Wheelchair users

I live alone and have recently had to start using a wheelchair when I go out, though I can still struggle round at home with various walkers, trollies, etc. Until recently I was hiring a young man by the hour to put my wheelchair into the car, come with me while I drove somewhere, and then push me around my destination. I've now been told I mustn't drive due to increased medication, and my current helper doesn't drive. So now I need a driver/pusher. How do I find a new helper?

We had a light folding wheelchair for my mother in law. I found it was reasonably easy to fold up and pack in the car but My God it was heavy to push when she was in it! Raised kerbs and sloping paths were really hard work.

My mother needed a wheelchair for going anywhere in the later years of her life. I would be careful about very lightweight ones. They are basically meant for short term use and transferring someone say from a car into a house. They are not particularly comfortable or safe and as someone has already said they are not suitable for use in vehicles. It might be better to buy something more expensive and less lightweight if your mum is likely to be sitting in it for any period of time. My mother also had a special cushion we used to help her. Finally if you have back problems I would try to walk around your local town centre and notice how many dropped kerbs there are to help crossing roads. Manoeuvring a wheelchair up and down kerbs is difficult. Few city centres have wheelchair friendly pavements and roads, one of the only ones I have found is Hull.

My son had an accident at 18 and instantly became paralysed. When he got to the Spinal Unit there were a few more young people - a woman of 20 who broke her neck tripping over a kerb and a young woman of 16 - the only ine in a car crash wearing her seatbelt. Utterly heartbreaking.
It always stood out how much more in accepting the older patients were. So many times elderley men would say to my son, 'look at me stuck in this bloody thing'. Never once seeing the lad they were saying it to.

I am not having a go but i think it is a lot more common for older people to despair at their failing mobility rather than accept it and use aids to make mobility easier for themselves and their carers.
My Grandma was the same. Miserably sat sulking in a wheelchair at the garden centre rather than thinking if i don't go in this thing i will just be stuck at home.

I would get the lightest crash tested one you can buy and look after your own back as much as you can.

She would not be entitled to the mobility component of PIP as you can not claim once you are past retirement age.
What I would suggest is that a lot of town centres / shopping malls have a mobility shop where you can hire a wheelchair for a small charge try that a few times and see how she goes, also look out in charity shops and on face book selling sites for a second hand one.

Just be careful if it is manual and you are wheeling it uphill. I got caught like that once and did my back in.

Definitely try getting an OT assessment. A small wheel, is not so comfortable or easy for you to push around as a large wheel. There is so much to take into consideration.

I'm disabled and use a wheelchair, I'm unable to self propel but as I'm usually in a car when we go out I use a lightweight folding wheelchair. I can lift it into the car myself so I'm sure any able bodied person could manage it. I use one with large pneumatic tyres as the ride is far more comfortable. I paid about 100 quid for it on Amazon. You can also get lightweight motorised chairs for around 800 quid upwards.

Crash tested means a wheelchair can be pushed into a vehicle complete with passenger and then secured by its fixing points.

I bought a very lightweight wheelchair for a relative. But nobody told me about crash tested wheelchairs. Not even the mobility shop. When the relative needed transport provided by the hospital for appointments he was able to stay in his own wheelchair only if it is crash tested. Staying in his wheelchair made the journey much easier when mobility became severe. I bought another wheelchair, exactly the same as the first one but with fixed footrests, this model was crash tested while the other one wasn't . This was stated in the booklets that came with them. Had l known about this l would not have had to buy two.

My understanding is that pip continues after pension age if you already have it awarded but you can't have a new claim. After pension age you can claim attendance allowance but not if you already have PIP. Possibly!!

I didn’t know that * Kitty* , every days a school day lol

Daisymae

kitty - you have to be under state pension age to apply for PIP. Maybe ask at the CAB for possible benefits? eg Attendance Allowance?

That is what I understood. I was checking i had understood correctly.

It was a general question not for me.

My MIL was a very proud woman, and had a hard time accepting that she couldn't walk very far. She lived independently for as long as she could, and managed with a walker. Eventually that became too much for her and she had to accept the fact that she needed to be in a wheelchair for her own safety.

