This is Complete Care & Mobility’s mini guide to buying a wheelchair. The information below is impartial and does not intend to replace professional medical advice you may have received.
Self Propelled or Attendant?
A self propelled wheelchair is defined by a large rear wheel and is ideal for heavy indoor and out door use. The majority of self propelled wheelchairs fold so they fit into most standard car boots. This wheelchair can be pushed by an attendant or the user themselves
An attendant wheelchair has smaller wheels and is lighter in weight. They are ideal for travelling, going out to appointments or on short trips. They can only be pushed by an attendant.
If the user does not have the strength to propel themselves, then we would recommend an attendant wheelchair or an electric wheelchair.
Foot & Arm Rests
Whether self propelled or attendant, the majority of wheelchairs comes with removable foot and arm rests. This feature makes it easy for the user to transfer on and off the wheelchair using a transfer board or other methods of manual handling.
User Assessment
It is important to check the user’s weight and size against the specifications contained with in the listing. We strongly recommend for both the safety of the user and the safety of the attendant that a wheelchair is not purchased with out checking the maximum user weight as detailed with in the listing.
It is recommended that
The User’s weight and size is confirmed
The User’s stability is assessed
Check if the User is able to self propel or if they are able to self propel safely
What Accessories are Available?
Here at Complete Care & Mobility we sell a large range of wheelchair accessories. To ensure a more comfortable ride for the user we sell wheelchair cushions with various size options. There are also wheelchair mac’s, ponchos and not forgetting wheelchair bags.
Storing your Wheelchair
It is recommended that the wheelchair is stored in a dry and moisture free environment. This will preserve the life of your wheelchair as well as ensure the cosmetics of your wheelchair. If you are unable to store the wheelchair in a garage, shed or indoors, we would like to recommend out storage bags. These are ideal for all wheelchairs (except electric) where it is impossible to store the wheelchair away from moisture and bad weather.
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