My husband has mobility problems as well as Lewy Body Dementia and so to get him out and about we have to use a wheelchair . The medication he takes for the hallucinations and voices he hears ( part of his LBD) have caused him to put on lots of weight and his current wheelchair is really not strong enough for his weight . I’ve started to look at the heavy duty wheelchairs which are fine for him but I find them so heavy for me ! It’s not just the weight of my husband but of the chair as well to move around , also lifting it in and out of the car as I have arthritis myself and don’t want to aggravate it to much as I still have to help my husband in the home with washing and dressing etc ! Does anyone know of a lighter weight Wheelchair (or the lightest weight) For heavy duty users please ? I’d love to hear any recommendations please before I take the plunge and spend the money as they are not a cheap item once you get to the bigger wheelchairs ! Thank you
You need to get a wheelchair with an Aluminium frame instead of heavy steel, my caree purchased a heavy duty wheelchair up to 140 kilogrammes, was about 140 pounds.
The foldable wheelchair weighs 12 kilogrammes as opposed to the steel ones weigh about 20/25 kilogrammes.
Just browse an internet search site or a well known auction site.
Have you tried NHS wheelchair services, they can supply a free NHS wheelchair and sometimes an electric wheelchair.
Going up to an electric wheelchair you can get a WAV , a wheelchair accessible vehicle, converted to have a ramp and flat floor for a wheelchair to drive straight in and have seatbelts.
Again if you are eligable for used to be DLA but now PIP, Personalised Independent Payments, a high rate would enable you to get a vehicle through Motability.
We got a second hand WAV, you can buy them again through the internet as little as £500.
They are just literally the same as a family car, many are now based on family cars, but are converted to have the ramp etc in the back.
Get back to me any more details or i am sure other members of the forum will be able to advise.
Have you tried your local wheelchair services. An O/T or G.P. referral is required. You should not have to spend your own money. If you husband requires it and the service can also give a certain amount. If he should requires a type of chair they don’t stock. And the chair he needs costs more sometimes you can get a top up voucher to spend. Also, does he claim DLA OR PIP which he could get a wheelchair though Motability scheme. There are wheelchairs that have attendant controls. So you would be in charge of controlling the chair.
Many charities also offer help with financing a chair. But you are requires to have been though wheelchair services. And been turned down before you can apply to them.
Thank you for the replies they’ve been really helpful and given me some good ideas to check out . 