Power wheelchair- head control

[Eacz60]

Hi,

Anyone have any experience with PWC head control? I'm doing a home trial and finding it very difficult to line up with doorways. Any tips or suggestions?

 

[tinyandme]

Hubby has one, says it's like playing pool, you have to visualize where you need to go to get thru..

 

[affected]

We had a chin control pwc and it was more difficult than the joy stick. But I think it was partly just that particular pwc because I found it more difficult to steer with the attendant control.

What we found too was that it was harder to control if you hit a bump, and often they were in doorways.

Going really slowly is important, and learning how to line up with sights like having your feet placed well and getting the middle between them or your knees.

 

[zoohouse]

By the time they got Tim's head control set up his head was starting to tilt to the right. When they got it all set up he took out a table, 3 chairs, and almost one orderly. I looked like a rodeo clown trying to get behind him and shut off the control. He does not use it, because he says going around in circles makes him nauseated.

 

[tinyandme]

Lol zoohouse. Haydens always smashing stuff and gets mad as hell when I say something

 

[seaside]

Using the head control isn't easy but with practice it gets a very, very little bit easier. Now to get through door ways remember the chair went through doorways in the past. The problem arises because you keep shifting focus from left-sided clearance to right-sided clearance. Simply pick a side and stick with it. Keep focusing on the right and left will take care of itself.

 

[adozi]

I had a chin control before my neck got too weak, so I totally get it. When you have a hand control, you can look at the door frame. If you do that with a head control, You'll run into the door frame. You have to look ahead, through the door. If you have wood floors, you can follow the boards, otherwise pick a target where you are going, and keep going straight through the door.

 

[MaxEidswick]

Ashley, are you able to drive it now?

 

[adozi]

No, Max, I donated The chin control to the KY ALS association. I'm driven and adjusted by my caregivers now.

 

[nebrhahe53]

Ashley:

do you have hospice or private caregivers?

 

[MaxEidswick]

Ashley, you are a testament to toughness.

After I nearly took out the front door on ultra-slow w/ the joystick, we'll need 6' wide doorways soon

 

[dalvin]

Max, I'm glad your not driving in my house. My pwc will barely fit through most of the doors and it's the narrowest they make them

 

[tinyandme]

Yep, no paint left on doorways and the odd huge gauge out of concrete lol and we rent!

 

[Barbie]

my husband decided against the head controls, our rep said they were difficult for most pals. he went with leg switches and the joy stick as well. he has side movement on his legs enough to drive. he is nervous about driving with it though but likes to operate his seat and positioning.

 

[affected]

I've been slowly getting around the doorways bogging and painting up ... sh*t happens more often with a pwc