I got told I had MS in June 2011. They believe that I have had it for much longer but it was masked by treatment I received for Crohn’s Disease. Since 2011 I have found that my mobility has rapidly gone downhill and I now find it difficult to walk very far. I know that a wheelchair would help me, it would let me get out and go do things. I was wondering when people decided to get one and did you just buy it yourself or do you need to go through or inform the NHS/your MS team
I would advise you to speak to your MS nurse about referring you to wheelchair services. They will be able to assess you to see what sort of wheelchair is most suitable for you. You can then take the one they offer or a voucher towards one you choose. It will take a while (couple of months in my area but guess it varies) so in the meantime you can borrow a wheelchair from the Red Cross if you’re lack of mobility is stopping you getting getting out and about. Good luck x
For local trips I think they are much better… you are in control and while you still have some walking ability they are easy to park outside small shops, cafes etc and use folding walking stick to walk inside. You can take them into bigger shops and supermarkets.
They are also great for shopping as using both the basket and the floor between feet you can get loads on.
I don’t think you can get them through wheelchair services… but check, you should find info on your local council website… you can however buy them second-hand or use high mobility component of DLA if you have it, to lease one.
My mob scooter does not fit in cars easily so I recently got a manual wheelchair for when I go out of local area.
GP referred me to wheelchair services (NHS). I went for assessment (which basically was me just walking into the room!) and had a brand new manual delivered a few days later.
Good luck with whatever you decide. Using either mob scooter or wheelchair will give you much more freedom and make life so much easier!
Hi, I went and got my own and damaged myself in the process!
The very ice salesman was as helpful as he could be, but he didnt have the necessary to training to assess me.
So I would advise going via the wheelchair services local to you. You may have a long wait as they are often busy.
What made me decide was the way I was literally dragging myself around and having fall after fall. I used a stick, then a walker, then a rollator before getting a wheelie.
Wheelchairs sound good but have their own unique problems. If there is a slope they will want to run off down the slope feet first, so give it thought. In the majority of cases you will need someone to push it while you are sitting in it but they are great in shopping centres. If some is pushing you then the pusher/carer does the talking and you are ignored
Mobility scooter, give then serious thought. The majority are very heavy and are not easy to put in a car. Do lots of research then onsider your options and go from there.
Remember that if there are steps there can be problems. Think about storage when not being used. If you can walk but need sticks etc then give a rollator serious thought but make sure it has 4 wheels
There are lots of options and lots of people who want to sell something to you, very competitive market. Make sure you know what you are considering before parting witrh your loot.
There are advantages and disadbantages of a wheelchair. Yes it makes you more independent but it is quite hard work to move along, especially outside and on any sort of a slope. A wheelchair will always want to point so it is going down the slope, this is quite disconcerting. As a person in a wheelchair it is amazing how people will talk to the person who is pushing the wheelchair rather than the occupant. Steps, kerbs and obviously upward slopes are quite an obstacle. They are great to use in shopping centres.
Think about a mobility scooter. Most of then are too heavy to lift unless you are able bodied and strong. Also very few of them will pack down to a small enough size to fit easily into a car. The light ones are the Luggie and Travelscoot
Think about where you are going to keep this piece of kit and ease of getting in and out of the house. As well as the MS nurse an OT may well be able to help you particularly with any adaptations.
I agree with “Snow Leopard” a mobility scooter is of great assistance for small/regular trips like going to the shop. I initially hired my scooter from http://www.usedmobilityscootershop.co.uk to size up whether it was a worthy purchase and decided to buy a scooter within days!
I would not hesitate to recommend having a mobility scooter as it will unlock journeys every day that you may not otherwizse be able to face.
Wheelchair services are great at looking at what you need. I went through them first for a manual chair and now a power chair. Your gp can refer you. Sara
I think caution and care is needed when thinking about a wheelchair. They can cost serious money, see if you can hire one for a few days so you can make up your mind unless this comment is too late.
If possible avoid one, they are restrictive and do tend to have a mind of their own. If you have MS then there is the fatigue issue to think about as well.
I would ask your GP to refer you to wheelchair services - they can advise you on both wheelchairs and mobility scooters. I wish I had known about this service earlier as I had numerous scooters and wheelchairs which proved unsuitable and cost me a lot of money. Eventually I was referred to a wheechair assessment centre and this really helped me and I now have a wheelchair that is wonderful and meets my needs. At first I went down the scooter route and think they are good but as I progressed these became difficult for me - so it does depend upon your ability really.
It sounds a silly thing to say but… here goes…
I LOVE MY WHEELCHAIR
Lol how sad is that being in love with a wheelchair, but I am - as it has given me back my independance.
So my advice - get a GP referral to wheelchair services.
Your local Red Cross - hire out wheelchairs and many other ‘aids’. And also your local shopmobility is a good place to go to try out either self-propelled wheelchairs/electric and of course many types of scooters. lf you call them and arrange a time - l am sure they will be willing to help see what you can manage to use. Then get your OT/GP to contact wheelchair services - don’t think to purchase your self.
Mary