Adaptive Technology & Gadgets

Posted on: Sat, Jul 5 2008 12:52 PM

Posted by: wazabiker Posts: 430

Being measured and analyzed closely by a therapist is a must for proper chair, cushion choices.  I am undergoing demos and butt mapping, measuring, etc. for a new power chair.  Last week my therapist spent more than four hours with me on chair selection and setting up demo drives.  I will try a Permobil next week and then make a choice between it and an Invacare TDX SP, both with tilt and elevation. 

No one else has signed onto this thread complaining about the TDX SP.  I know this and other chairs have to pass safety and use standards and are subject to recall if a major defect if revealed.  Frivolous lawsuits drive up the cost of chairs to the end users, you and me. 

Properly sized and used, power chairs offer us freedom, independence and mobility.

Posted on: Mon, Jul 7 2008 10:09 AM

Posted by: Drunk4Good Posts: 35

Yikes! I just bought a new TDX SP tilt chair.  I've had mine for 4 weeks and haven't had any problems yet. You got me worried though. If I have any problems I will let you know. The chair does seem uncomfortable but I think it is because I am not used to it yet. Also I noticed it is not as "heavy duty" as my original one. I get stuck in rocks and grass a lot more than I used to. And the worst part.....there is no cup holder option! Hope your chair quits acting up for you. Maybe you just got a lemon. If so...make boat drinks!--Greg

Posted on: Mon, Jul 7 2008 12:17 PM

Posted by: missharley Posts: 17

 Hi Greg it wasnt me who bought the tdx chair you E mailed me about it .    

        My main chair is a 90's model large wheel scout and I have no problems with it and it has been with me a long time and it is 12- 14 yrs old approx . Ancient but it  is working  

         I've been blessed to test so many models and styles the past year  and from my experiences with the  machine was all good , my room mate she had one . I dont know much about fancy schmancy  terms but hers was a big nice jazzy .

you e mailed me accidently \ I really do not think the  medical people Board of medical supplies what ever it is called .... would allow  bad manufactured electric wheelchairs to the handicapped people .

And be marketed ...  

There is always possibilities  & flukes  ideosyncracies in everything man made

But if someone orders the wrong chair or has felt it is too small etc .... and you are within warranty then contact who ever sold you your chairs and  remedy the situation .

 I got a dr appt

see ya all later 

Sincerely

Missharley

Good luck  wasnt me who has this wheelchair problem  it is the person in the first post on youtube videoprofessor thing ..... lol

            My old wheelchair is ancient and still working .

Posted on: Wed, Jul 9 2008 2:08 AM

Posted by: wheels1011 Posts: 2

Thank you all for your input. It was all helpful in different ways.

I’ve been struggling with this wheelchair for about a year now, and heard through the grapevine that quite a few others were having tipping, motor, and gear problems with this chair, and I wanted to find out how many. I was just very frustrated.

First of all, this was not the chair I thought I was ordering. I am exceptionally short, and wanted a TDX SE super low tilt. Because of Medicaid coverage issues, the dealer got me the TDX SP instead. Although their engineering is quite different the chairs look almost identical, and I didn’t realize until after I’d signed for it that it was not the super low tilt.

I don’t know how it is in other states, but under Medicaid rules in my state once you’ve signed for it, it’s yours, and anything else is up to the discretion of the dealer. I wanted to return it almost immediately due to height issues, and tried, but the dealer would not take it back. He did offer to do alterations to try and make it lower (it was too high for me to get into.) To do this they practically had to take the chair apart and put it back together again in a different way. I feel that some of the difficulties I’ve had might have to do with these extensive alterations, which would have been unnecessary in the low chair. The low one was an older model and has since been discontinued.

My doctor had recommended a tilt in the past, but I had always resisted because of height issues. A tilt always adds height. If the dealer had told me I wasn’t getting the super low tilt, I would have opted for a simple, traditional, rear wheel drive Quickie like I have now, without the tilt. I have coordination problems and find a rear wheel drive is more stable outdoors, easier to keep in a straight line. Instead the dealer just presented me with this chair and told me “it’s as low as it can go.”

As for me, I’m very non-technical, and didn’t try to be until it was too late. I’ve been disabled all my life, and grew up with a wonderful old German man who came to the physical therapy place, and spent hours and hours trying to get the kids chairs as comfortable as possible. Most modifications he did himself, from scratch. In those days, there was only one brand and a handful of models to choose from, and very few problems with insurance coverage. In my adult life, I’ve only had three power chairs, and although I had complicated seating issues, I always felt I was treated very well.

I went to a leading hospital in the area, to a PT, to get fitted for this chair. The initial seating was excellent, but was done on a “mock-up” as the dealer said he didn’t have the actual chair in stock. He kept saying,”don’t worry, yours won’t be this high.”

The PT was very young, and was excellent at seating issues, but not well versed in wheelchair hardware, and deferred to the dealers expertise. The dealer was extremely good looking and charming, but not real forthcoming with a variety of information. He only told us what he wanted us to know. Whenever I questioned the dealer too much, he either acted offended or made a joke. He kept telling me how complicated my seating issues were and how hard he and the PT were working on my behalf. He somehow made me feel as though I was calling not only him, but the therapist and the hospital into question.

I knew the super low tilt would work for me, because a friend had it, and I’d tried it. However, during these fitting sessions I never checked on the it’s model number, or asked for anything in writing stating what I’d be getting. Basically, I did everything wrong a consumer can do, because I didn’t want to offend anybody. I treated my dealer like a doctor and he reacted like a salesman.

