My wheelchair tips from the evaluators

My wheelchair tips from the evaluators

Well my appointment with my OT wheelchair evaluators was good and bad. I was having some issues transferring into my new chair. Having issues with my new wheelchair. The bad was the chair doesn’t get an lower. My therapist explained that I need to work on the ways to make transfers work and keep them safe. They definitely recommend training with a sliding board and with a one on one trainer for transfers. Since I won’t be cleared by my neurologist to go back into therapy with the threat of Covid still around, I have to see if I could possibly get in home services. They did have a few suggestions I definitely didn’t think about.

  • Since we paid to put the additional feature enabling the chair to go up and down, use it. Raise the chair to help you stand up. Duh!!! Really smart idea. I raise the chair so I’m not struggling to stand up, using my arms to push myself up. Now I am already almost upright when I’m getting out of the chair. Much easier and less energy used.
  • Use my grabber to move the foot plate up and down as needed. It is much easier to attempt to get into the chair with the foot pedals up. I am much closer to the chair. It is easier for me to sit down and then fix myself. I use the grabber to once again lower the foot pedal to push myself back.
  • After I use the bathroom let the chair push me back into position. I could never do this if I have to pee because it takes too long and my bladder might not cooperate. However after, especially if I’m tired, the chair goes all the way back. No need to keep using my arms and legs exerting energy I don’t have.
  • If I’m really tired I might need to stay in the chair and stop transferring to my comfy chair. This wheelchair can lift my legs, recline and reposition me in multiple ways. If I’m that spent at the end of the day, stay in the wheelchair. This is why I got this chair.

10 thoughts on “My wheelchair tips from the evaluators

    1. My first chairs I got through Hooveround and they worked with my insurance.
      As I progressed, I saw a OT for a wheelchair evaluation and they worked with my insurance ?

      1. Thanks for the info I can have my neurologist set me up with an OT, I will keep you posted. I finally insurance

  1. I just got a call from my neurologists office rescheduling my appointment. Apparently my neurologist left and I have been assigned a new one.

    1. Well that isn’t good. I’ve had the same neurologist for 22 years. My specialist for the last 8. Going through now neurologists over and over again would make me crazy

      1. Bingo I’ve had four or five in the last five year’s. I get tired of starting from square one.

        1. Completely frustrating I can totally understand. I’ve heard many many horror stories. I just have that every time I see every other doctor that I go too always explaining the MS

    1. My chair has the ability to go up down back and recline. So you start reclining the chair until you basically slide back into the correct position . You have to have your butt on the chair but usually what happens is you are too forward when you first sit. If I have the strength I just push myself back into the back of the chair with my legs and my arms. It’s at night when I’m shot that it’s sometimes impossible. Being to forward in that chair has cost me to a not be able to get up correctly and b slide out of it

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