we are about to embark on an electric wheelchair. My question is, have any of you /partners had use of them and were they successful? We’re they able to use them for long?
We have a motorised scooter, 2 in fact, with very limited use as it is too tiring to use and very difficult. I can’t help thinking the wheelchair will be the same.
many thoughts or knowledge greatly received x
a moyorised wheel chair is for the benefit of rider and pusher.. Once the rider can no longer control a wheelchair the pusher benefits by not having a heavy weight to push
Hello Kaye. The wheelchair service should provide you with an electric wheelchair if there is the need. Jackie finds her’s invaluable. We were able to add (at our cost!) a leg raiser which also helps manage symptoms.
On reflection we wish we had also added an ‘attendant control’ which allows the carer to control the chair. When Jax is tired she finds it difficult and I control it from the side - it would have been so much better to have a control behind.
The modern electric chairs are fantastic taking up even less room than the equivalent manual chair.
Our advice would be to go for one every time.
Take care, Ian
We bought a power chair for Phil earlier this year, thought it was going to be great and would enable us to go out together again. The mobility shop brought it for him to try, it wasn’t very successful but we thought he just needed to get used to it, so we kept it. A week later we went out to try it properly and it immediately became clear that he couldn’t cope with it, the joystick was too sensitive. He was literally all over the place with it, driving right up to the kerb and back again. He also ran over my foot!
Anyway we decided that it wasn’t going to be any good for him so we would return it to the shop. That was until I read the terms and conditions on the shop’s website and found that you could return things, unused within a week of purchase. So we were too late. I tried to sell it but didn’t get any interest. In the end we gave it to a charity, it was a very expensive mistake, it had cost us £3000. So before committing to buy make sure that your husband can manage ok with it.
thank you, this is my concern too!
I dismissed an electric chair on that basis, that Graham would not be able to take charge of the controls or steer the chair, so we had a self propelled chair that Graham could use himself if wanted, but had a power pack added on. This is a great help when we go for walk on uneven ground or up hills, saves my back no end!! We can use the chair with or without the pack, depending on where we are going. The power pack cost more than the chair, but well worth it.
hI redjune. I bought from careco 3 years ago. It was delivered the day after I was admitted admitted to hospital for 5mthhs and 2tmajor operation 😢
when I got home I wastoo weak to use it. -£2200 and couldn't give itt away just last week I gave it to an elderly lady who has been flood Ed soo ofte n that insurance cccc
Hi, we have both, scooter and wheelchair. Simply wouldn’t be without the electric wheelchair, what a marvelous invention! Purchased it about a year ago from eBay (mobility plus) cost about £800 which it half what the shops charge. Comes with 2 batteries, one specifically for aircraft travel, however, can be used for every day use, VERY light weight, strong as a ox, folds flat for the car boot, joy stick control, seems to go for miles on one full charge. If I remember the book says about 19 miles each battery. Very comfortable. Simply bl**dy marvelous. Hope that helps.
can you show me a picture?
still selling on eBay. Forgot to say you can move the joystick so the carer can use it and control the speed etc. hope this helps.
Hi Kaye
Have you contacted your local wheelchair service as they should be able to provide you with what you need and then upgrade/change the chair as needs change. My husband was provided with a manual chair by our local service about a year ago. We also purchased a mobility scooter at the same time from Green Mobility however he cannot use it anymore as he cannot focus to drive himself and his coordination, dexterity and spacial awareness are too poor. He got a few months freedom with the mobility scooter but if you were to purchase one I would buy second hand as with this dreadful illness the rate of deterioration means being able to use anything does not last very long. My husband was reassessed by the wheelchair service about 3 months ago (at our request as he could not use his mobility scooter) and was deemed eligible for an upgrade to an electric wheelchair however we are still waiting for delivery (due to a shortage of microchips apparently).
Basically, don’t pay for anything yourself unless your really have too as chances are you won’t be using it for long.
Best wishes
Sharon
we are having an assessment today!
Be very careful what you say to them! They refused us an electric wheelchair because unless it gave my husband independence, he didn't qualify. Their argument being that he was too debilitated to really benefit from it and therefore wasn't entitled.
Brilliant. Hope you get sorted x
Hi Kaye
My husband has an electric wheelchair - Invacare TDX SP2 provided by the wheelchair service. The recline and tilt in space function means he is far more comfortable than he was in the manual chair. Like Yanno I wish we had also requested attendant control option also as he does sometimes have difficulties when his hand sometimes freezes which can be dangerous if he bolts off!! However the benefits outweigh the difficulties as he can get himself out into the garden etc and far easier for me not having to push uphill! In an ideal world a rise function would be wonderful so he could be at the same height of other standing people at events. His voice is so weak now that people struggle to hear him and have to bend which can be v uncomfortable for them. I am not sure the wheelchair service would consider that a necessity tho!
update!! Wheelchair granted just awaiting delivery. Rises & tilts forgot to request attendant control!
Hi Kaye
I bought a mobility plus electric wheel chair about 2 months a go can’t recommend them enough. We went to view the chair at there wearhouse were you can try them out. I broke the bracket for the joy stick and they sent me a new one free of charge. Hope this helps. Robin
This is what I bought. Can also be pushed.
Advanced MSA / Towards the end
Future proofing 
Mum newly diagnosed with MSA-P and we are all struggling
