Wheelchair Powerpacks

[Pauline26]

Hi,

Was wondering if anyone could give me some advice please? I am looking at hiring a wheelchair for my dad as the gp has put a request in today for one but not sure how long it will take. Dad has really bad mobility, so needs to be easy to get in and out of, used inside house (only when he has a bad day and is not able to move from room to room - he does not move a lot so use in house is fairly limited) but also outside for hospital visits. He can't push a chair himself and would struggle trying to control an automatic chair so will be carer pushed. Does anyone have any chair and power pack recommendations?

Thanks

Pauline

[Georgepa]

Hi Power packs are really useful . I originally bought a Roma for my wife and I talked to them first as you have to be sure it will fit your chair . It was ok but lacked a little power on hills but then I did tend to push it to its limits . Later on in my wife's illness we were provided with a more robust wheel chair and the mobility centre at our OT's request provided us with a TGA power pack which was much better .If you have the choice go for the TGA but do check it is chair compatible . There is quite a big price difference between the two . If you are on pretty flat ground the Roma will do . I still have ours and would be happy to send it on to someone who can use it . At the moment I am trying to find where I put the recharger thingy . Easy enough to order another one but it must be around somewhere . Hope this is useful , any more questions just ask .I found it invaluable as I liked to get my wife out every day weather permitting ( and even sometimes when it was not permitting !) . I seem to remember that the TGA retails at about £600 and the Roma £250.

Georgepa

[Satt2015 in reply to Georgepa]

Your such a diamond Georgepa! X

[Pauline26 in reply to Georgepa]

Hi George

Thanks for taking the time to respond 😀 I hope you don't mind I have asked a couple more questions. I think we will go for a simple one as dad only goes out for hospital visits so I can't imagine we will get to use it on anything more than flat services. I'm hoping a better wheelchair might give some encourage on a sunny day to come out even if it was only For a tiny bit of time. Are the powerpacks easy to put on and off? E.g. If the wheelchair is folded to go in car do you take the power pack off (to keep chair light enough to pick up) and the pop it back on when out of car? Just wondering if it takes much time to put powerpack on as normally try to pull up near hospital entrance, quickly get dad out/wheelchair sorted (on yellow lines), leave with my mum and park. You are ever so kind to offer the powerpack, although I have realised I have posted in pspa and I don't know yet what my dad has neurological yet (his legs initially went but now really bad shaking, beginning to slur and others things so waiting for diagnosis) and he also has severe heart failure ☹️. Would completely understand if you preferred to send it on to a pspa sufferer. I am going to see wheelchairs tomorrow morning as found one that says ultralight but will be good to try picking it up.

Thanks again for your time it is very kind.

Pauline

[Georgepa]

Yes you do take the power pack off but it is quite easy on the Roma ,there are just a couple of clips . They are fairly weighty mainly because of the battery but not that difficult to lift . The TGA one was more fiddly to take off but by then my wife had to travel in her wheel chair so I didn't have to do it .What is most important is the dimensions between the wheels where the brackets are which hold the bar which supports the motor. If you google Roma you can see the dimensions required or phone them telling them the wheelchair and they will advise you .Equally the mobility place you are getting the chair from should be able to tell you if it can be fitted . Hope this helps .

Georgepa

[DenB]

Hi Pauline,

We bought a TGA power pack for my husband's wheelchair.II would not be able to push the wheelchair without it. The mobility shop where the powerpack was purchased, fitted the pack onto the wheelchair for us. The only part that can be taken off the wheelchair, is the battery which needs regular charging.

I would definitely recommend a TGA power pack. The one that we have reverses as well, which is really useful.

It was quite expensive but a necessity.

Denise X

[Tippyleaf]

We have a TGA power pack and it is really helpful. I struggle to push my husband for more than 10 mins without it.

At first it is a little fiddly attaching it but with practise I do it really quickly now. I bought a gardening kneeling pad which I keep in the car so when I need to fit it I am not kneeling on rough/ wet ground.

Would recommend expensive but worth every penny.

Tippy

[Pauline26]

Hi Tippyleaf, DenB and George

Thank you so much for all your advice! I have hired a chair for the next couple of weeks with a powerpack 😀, tested it today with my sister and was great! Will be taking dad out next week for hospital visit so fingers crossed it will make it so much easier and he sees it's no trouble and more comfortable. Maybe then he will be encouraged to leave the house 😀 Thank you for all the advice definitely made me get one.

Thanks again!

Pauline

[Julieandrog]

Hi

We went to a mobility show in june, i wanted a power pack so i could push rog from home, but still get it in the car, TGAwas the company, i also bought a much lighter chair for short trips, soooo much easier to handle than the one from OT, my advice is future proof, these things are not cheap, a chair they drive realistically is very short term.

We can now walk from home , a bit of normality.

Have a good one

Julie