When she was still using a cane and walker, we would take use of available wheelchairs at shopping malls or airports when she was still travelling. We made her feel like a queen being escorted, rather than focusing on the fact that she had mobility issues.

We did purchase a wheelchair which was easily folded and fit in the car. She eventually became very adept at getting around her assisted living facility.

Unfortunately she recently passed away, and we have since donated the chair to the Red Cross. They sanitize and do maintenance on donations, and will work with therapists to help with the right fit for equipment.

I hope you manage to find the right fit for your Mum.

Thank you everyone your a mine of information. Mum gets attendance allowance, she is classed as housebound by her GP and has a blue badge.
I’m going to get in touch with her social worker or O/T see what they suggest too. She really wants to visit her local town, so definitely needs one . She wouldn’t be able to manage a scooter as she is quite frail and has the beginnings of dementia. It’s a good idea though to try her in one in our local supermarket first, I don’t think she’d mind that too much ?

kitty - you have to be under state pension age to apply for PIP. Maybe ask at the CAB for possible benefits? eg Attendance Allowance?

N&G, can one apply for PIP aged over 65?

(Genuine question - and I hate having to put that!!)

When our Mum couldn’t walk very far (if at all) we used the free wheelchairs at the shopping centres near us. It might be worth enquiring if any of the centres near you have this facility.

I would get an assessment from the Occupational Health section of the hospital. My husband has recently had a lightweight foldable scooter for free. It basically folds in on itself. Having said that I do struggle with getting it in and out of the back of the car. I would also doubt whether your mum would be able to manage a mobility scooter if she has not had one to date. Power chairs are apparently even more difficult to manage according to our local mobility shop. We do have a mobility scooter and have a power hoist which lifts it in an out. Its an improvement but to be honest I hate it as I do struggle. Best thing would be to go to a mobility shop and have a go at lifting them. I watched a woman lift a boot scooter without a problem. When I went over and had a go I couldn't get it off the floor! This is going to be an issue if you have had back problems in the past.

You need to go to a mobility centre that gives independent advice as to the best chair.

I found the user propelled ones with big wheels to be more stable than the attendant ones with small wheels, although mum won’t be propelling it herself. The big wheels come off easily and the rest folds down so quite easily fit into the boot. Do make sure, however, to check the weight for a light weight one.

Also depending where you want to go a lot of places such as garden centres do have their own wheelchairs for customer use. Maybe you could try this out with mum so she gets used to the idea and sees the sense of getting her own. Tell her it will enable her.

If your Mums mobility is severe she may be entitled to the mobility element of PIP. She could then use that money with Motability to get a powered wheelchair or small scooter and hoist which fits into most hatchback type vehicles.

A powered chair or scooter would also give your mum more independence as she wouldn't need a 'pusher'.

I haven’t seen physically seen them yet but I’m considering buying a lightweight one in Argos. The reviews were very good and it seems to be extra lightweight.

I intend it for a loved one in a care home whose mobility has decreased very much in the past year during lockdown. I just need it to take him outdoors on short trips when this is allowed. It folds easily to place in the car.

There were a few models but here is a link to one of them.

www.argos.co.uk/product/9362268

There are lightweight ones as cornishpasty said, some of which sort of collapse so they are less unwieldy. Though they are still difficult.

We borrowed on from the Red Cross for DS for a while but theirs are much heavier and even more unwieldy.

When DH's mum wasn't getting about very well we persuaded her that she could try it and we could take it back if she didn't like it after a couple of weeks. It didn't go back.

There are lightweight wheelchairs, 7.5kg. Maybe you could put it to your mother that outings could be further and more often using a chair.

You can buy lightweight chairs maybe find a mobility shop near you to have a look. I borrowed one (for a donation) from the Red Cross when my husband was ill they are quite heavy though I managed getting it in and out of the car though. Maybe if you borrowed one telling Mum it’s just till she improves it might make her realise it would be easier for her.