rolling J, on Oct 20 2007, 03:49 PM, said:
Somebody, on Sep 13 2007, 03:09 PM, said:
They just came and measured me for a new power wheelchair.
Medicare is buying it.
My existing one is falling apart.
We started talking about legs, arm rests, etc., etc.........
I'm lost on what I want.
I know I want tilt & recline.
But as far as the brand & features I don't know what to get.
They told me to search the web & go shopping.
Then let them know.
What brand do you have?
Any feature on your wheelchair you love?
All suggestions appreciated.
I wish power chairs for quads were more sporty. lol
Kay
Kay,
I can't believe that companies are still telling the client to look and see what they want. A good DME company will walk you through the process. First you need to go through a wc seating clinic with a PT or OT to be evaluated. This evaluation gives the insurance company all the justifications for the right equipment that you want and need. You have to be qualified for each component like tilt, recline, power legs, automatic leg bag empty(from another reply). This way you know where you stand on getting what you want. Second the DME (durable medical equipment) company that you are going to use needs to be present for the evaluation. This way 2 people and you are discussing different chairs that would meet your needs. If you can check out the different seating clinics in your area check for one that has demo wheelchairs that you can try out. You would not buy a car without test driving it first don't buy a wheelchair without test drving it first either. You will be it far more than you would be in a car. Take your time getting this new wheelchair. You will have to live with it for a long time. It is very important to research the DME company. Check to see if they charge for a home service call,( a reputable one will not charge for this) if your chair brakes down do they offer and have a loaner chair at no charge, (if your chair is going to be out of commision for a few days). Is the DME company NRRTS and JCAHO certified if not don't use them. NRRTS is a certification that makes sure that a percentage of the employees are certified rehab technology suppliers and know all the equipment out there and know how to give you information and seat you in the proper equipment for you injury or deformity. ALso a good thing to ask is are they a member of the Users First Alliance. Their mission statement is to "imporve the end user's quality of life. By providing customers state of the art, high perfromance products and quallity education, the Users First Alliance aims to encourage end users, clinicians, and providers to drive product selection based on client needs, and work together to ensure appropriate access to such equipment".
I agree with one of the other relpies that you received. Invacare TDX is a good base, several bases such as SP, SR(new this year brushless motor), StormTDX 3,4,&5. Look at the Motion Concepts tilt and recline to put on the TDX base it is more sturdy and the footplates are warranted for lifetime. (even the center mount that allow for less bulk in the front of the chair). Permobil is also a good chair they do not allow other systems on their bases though. It does have tilt, recline, power legs, and elevate with good electronics.
Hope this helps and isn't too late. Take your time.
Judy
I have never gotten a loaner and the fact is that what you get ,,you are truely stuck with. DME's will say a lot of BS to sell a chair. Many PT's are entirely incompetant and you are much better off knowing what you can get as opposed to what they think you may need. Nobody "needs" a jazzy. It hasn't got the electrical system to go from one end of trhe mall to the other, but they get perscribed by PT's. Is that excersize for who is with you?
PT's don't perscribe full feet plates and medicare won't pay for it but DME's will install them because they can protect you from a broken foot or a broken leg and they are sooo simple. If your a quad then I suggest you get everything you can imagine needing on your chair because you are not buying a car. A bad wheelchair can ruin your life.
Get the biggest batteries possible on the chair and learn to care for it. Peremobile makes a great chair but when it has a serious electrical problem, you won't get parts today, or tommorow. You sure won't get a loaner if your sitting in a custom fitted wheelchair. The more standard styles you can stick with the faster the repairs will happen. I'm not a big fan of invacares engineering, but they beat the tar out of every other chair maker when it comes to downtime while awaiting parts. invacare also allows you to switch off so called safetys. if you have to recline and backup at the same time some chairs will not do it.
If you want to add auxillary power from your batteries this will eliminate many warrenties on some models.
If you travel by air often you will want a shipping crate made for your chair and gel cell batteries but honestly, they will mess up your chair or loose it. So be sure to have a perscription for a non power chair that you can have waiting for you. Nobody will rent you a power wheelchair at a reasonable price, unless your visiting fantasyland.
If you don't travel by air, do not get gel cell batteries. They just die fast. They only last between 150 to 200 charges if your lucky. That is hardly break in time for a "deep cycle" maintenance free battery set. And remember, Congress decided batteries should last at least a year. I've gotten more than a year from deep cycle batteries but not from gell cel batteries. Most wheelchair batteries die from under and overcharging. Try to run them down to 30% power before recharging them and let them charge fully. If your charger has a little button or switch that can be changed for different types of batteries, have someone tape it into the proper position so nobody experiments to see if it charges faster if you set it for "gell cel". Same if your chair has gell cel batteries. You can't afford them to go dead any faster than they already will.
Chances are all your local DME's know each other and the competition is between the ones that can fix your chair and the ones that will call you back next thursday. Talk to some local quads and or paras.
If your rich, none of this matters. Get two fitted chairs. If you're just a lazy para that doesn't want to push, get a Jazzy.
By the way, you'll need padded hip guides in the TDX models and the center wheel drive will get you through tight aisles. Permobile is usually front wheel drive and while it may not have the parts waiting on the shelf, it may last you 15 years and only need new batteries and tires. If your new to being in a power wheelchair, get the best chair that you can with every option you can get. In five years, get it replaced. That is how you get a backup chair!
john
P.S. Trust me on the footplates. I can't feel when I'm crushing my foot and power chairs can do it sooo fast!
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