How To Choose A Wheelchair

Choosing a wheelchair can be a very difficult task to do and it is very important that you practice careful consideration and study in picking one, especially since it can be quite expensive.

The slightest change or repair from a simple change of tires or even just adding accessories like a bag or crutch holder can be costly.

It may even have taken you some time to save up for a wheelchair so ensuring you choose the right one makes your investment worth your every penny.

Regardless of how well-trained your therapist is or how familiar he is with wheelchairs, you know yourself well than anyone else. And because of this, you should be the one to make the choice on what wheelchair to buy.

You may know of someone who owns a wheelchair from a rehab center, support group or senior organization who can give you pointers on how to pick a wheelchair based on their experience.

However, you should always bear in mind that every individual is different. They can tell you what is best but it may not work for you.

Study and learn how to pick the wheelchair that will best suit you. You can ask for product information from the manufacturer as well as get information from forums on the Internet. For the meantime, you can consider the following factors below:

• The width of your doors at home
• Different angles in your home such as in your hallway that have a sharp turn to different rooms
• Your bathroom area like the areas going to the bathtub or to the toilet bowl
• The clearance of knees to the tables and desks
• Height of shelves and cabinets that you need to reach
• The floor surface in your home (concrete, tile, carpet or packed soil and grass)

You should also consider your means of transportation and the vehicles that you will use.

• Try to consider the size of the vehicle’s doors
• The size of the vehicle’s trunk
• The public transportation that you will use

Failure to make a careful study and consideration of these pointers can give you regrettable results. You may be put in very unpleasant situations because of restricted mobility due to the wrong wheelchair.

Even worse, your safety will be at risk such as when going to the shower or toilet. If your footrests are fixed, it will hinder you from getting close to the tub or the bowl causing you to carry yourself.

This can be very dangerous. You should never rush in choosing a wheelchair. It is even advisable to test as many wheelchairs as you can before buying so you can be sure that you will get the perfect one for you.

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