wheelchair advice

[Walking18]

hoping someone maybe able to offer some advice regarding wheelchairs.

My mum currently has a standard lightweight collapsible chair but it’s no longer ideal, it’s uncomfortable, hard to push with mum in and she has lost total control over one leg so it’s constantly falling off the foot plate.

I would like to get a decent chair so I can take mum out in the local area which I’m unable to do with her current chair. Can anyone suggest a chair they have had experience with or one that has some form of strap to fix her leg in place so it doesn’t slip

Thank you in advance 🙂

[AliBee1]

Hi, I cannot suggest a wheelchair to buy but woukd suggest that you get an Occupational Therapy assessment for a Wheelchair that will be suitable for your Mum that wil be supplied by your local NHS Wheelchair Service. My husband had an electric one but as he could not manage the controls himself the control was fitted at the back so that the person pushing him could access it. It was brilliant and made such a difference to where we could go,Good luck, AliBee xx

[Walking18 in reply to AliBee1]

Thanks so much - I had looked at the electric wheelchairs but thought mum probably wouldn’t manage the controls I didn’t know they could be changed - what a fabulous idea

[bichonbear1]

Hi, we had exactly the same issue with mum, her foot just couldn’t stay on the rest and it became quite dangerous. We couldn’t find an off the shelf wheelchair to avoid this issue. As AliBee says, get an OT assessment done for a purpose built wheelchair. They will measure your mum to make one to order and the cost should be covered. My best advice is to organise this ASAP as the lead time is about 5 months!! We are still waiting for mums but she has deteriorated so much since it was ordered by OT (5 months ago) that when it arrives we probably won’t be able to use it which is so sad for us 😞 and frustrating as we were told 3 months. Hope this helps.

[Walking18 in reply to bichonbear1]

Thank you kindly for taking the time to reply do you know how we go about getting an OT assessment done ( her GP isn’t very forthcoming and the only input we have is from the speech therapist and a movement and disorder nurse who visits twice a year ) it feels like a constant fight for everything!Sorry to hear of your mums decline my mums speech has declined very quickly and most of the time is now inaudible 😔

[bichonbear1 in reply to Walking18]

Hi, it’s no problem at all, I have learnt so much from the experience of others on this site. It is a constant battle with the care and support provision as the funding and staff levels just aren’t there. I spent so much time on the phone trying to get things organised and make things happen for my mum (my dad just couldn’t cope with it all). It may vary from council to council, we are in Hampshire and it was very challenging. I kept getting told “you are on the waiting list for a visit” and “we don’t have the staff due to Covid” and no matter how much I explained the time factor as the disease isn’t understood it didn’t help. It got so desperate that I ended up crying in desperation on the phone which seemed to help a little. Do a google search for adult social care at your local council and you will come across the OT contact number. Once you are linked to an Occupational Therapist they are very good and supportive (ours was) but it just ended up being a little late. I really hope your experience won’t be like ours. Mum is now under a local hospice at home and they have been a godsend and helped drive a lot of the care needed (including putting a rocket the GP/district nursing system way to get us noticed). I really hope you get OT support ASAP xx

[Walking18 in reply to bichonbear1]

Thank you I will definitely look into that - I’ve been battling since Jan this year to get her GP to refer her to the palliative care team at the local hospice for pain management ( she has a pelvic mass too) as her pain control is not helping ( she’s on maximum gabapentin, codeine 4 times a day and regular paracetamol ) I’ve been in contact 3 times and it’s been ignored until finally one of the home staff presented it at MDT and he’s agreed to do a referral! I contacted the hospice myself ( my dad passed there 2 years ago) and they were more than happy to visit mum but needed a referral Will be seeking an OT next week 😉

[bichonbear1 in reply to Walking18]

This all sounds familiar. I managed to get hold of my mums neurologist at the hospital and he kindly got a letter to the hospice the next day. I explained this to the hospice and they came out same day knowing the letter was on its way, they were so good to us. Explain to them the GP will be referring but as they know you they may be willing to pay a visit knowing the referral is on its way. I bet you the hospice could help push OT for you too. I hope all goes ok x

[bichonbear1 in reply to Walking18]

Also….We got mum pain relief slow relief patches for her, it may be worth investigating this with the GP. We change them weekly and it reduces the volumes of tablets mum has to take which is a problem in itself.

[Walking18 in reply to bichonbear1]

The manager at the home did suggest slow release patches but that seems to be as far as it went the community matron who comes just seems to increase tablets but think she’s on max of everything now

[AliBee1 in reply to Walking18]

You can self refer to them too.

[AliBee1 in reply to Walking18]

In Somerset you can make a direct referral. xx

[Wigwambob]

Hello everyone,My husband was fitted for a wheelchair by OT yesterday. The sample shown certainly looks very comfortable and well adapted for future deterioration

😪, reclining posture to stop sliding down, safety belt and straps ,side pads to hold the person straight etc... but we are going to have a motor fitted ourselves as NHS are not providing us with an electric one so any advice on where and which motor to buy would be very much appreciated.It is still a great help and OT in worcestershire have been very good in providing us with support.

Best wishes to everyone.

[AJK2001]

I can't add much to what has been said other than to make sure whatever you choose is suitable for use in a wheelchair adapted car. Lightweight chairs aren't robust enough for the person to stay in the chair when travelling, so maybe be ok at first but if the person becomes unable to transfer they can't be used.