difficult than steering a car, for someone who hasn't ridden a bike in years).

A power wheelchair uses a joystick that controls speed, direction forward and backward and turning - ALL AT THE SAME TIME WITH THE SAME JOYSTICK. Because of that, it takes quite a bit longer to get the knack of driving one. My DD drove into lots of things before she got good with driving her power wheelchair. And actually, when we saw a new orthopedist, he asked how many times she had broken her toes, since most of his patients have broken toes driving into things with their power wheelchairs (for the record, my DD has not broken any toes).
So, most of the companies will only rent power wheelchairs to people who already have considerable experience using them (people like my DD, who have one at home, but don't want to travel with it).
Also, the power wheelchairs that companies do rent out don't have elevating footrests, so you would be in the same boat as far as not being able to put her foot up.

 

[Ducky4Disney]

Power wheelchairs look much easier to drive than they are. An ECV is quite easy and intuitive - there is one throttle for going forwards and a separate throttle in a different place for going backwards. To steer, you turn the handlebar/tiller in one direction or the other; it is very much like steering a bike (and not that more difficult than steering a car, for someone who hasn't ridden a bike in years).

A power wheelchair uses a joystick that controls speed, direction forward and backward and turning - ALL AT THE SAME TIME WITH THE SAME JOYSTICK. Because of that, it takes quite a bit longer to get the knack of driving one. My DD drove into lots of things before she got good with driving her power wheelchair. And actually, when we saw a new orthopedist, he asked how many times she had broken her toes, since most of his patients have broken toes driving into things with their power wheelchairs (for the record, my DD has not broken any toes).
So, most of the companies will only rent power wheelchairs to people who already have considerable experience using them (people like my DD, who have one at home, but don't want to travel with it).
Also, the power wheelchairs that companies do rent out don't have elevating footrests, so you would be in the same boat as far as not being able to put her foot up.

Thank you for the valuable information. Again, I was coming to that conclusion too - just hoping it wasn't so! It doesn't help that my stepmom is, um, not my favorite person, lets say. . Which is making this all the more stressful for me. I will be 7 months PG so I am not pushing her around WDW. We will have our DS (2.5 y/o) with us and his stroller so DH will have that mostly, which leave my Dad to push her around, and he has poor knees .

Well, it was his idea to marry her - he can deal with her. Not trying to be mean, but I have enough on my plate as it is.

D4D

 

[kaytieeldr]

Yeah, okay, I know it's not your ideal option but... could your dad push the stroller and your DH push the wheelchair? At least some of the time?

 

[Andrew Bichard]

Anyone know if there is a way to elevate a leg in an ECV? D4D

A number of years back, my wife was on a waiting list for a hip replacement when she visited WDW. She rented a four wheeled ECV and proped her foot up slightly, on her shoulder bag, which she had place on the footboard. My wife is quite short, so her foot didn't protrude in front. Had she had longer legs, or if she had wanted to prop her leg up fully with knee straight, it might have been a problem.

Now that might not be 100% good practice, but she knew the risks and it worked out well for her.

(Four wheeled ECVs, tend to be bigger than the three wheeled variety, with bigger footplates and a wheel at each front corner for extra protection)

Andrew