Hi all its me again. I saw my lovely Mother today and I am very distressed by her condition. She had a nasty fall last week and seems to have given up on life. She is so very proud and I think this CBD is getting the better of her. She has refused in the past to consider a wheelchair but I think we have to get one. I want to take her out as she is currently housebound. I want to try to do all I can to lift her spirits.
I know nothing about wheelchairs. I could contact the specialist nurse tomorrow or the OT but I don't want my Mother to be put on a waiting list for months. How would I go about knowing which is the right wheelchair for her? I would like one which is collapsible so that it can go in the boot of the car but that is as much as I know?
My husband was diagnosed last year with PSP and his OT sorted everything out and supplied a wheelchair for him. It's a lightweight, foldable one and it fits easily into the boot of our car which is quite small. I am also not very big or strong but I can manage on my own with it as long as there are no hills involved!
I don't know how we'd manage without it now, he can't walk very far especially outdoors and it's been a fantastic help to us both enabling us to get out and about.
I would definitely speak to your Mothers 0T about it, I think that's the first route to take, they will advise which is the most suitable for your Mother. I hope you manage to get one sorted for her soon,
I agree with both Pat and easterncedar, go to your OT first, use the word stress; risk of greater injury from falls; unable to get her to appts. etc...all are (probably) true so no lies no hurt.....
I to have a transport chair. It does not have wheels on side for patient. It is only to transport them from one place to another not independence. However, B uses his sparingly and independently using his feet to "walk it about" We used it last night to watch the amazing eclipse! This is rather light, affordable, and here in US, is available in drugstores. So if you must wait for a permanent chair....you might buy or rent one of these chairs
P.S. Ours was sorted within a week so put the pressure on a bit, tell the OT you can't take her anywhere at the moment and it's depressing for her and extremely stressful for you! Stress, I love that word it works every time and after all you aren't telling any lies, you are stressed as we all are!
Hi, Martina. We are in the middle of the wheelchair dilemma, and have two that were given to us, one by the health agency. That one is quite heavy. Both fold up and fit into the back seat, or car trunk, but not easily, except in the large Honda CR-V. I am thinking I would like to get what they call a transport chair, which is designed for being pushed by a companion, rather than propelled by the person sitting. Without the driving wheels, the chair is much lighter and easier to move about. I find my guy has trouble coordinating his hands for pushing and mostly "walks" the chair around, which is fine inside, especially. That does save some falls!
Relatively inexpensive transport chairs are available in drug stores here in the U.S.
Other folks have more experience and will offer their thoughts, I'm sure. good luck. Easterncedar
Hi - I don't know how it will work for you but my dad was very proud and independent as well - however, his mindset changed with time - I guess he preferred being mobile on a wheelchair than having to go through the feeling of insecurity and fear of falling while walking - you can still help her walk within the house, holding hands so the feeling of some self mobility is there - but please note that with this horrible disease, that will go away too one day...
Hi Martina agree about OT but if you are in UK try your local Red Cross they usually have a choice of wheelchairs which though sometimes a bit rough allow you to try out some different styles. Also as on loan if you get your OT or GP to write a letter. My wife did not want to use one but now she is happy to use it outside the house as it means she gets to see shops and visit theatre or bird sanctuaries. Also getting a wheelchair adapted vehicle has meant that the heavy NHS chair can be transported much more support for M but it sounds like your mother is not in need of such a chair yet.
hi i go t a wheelchair thro the GP but it was a heavy one and in the end for outside i BOUGHT one
from the local disabilityh shop it has been great for getign out and about in and i wouldnt be without it now altho it si easier to have 2 which i hav e-one for inside and 1 for outside
Hi, I agree, contact your OT. We got ours in a couple of weeks. Before that, I bought a four wheeled walker, that converted to a wheelchair. That was brilliant for a while. S would walk, pushing it, until he felt tired, then would jump in and I would push. Hard work on pushing on anything, bar very good surface. But could use it pushing on fairly rough ground. Did us for about a year, until one day, he fell out of it, leaving most of his facial skin on the pavement!!!
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