Wheelchair issues

[Tomswife]

We have 2 appointments. I hired a wheelchair transport because i am not confident i can get tom safely in the car and out of the car. Thursday to the pulmonologist. Friday SH neurologist. Getting Tom out. When we get back from each appointment i will take him for a walk in neighborhood if he wants.
We are still using manual WC. We were able to get a loaner PWC from ALSA. I tried the attendent joy stick but it was too scary and fast, even on low setting. I was able to get help on the phone from national mobility. There are settings below low slow! Who would have thought! I will try again when our daughter is here.

 

[Mary2]

My husband doesn't think he could sit in a manual wheelchair now. Because the back is too straight.
He always has the pwc back slightly tipped back. I have to get after NSM to move the controls to the back so I can have attendant controls. The caregiver has long arms and he just reaches over. I have to go back and forth
around the house several times to move PALS down the hall!

 

[affected]

Get the chair outside where there are no obstacles and practice, a lot.
They are touchy, but you get used to it with practice.
You should even get in the chair and practice so you feel what it is like to be in a moving PWC.
I practiced heaps and going up and down ramps scared me silly at first, but after a dozen times, hey I could understand how you line your sights up and how to 'feel' if things are right. Much like when in a car you have learned how to feel how wide your car is and how to navigate it.
Practice for 10 minutes a few times today and you won't believe how much difference it makes in your confidence.

 

[Mary2]

Yes, that is a good idea. I haven't practiced very much with ours. I can get it up and down the ramp at the house, but haven't used it with the ramp in the van. I think that is part of the reason I don't want to take him out in the van. Getting it into the van lock is another reason. My PALS did all that when he was able.

 

[Tomswife]

Yes. I will practice.
Sorry i highjacked the mucous thread. I should have posted somewhere else.

 

[MupstateNY]

I learned yesterday that a power chair will not work on a carpet or on luxury vinyl flooring (tongue and groove), which we put in in our living-dining room a couple years ago. It's supposed to look kind of like a hardwood floor. I'm now thinking that when I've progressed more we should just rent a handicap accessible place for whatever time I have left.

 

[MupstateNY]

Tomswife, I do that all the time (inadvertently) and people forgive me. I guess you could request it be split off.

 

[Mary2]

Are you sure it won't work on that type of flooring? It works on various outside terrain doesn't it? My problem was the hoyer lyft. I had a plush carpet from Lowes that i coveted....but it was really hurting my back using the hoyer lyft on it. We pulled it out.....I still remember them pulling that carpet up....and put in engineered hardwood. We couldn't do regular hardwood because we didn't want to leave the house for the staining.

 

[MupstateNY]

Oh god, I can't use a Hoyer in my carpeted bedroom?!

What about a small one? I weigh 125 lbs and will probably weigh less later on.

 

[Mary2]

I think it depends upon the carpet and the user. This carpet was plush and my husband weights about 250 now.
I was able to do it. the Hoyer works but it hurt my back.

 

[affected]

I used my hoyer on carpet but it is really low pile.

 

[MupstateNY]

Mary, sorry it hurt your back.

Mine is low pile! Yay!

What about the power chair? Everything is so scary for me right now. More than before.

 

[lgelb]

A Hoyer and power chair should both do fine on low pile carpet (which we had) or LVP, which my mom's community, where many people have walkers and wheelchairs, has.

 

[MJT]

Our rug has 2 pads under it, and our wheelchair goes over it at the right angle. You can also tape down the edge to make a smoother transition. I hate that you have to think about these details. Is there someone that can help you either research or help with labor?

 

[Tomswife]

We removed the area rugs in 2 rooms to use the hoyer lift and wheelchair.