Powered wheelchair that tilts for indoors and garden path UK

[Kitty]

Also got a new narrow transit wheelchair – it’s great, really slim, great armrests, comfy, but the wheels are so squeaky on our wood floor that I cannot use it.

Did you know you can buy wheelchair socks?

Honestly, it's not a late April Fool!

Amazon.co.uk

Finding the right solution might take more than one attempt—I can imagine the socks coming off if they're not a precise enough fit. You can also get tapes for the wheels, which are mainly to protect floors but might also stop squeaks.

The other thing is that what you use to clean the floors can make a difference. The floors in the local Tesco aren't wood, but I noticed my tyres screamed horribly during the pandemic, when I was shopping in the early morning older people's hour. Normally they don't make any sound at all, and it's probably because by the afternoon the stuff they use to clean the floors has worn off.

If it were me, I'd get the Dremel out and sand the plastic with a medium grit burr. Even a slightly roughened surface will reduce stick/slip friction. I realise that isn't ideal if you've bought it brand new and might want to return it, though.

Hope you manage to sort it!

 

[Evergreen]

Helpful as ever @Kitty, thank you!

Did you know you can buy wheelchair socks?

Oh yeah, I had heard of these, but forgot. Will check them and the tape out.

The other thing is that what you use to clean the floors can make a difference.

We're not into cleaning here! They get hoovered. And once in a blue moon they get mopped with water only.

But I know exactly what you mean. Clean lino e.g. in hospitals is very squeaky.

If it were me, I'd get the Dremel out and sand the plastic with a medium grit burr.

We'll do just that if the chair from the other retailer is the same. I really would like to keep it as it's great in other ways. It does also have an attendant brake that doesn't release, but we're hoping the other retailer might me able to fix that.

 

[Binkie4]

I hadn't seen your post on the power chair until just now@Evergreen. We are visiting our son in nyc and it has been extraordinarily difficult so I haven't read as much as usual. I am sorry that your original plan for the power chair doesn't look feasible because of the energy demands it will make. I fully understand that. Some things are only knowable when you actually start using them. My attempt at a luggie still lies festering in the garage.Am glad you have found a way for it to give you some additional benefit however.

Sorry about the noise when using the transit wheelchair; again how do you know until you try? I hope that the one from the second retailer shows it to be a dud and you can exchange it for a quiet one.

Cannot write more now. Left home 10 days ago by boat. Unfortunately my first crash produced a new symptom, an agonisingly painful migraine, which kept me in bed for 5 days, the only relief being an iced pad exchanged about hourly. Now we have arrived I have gone down with Mr B's heavy cold, again in bed.

Hope you get your mobility equipment sorted. Let us know.

 

[Evergreen]

Sorry about the noise when using the transit wheelchair; again how do you know until you try? I hope that the one from the second retailer shows it to be a dud and you can exchange it for a quiet one.

Alas it is not a dud. The size is so good that we're going to keep it and hopefully sand the wheels into submission. But the lack of assistance from the people willing to take our money leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Cannot write more now. Left home 10 days ago by boat. Unfortunately my first crash produced a new symptom, an agonisingly painful migraine, which kept me in bed for 5 days, the only relief being an iced pad exchanged about hourly. Now we have arrived I have gone down with Mr B's heavy cold, again in bed.

Oh @Binkie4, I was wondering how you were doing. The migraine sounds hellish. And now a cold, oof. They are miserable.

I really hope you will make it through the rest of the visit, with some good moments, and get home safely.

My husband's relatives are visiting at the moment, but we can't have them stay here because of me, which is grim. I was hoping to be able to wave to one but I crashed instead. They might come by this evening, unclear yet. Will I manage a wave? Or a few words with one?

My husband was talking about replacing the car recently, and I have started wondering if we could get a vehicle that could take the powerchair and me lying down across seats instead of a regular one. I know in some ways it would be daft, because my husband would basically be driving a wheelchair taxi around the place and so rarely have me in it. But it would be amazing to have the option of going somewhere. Yet this kind of thinking is what got me a powerchair I can barely use!