I’m hoping my story can help others who might be reading this not to make the same mistakes. You have to be as informed when buying a wheelchair as when making any other major purchase.

Above all, don’t sign for anything unless you’re sure it’s right, no matter how much you’re pressured.

Things are not what they used to be back in the days of my kindly German gentleman. All the cuts in Medicare and Medicaid have really impacted the wheelchair industry. It’s hurting. It’s trying to find cheaper ways of making chairs. Medicaid pays more for brand new models than they do for older models, so the dealers make more selling the newer models. The wheelchair guys are salesmen first.

Unfortunately, they are also our main source of information on what is available. There is no Consumer Reports for wheelchairs. Some of you have mentioned therapists that sound absolutely marvelous, and sound like they do have expertise in the actual wheelchair hardware. Where do you find them??

As for the chair I now have, the TDX SP, I feel that some of the problems I’m having may be due to the extensive modifications that were made, I don’t know. I’ve only been using it for about 10 weeks in the eight months I’ve owned it, and don’t feel safe in it at all. Not counting the adaptions, it had the motors, gear-box, suspension, and front casters replaced before I had ever used it. On my second day of using it, I suddenly lost steering on the left side and started doing circles in the middle of a busy street. On the forth day, the seat belt feel off, and several days after that the tipping began. The tipping has bent the footrests.  Because of all these mishaps, I discovered that the chair would not disengage properly.

If any of you are in the process of purchasing the chair, make sure it will disengage properly. I feel this is an extremely important safety issue. Also, ask about the wheel mechanisms. I was told mine were metal on metal, making them more prone to wear.

Mine was one of the first TDX SP’s they came out with. I’m sure they will correct whatever problems it has down the road, but under Medicaid rules I’ll be stuck with this one for the next 5 years.

Posted on: Thu, Jul 10 2008 4:07 PM

Posted by: psychlighthouse Posts: 3

IF MEDICARE PAID ANY PART OF YOUR CHAIR THEN YOUR PROVIDER MUST ACCEPT ANY PAYMENT FROM MEDICARE. THEY WILL ALSO PAY FOR ONE SET OF BATTERIES, AND  ONE SET OF TIRES PER YEAR. MEDICARE WILL PAY FOR REPAIRS AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT DUE FROM CUSTOMER ABUSE. IT WOULD ALSO BE PRUDENT FOR YOUR PRIVATE INSURANCE TO PAY FOR REPAIRS, AS OPPOSED TO REPLACING THE CHAIR. HOPE THE INFO IS HELPFUL. DO NOT GIVE UP ON ONE TRY. KEEP ROLLING...

Posted on: Thu, Jul 10 2008 5:11 PM

Posted by: elainehous Posts: 42

I have had the TDX SP since March and it has worked great for me. The only issue of the 4 you have had is #4 that it scrapes up stuff, then again the castors on my tilite manual do that too. I would agree with others about the center of gravity issue and that it is more prone to tipping as you show in the youtube video if you are farther forward. The chair has worked great for me to get around my college campus and I cannot wait to get back to school so I can use it again as my powerchair has to stay in Indiana where I go to school as I drive a Subaru Forester and live in NY so have no way to get it home in the summer, so I use my tilite manual at home.

Posted on: Sat, Jul 12 2008 5:00 PM

Posted by: ratd Posts: 7

Ok first I'm sorry I am a Rocket Scientist...  Which means it hard for me to let you know what the problem is...  so here it goes... 

Your unbalanced... if you are trying to carry something say a 50 lb bag of bird seed... well most people will either pick it up by grabing around the center and holding in front of them selves, or put it on their sholder...   Well if you hold the bottom of the bag it will fall over, or if you put 90 in the back it will be pulled away...  were looking for a center...balance.  First you chair is ment to tip forward at the right time...  Your weight is to far foward, so we need to put more of it behind the center wheel...  Now if we can move the chair back...  Great...  If we can raise the chair a bit so that you leg holders are another inch or two higher so the don't scrape when in this position....  Now ten to one the people who set up the chair did not set it up right...  That is it was designed right...  But the people in the field did not set the chair in the right possition...  We need to work on it...  Many other things you can do...  A balance weight...  Get that 50lb bag of seed and tie it behind the chair, not a good solution but it will move you center of gravity 50lb back...  tip your chair back we need to get more of you or something else behind the center wheel...  Now all this is complicated by the fact you are going down hill and your chair is made to run forward...  Fast and Down Hill... not good.  That is the big front guard wheel and the fact you can run on them...  ie tilt forward... which as you might notice would help you if you were to work at a bench or sink or against a wall or some other task...  I have the diagrams if you want and can work with you on how to balance the load...  In fact their is a special calulator in the shuttle that just does that...  After two weeks in space if you don't keep track of the weight you might get a bit of supprise when you come back and two much weight is on one side... especial when you consider you have front to back, top to bottom, left to right...  Sorry to say it but your just a bit unbalance and not well adjusted... but I can help...

Posted on: Sat, Jul 12 2008 8:31 PM

Posted by: ThespianOnWheels Posts: 2

Dear Wheels1011,

I am currently using a Invacare Pronto M71 which is similar to the wheelchair in your video.  On four ocassions I have been nearly dumped out of this chair because of it's faulty design.  Like your power chair this wheelchair tips forward if going down a incline, if any amount of weight is applied toward the front (i.e. self-adjustment, transfers, leaning forward at a basin to discard toothpaste after brushing, picking up objects from the lower bins in the refrigerator, etc.).  The company I rented this chair from claims they had no idea this could happen with this model.  I needed to rent this wheelchair when my regular wheelchair (Invacare Arrow Storm Series) broke down and need major repairs.