Here’s What You Need to Know About Motorized Wheelchairs
In years past, being dependent on a wheelchair provided a person two options; maintain enough upper body strength to propel yourself, or employ another person to move you around all day. Unfortunately, not every wheelchair user has a healthy and capable upper body. Not many people have the money to hire a full-time attendant, and it is even more unlikely to have a husband, wife or child with the time and dedication required to be an attendant. Fortunately, these days we have a motorized wheel chair that permit us to enjoy our independence without presuming on another person’s.
Motorized wheelchairs are manipulated by specialized joysticks, so you merely require the use of a single hand to maneuver a motorized chair. Motorized wheelchairs are often more maneuverable than standard wheelchairs, since the user won’t have to place their limbs out past the arms of their chair. The motor enables the chairs to offer electrically-powered postural supports, such as power tilt and recline. These features allow the rider to shift their position often enough to safeguard against pressure sores.
Some types of motorized chairs are able to raise the user to a standing position which lets them do some tasks standing as opposed to seated. Motorized wheelchairs offer more tire and powerbase options, and typically incorporate spring suspensions, which help them to handle rough surfaces easily. While toting a motorized wheelchair in a wheelchair accessible bus, the chair could be connected to the vehicle and employed as a normal car seat; a feature which is not offered by the majority of standard wheelchairs. You may also need a wheel chair lift.
Motorized wheelchair have some drawbacks, by the way. First, they will prove extremely heavy. The chairs are energized by very large batteries which weigh a good amount without any help, and when their weight is added to the very solid suspension as well as the overall support structure, you will have as much as 300 lbs of wheelchair before the rider is actually in it. Because of the involved heft and size, even travel power chairs are not too convenient for flying with, and when you need to disassemble and store these types of chairs, you will very likely require one more set of hands.
Predictably, motorized wheelchairs will also be very high priced. They usually are priced between $1600 and $7500, while in many circumstances, Medicare could pay for up to 80% of that cost. Quite a few retailers are very glad to assist you in doing the Medicare paperwork, fortunately, and several will turn in the paperwork for you.
Motorized power wheel chairs & lifts might be ideal vehicles for people with extremely limited mobility who would rather not limit their lives. These chairs can provide any user the mobility and independence needed to maintain an active lifestyle.