Using the powerchair is causing more pain recently, and I realised that the neck procedure I had may have been more helpful than I realised, because it has worn off and neck-and-arm pain has come back with a vengeance. So I might have the procedure again. But that probably means my summer use of the chair will be limited. Boo hiss.

Take care, @Binkie4. Will be thinking of you.

 

[Kitty]

My husband was talking about replacing the car recently, and I have started wondering if we could get a vehicle that could take the powerchair and me lying down across seats instead of a regular one. I know in some ways it would be daft, because my husband would basically be driving a wheelchair taxi around the place and so rarely have me in it.

It's not daft. I have such a van with a powerchair permanently in the back, but 90% of the time I'm not actually using the chair. I'm driving to places I can park right outside to door, and walking a few metres into a pub or a friend's house is much less exhausting than unloading the wheelie.

It's a small van (long wheelbase Peugeot Rifter), uses less fuel than my previous cars because it's newer, and having the option of using the powerchair has been life-changing. When I do, a friend often unloads it for me.

Mine's leased from Motability using PIP mobility allowance. I have to pay part of the purchase cost upfront now (vehicle prices hiked right up when Russia invaded Ukraine), but there's nothing else. They buy it, adapt it, insure it, service it, repair it, and replace tyres when needed.

I used to find the scheme too pricey to justify using it, but it's a good option now that even older used cars are so much more expensive. The only thing to consider is whether you're likely to come off the scheme and need to insure a car in your own name again. You effectively have no insurance history for the duration of the lease, so it's likely to be more expensive until you've re-established your no claims bonus.

 

[Kitty]

Left home 10 days ago by boat. Unfortunately my first crash produced a new symptom, an agonisingly painful migraine, which kept me in bed for 5 days, the only relief being an iced pad exchanged about hourly. Now we have arrived I have gone down with Mr B's heavy cold, again in bed.

So sorry it's been so difficult, @Binkie4.

It's bad enough being so ill, but it always seems worse somehow when you're away from home. I really hope you manage to get some time to enjoy with your husband and son.

 

[Trish]

Best wishes, @Binkie4, I hope you will be able to spend some time with your son.
And @Evergreen I hope you can manage a brief contact with your husband's relatives.

 

[Evergreen]

having the option of using the powerchair has been life-changing

I am going to use your experience when trying to convince my husband. There's a lot of "Kitty says..." "What does Kitty say?" in our house these days.

I think he will struggle with the idea of driving a van around all the time. He has to drive a lot for work, and then plenty of urban short trips too. But I think an electric or hybrid WAV could be brilliant to give us the option, even if we can only avail of the option once a year.

I will look into whether there's a scheme like yours we can avail of.

 

[Trish]

My daughter had a powerchair for some years. I changed my car for a Vauxhall Astra estate which was able to fit the chair in the back with folding ramps I had to lift in and out and set up. It was very good for taking her to local things like the library and doctor. Once I became too ill to manage this and then too ill to drive, we had to give that up.

The chair has languished in the garage for years. Not worth trying to sell on, I suspect as it's very outdated using old heavy batteries (about 25 years old). Now if either of us needs to be taken out to dentist or hospital we use a folding push wheelchair and are taken by a helper. I find just sitting in car and wheelchair long enough to be taken anywhere too exhausting to be worth doing.

 

[Evergreen]

I find just sitting in car and wheelchair long enough to be taken anywhere too exhausting to be worth doing.

Yeah, I'm not able to do that either. I have to lie down across the back seat to go to medical appointments. The wheelchair reps and OT couldn't wrap their heads around that at all, that I wouldn't be able to sit in the wheelchair for a journey.

One of the WAVs I saw has a lovely flat back seat, without ridges between the seats. So I could lie there for the journey, and then get in the powerchair (which lies back whenever I need it).

I would just love to do something other than a medical appointment some day. Even though it will shatter me.

