New powerchair, advice needed

Hello,

i am needing to get a new powerchair mainly for outdoor or shopping. I wall walk or furniture walk in my bungalow. Can anyone give me good and bad points about any chairs you have or had so I can have a look at them and make a decision. I am not a lightweight so a little one is not really suitable. Any help would be very much appreciated.

thanks

Debbie

My experience.

If you are having falls at home and cannot walk safely around at home to the bathroom, kitchen etc.,. and have weak arms and grip making it difficult for you to use a manual wheelchair at home - you will be able to get a powerchair on prescription from NHS Wheelchair Services FREE.

NHS Wheelchair Services bought a QUICKIE Salsa M2 Mini powerchair [52cm wide] for me - it is super! It is a compact neuro-powerchair designed for folk with MS and MND. So easy to drive and has comfy JAY cushions. It is made- to-measure, so took 8 weeks to arrive after the NHS assessment.

http://www.sunrisemedical.co.uk/powered-wheelchairs/quickie/power-wheelchairs/salsa-m2-mini

It has 6 wheels and can spin 360 degrees easily. It’s also very smooth to drive and goes 6mph and 32km. The NHS also fitted heavy duty solid tyres, so I can go on the grass.

First they let me try the Invacare Fox - but it was too wide for my narrow corridors at home - [59cm wide].

The QUICKIE Salsa M2 Mini powerchair remains the property of the NHS, and is issued on loan for 5 year and is maintained by them. So no repair costs. If I need changes to the chair during this period the NHS will reassess me and change the chair if needed.

My local council did fit a ramp to the back door for the powerchair, but I had to buy my own ramps for the the car - ‘Smart Ramp’ which I bought used for £60, plus ‘tie downs’ which cost £25.

I can take this Salsa Mini 2 powerchair anywhere as it fits into our hatch back car, I do however need help driving it up the ramps and folding the back of the chair down and securing the tie down point to fix the powerchair in the car without moving around. This powerchair is heavy 113kg.

If you use this powerchair indoors/outdoors you will need to keep a jet wash by the backdoor to clean the tyres before bringing it indoors.

NOTE: You will ONLY get a powerchair on the NHS if you are too weak to use a manual one at home and are having falls. They won’t issue one for just outdoor use. They will just issue you with a manual chair.

I’ve had a good NHS experience for once, and a new manual wheelchair too - an Invacare Action 3, which also folds and goes into the car. It has two sets of wheels - passive and active. All of my mobility needs have been met by the NHS.

Hope this helps.

Fay

NHS Wheelchair Services here: http://www.virgincare.co.uk/

Am new to this forum with MS society. Was dx 2012 - now morphed into SPMS . Have SPC, use Peristeen etc…

I am being gifted with a motorised wheelchair soon - courtesy of the wheelchair service. It will be on a loan for 5yrs.

It’s an Invacare XTR2 Anyone one else got one?