Select a forum below to continue
Got a topic or disability that isn't covered above? Put it here, if there's enough discussion generated we'll make a special forum for it.
Posted on: Sat, Feb 9 2008 2:33 PM
Posted by: Wheelin Rev Posts: 837
I have never received "good" wheelchair training because, outside of a rehab environment, insurance is not very willing to show me how to:
- Hop a curb in my Invacare ProSPIN X4-F80 manual chair- Safely maneuver in an off-camber condition with my Pride Mobility Q6000 powerchair- Properly inflate my Varilite Meridian cushion to provide me the best contour in pressure relief
Then again, perhaps not…
Dave
Posted on: Sat, Feb 9 2008 4:34 PM
Posted by: cudachaser Posts: 1,485
I'm self taught...both crutches and manual wheelchair...Either are pretty easy to learn...never had a wheelchair accident and only "face planted " once on crutches
Posted on: Sat, Feb 9 2008 11:22 PM
Joe,
Do you have a super-light 2 pound manual chair made with NASA scrap material and technology?
Surely you are riding on a TiLite something and not a "hospital clunker."
I can't transport my powerchair (no van yet) and getting around in a manual chair based on some of the terrain that the city "throws" at me, my wife is gonna have a heart attack over. Going up/down an escalator where there are no elevators is one thing but going up/down fixed steps is quite another.experience. LOL
Posted on: Sun, Feb 10 2008 11:28 AM
Posted by: Kara Posts: 2,287
What's always been interesting to me is that there is no "rehab" when you are in a wheelchair from very early on in life...I was born with my disability and used a wheelchair full-time from about 1st grade on.
While I've had PT, they focused on my walking and really only taught me wheelchair handling skills when it came time to figure out how to get my chair in my 2-door car. Maybe it's assumed that you'll learn those things with time (since you have alot of it in your chair growing up!) but with no one else in my family that uses a wheelchair, who would teach me? I know it does come more natural to some-I've learned what wheelchair skills I didn't "get" on my own from my boyfriend because he was much more risky than me and just figured it out through several trials and errors (falling a bunch!). I'm still not confident hopping down curbs though but I'm good pulling up them and can hop up little ones.
Posted on: Sun, Feb 10 2008 2:32 PM
Kara,
While I was reading your reply, it did occur to me that if you wanted specialized driving skills for a car or off-road vehicle, you do have to pay for classes. So perhaps "driving" my chair is the same, I need to pay for the classes out-of-pocket.
Well, if that is the case, it'll have to wait. I've got a lot of other out-of-pocket expenses to pay for and DME yet to purchase before specialized chair training will be in the budget. LOL
Posted on: Sun, Feb 10 2008 3:49 PM
Actually got my chair thru another source...with my insurance, I have to use a local medical supply that is overpriced (over $600 for my cheap plastic and velcro AFO braces) . Their selection of wheelchairs not in the $2000+ price range is pathetic and geared to the 80 year old population.
Well my wife used to work for the local Center for Independent Living (CIL) and they provide free wheelchairs to their clients from the International Wheelchair Foundation. Well...I became a client...Got a hot, fire engine red chair. It is very light and built for quite harsh terrains. It has oversized front wheels which I thought looked stupid at first, but the chair won't bog down on soft ground or carpeting. I did get a little coaching from CIL like always using the brakes whenever I got in or out of the chair etc
Here's the website for the wheelchair foundation: http://www.wheelchairfoundation.org/
Actually I did give CIL a fairly substantial donation
Joe
Posted on: Sun, Feb 10 2008 8:47 PM
My powerchair is metallic red. That is my "little red sport-car" and the manual chair; it's bright metallic lime green in color. Unrealistic in the prices though! Almost $25K for the powerchair and almost $4K for the manual (both MSRP). For high-end rehab DME, the prices are like wow! I understand though; small demand, highly customized and all. But for folks with no insurance, that is where foundations like you mentioned are a Godsend. I actually have an older powerchair that was about $15K in 2000 that I want to donate. I see so many folks selling used DME and I can understand; in a way. Disability is not cheap and requires a lot of DME not covered by insurance. Once a person gets a new chair or passes, I guess some families just need the cash to help pay bills for their other DME needs. My old chair probably has a "street value" of around $1,000. I will look in to the Wheelchair Foundation's donor program. I've looked at local CILs but most seem uninterested in the donation. Thanks for the web address!
Posted on: Mon, Feb 11 2008 8:11 AM
Off the main topic briefly...How do you hot link a url? Tried to hotlink the WCF...just got a texk line
Most Active Users
These are the users who are most active on our forums.
rainey826
jamie
blindman54
TriDog
Gretchen