 

[Kitty]

I think he will struggle with the idea of driving a van around all the time. He has to drive a lot for work, and then plenty of urban short trips too. But I think an electric or hybrid WAV could be brilliant to give us the option

Some people find people carrier-type vehicles more comfortable to drive—one of my relatives tried mine and swapped. She didn't think she'd make much use of the extra space, but actually she has. All of a sudden they can go on trips where a lot of gear's needed (camping equipment, bikes, etc).

They don't hug the road quite so well on corners, but on the other hand you're sitting in a much more natural position, you've got a better view of the road, they're a lot easier to get in and out of as you get older, and the steering's just as light. And after driving a manual transmission car, an automatic van feels like a go kart. You hardly have to do anything.

One way to convince him might be to hire one or take a test drive if you sense the time's right. Also, I call mine a van, but they're actually classed as cars. They're just...slightly squarish ones.

 

[Binkie4]

We have to change our car within the next 12 months. Our existing car that we had fitted with a hoist to lift in my power chair ( it just fitted in with about an inch to spare) is not ULEZ compliant. Luckily when ULEZ came in, they gave anyone who had a fitted device to lift their chair an extension but that runs out next year and we need to buy a ULEZ compliant car which also fits the hoist and that is not proving too easy.

Mr B is on the case but somehow we have been very slow at investigating. If I am able to go out, I much prefer a visit to a green space rather than slogging round car showrooms. The last time we looked together was on the day the Queen died and we heard of her death in the car showroom.

Oddly my very very old Volvo which I used to drive 22 years ago, happens to be ULEZ compliant but it won't take the hoist. Stuck. I can't bring myself to get rid of it even though I don't drive any more ( apart from an unsuccessful 6 mile trial run). I keep hoping to gain enough capacity to be able to visit local friends or the GP within a mile or so, and then walk from the curb into the house. It's hard to accept the losses.

 

[Binkie4]

est wishes, @Binkie4, I hope you will be able to spend some time with your son

Thank you @Trish. It is good to just be here with him. Seeing our son has of course been the driving factor in getting us over here. When his wife died it was an imperative whatever our circumstances, and we have just kept it going.

So sorry it's been so difficult, @Binkie4.

It's bad enough being so ill, but it always seems worse somehow when you're away from home. I really hope you manage to get some time to enjoy with your husband and son.

Thank you for your concern @Kitty. It was particularly alarming developing a new symptom mid Atlantic.

 

[Evergreen]

Also, I call mine a van, but they're actually classed as cars. They're just...slightly squarish ones.

Yes, I will not be using the word van. But I agree, I think he would find uses for the space. Though it's just us and really just him, since I only leave for medical appointments. It would make his trips to the recyling centre a lot easier!

If I am able to go out, I much prefer a visit to a green space rather than slogging round car showrooms.

Yeah, that's what I would like too, outdoor spaces. For me, it would be the sea, which is just down the road, and somewhere with lots of trees. I have an absolute yearning for trees. A friend just moved to a house that backs onto a forest. I would love that.

It's hard to accept the losses.

It really is. Especially when you're not sure if they're really lost, because there's always that hope for improvement or treatment some day.

When his wife died it was an imperative whatever our circumstances

I had missed that, that's awful. I hope he is doing as well as possible.

It was particularly alarming developing a new symptom mid Atlantic.

That must have been horrible. I really hope it will prove to be a once-off.

 

[Kitty]

Yeah, that's what I would like too, outdoor spaces. For me, it would be the sea, which is just down the road, and somewhere with lots of trees. I have an absolute yearning for trees.

The other good thing about Definitely-Not-Vans is that you can chuck the chair out and lie down in the back. I'm quite tall, but mine's still comfortably long enough to sleep in if I ever needed to.

It has really dark rear windows already, and it's not difficult to rig something up so there's very little light coming in through the windscreen. You can lie on a memory foam mat with the whole tailgate up—or just the rear windscreen open—and enjoy being in a wild space. Or shut everything and take a rest break from the sounds, smells and light, so maybe you can do a bit more later.