Wheelchair advice

[rantasam]

Hi all. I hope you can offer some advice - any help or suggestions greatfully received.

My father is looking for a wheelchair after increasing mobility problems generally and a recent ankle fracture. He currently has an NHS issue chair, but it's fairly cumbersome for his use.

Ideally, a replacement chair would have the following features:

- Be self propelled, not motorised
- Be as narrow as possible to aid moving around the home. Currently there's almost no clearance between the wheels and the door frames etc. and we have had to remove the hand rims from the wheels
- Be lightweight
- Be transportable in a car
- Have at least one arm that can be dropped down to aid entry and exit from the chair

Any ideas, advice or links anyone can offer would be amazing.

Many thanks.

[Biscuitgazer]

I got a wheelchair in January from Amazon. I measured my door widths and made a spreadsheet to see which one of the hundreds listed on Amazon matches all my criteria. I was looking for an attendant pushed (transit, they called it) chair so it's not what you're after for your dad. I looked for a lightweight chair for my mom to fold up into the car. I paid just over £100. I wish I'd put "removable armrests" as one of my criteria, but I did not and my chair had fixed armrests. But my mother, who had to push me, liked my chair because the back of it was a good height so she didn't get a sore back from pushing. (I got a "Day's Escape Lite" fyi.)

[terry01]

Why self propelled? Try bringing a coffee through or whatever from the kitchen to the living room,also with an electric chair your dad can go as far as he needs no problem. You can turn the motors off and push your dad when needed and when you come to a hill no probs. Also no dirty hands. Just a few suggestions. I also know sometimes things limit your choice so sod if this is the case.

[dlfteam]

The only ones we can find on our database with removable arms are these;
http://www.dlf-data.org.uk/report_it...4be78681c&view
You will have to check to see if the dimensions are ok. Otherwise Biscuitgazer's advice is good.

Dlf team

[Beth641]

Why self propelled? Try bringing a coffee through or whatever from the kitchen to the living room,also with an electric chair your dad can go as far as he needs no problem. You can turn the motors off and push your dad when needed and when you come to a hill no probs. Also no dirty hands. Just a few suggestions. I also know sometimes things limit your choice so sod if this is the case.

good idea.. bisciutgazer's idea is not bad also

[terry01]

Its the usual different strokes for different folks. The reason I suggested is there are loads of things to consider when getting a chair and if its your 1st your as well with as much help as poss. I know my 1st chair lasted me 6 months but I learned so much for what I wanted and needed from my 2nd chair.