Struggling to drive your wheelchair? by Mark Chapman

Don’t worry there are ways around it. A few months ago I began struggling driving my wheelchair because my hand and my grip had weakened, so I was finding it difficult to move my controller to drive, my hand was forever falling off my control, it was always in need of repositioning and when my hand got cold I couldn’t drive at all. I thought that was it, I wouldn’t be able to drive anymore but it wasn’t. I spoke to my wheelchair dealer who provided my wheelchair and he told me I could get a mini joystick, which is a lot smaller than the usual control and it is more sensitive so you hardly have to move it to drive the wheelchair. This is one of the best pieces of equipment I have. It’s a lifesaver. Depending on the make of your wheelchair there are two manufacturers of mini joysticks, Dynamic for Sunrise Medical and RMS for Invacare, your wheelchair dealer will know which you need.
  
I now have a lot more confidence, I can control my wheelchair 10 times better and I can get around much easier without any worries. It cost around £1,400, I know it sounds expensive but you can get funding for it, I got funding from a charity called React. You can download an application form from http://www.reactcharity.org/applications.php 

Make cooking easy !

https://www.lakeland. co.uk/18908/Masha The best masher as recommended by an NMC Client. Lump free mash in 20 seconds! Tip. Make a good amount and freeze the leftovers.

Disability Directory of Disabled Information, aids and mobility services

www.ableize.com

Make your chair or bed more comfortable

Furniture raisers make a chair or bed higher, which can make it more comfortable to use. The new Langham SureGrip raisers can be used with beds, sofas, chairs and tables, any furniture that doesn’t move. It doesn’t matter if it has castors, legs, a solid divan base or even modern block feet, the SureGrip raisers will hold it firmly in place, without damaging your furniture. The raisers feature a double grip to hold tightly on to furniture and a generous weight limit of 110 stone (700kg), including the chair or bed. The raiser can accommodate castors, legs up to (70mm 23/4 inch) and even block the included adhesive pad adaptors.  For more information call 01332 850 277 http://www. gordonellishealthcare. co.uk/index.php?main_ page=product_info&products

I really didn’t want a stair-lift – Anne Craig

By 2007 I was struggling with the 7 inch risers on the stairs in our home and I knew I had to do something.

I tried everything to avoid having that stair-lift! I investigated bungalows in the vicinity, to discover that anything with a similar square footage to our home would cost at least £100K more. Then I researched a proper lift for our home, to discover that it could only be built onto the outside and in the process would block the main access into our garden. The lift was quoted at about £17K and with building costs it was just not feasible. Then I investigated a through-ceiling lift, to discover that it was around £9K and I would lose some of my lounge and – shock horror – my dressing table in the bedroom, with nowhere else for it to fit! No way!!

So I reluctantly started researching stair-lifts. Only to find that in 2007 there was only one brand that could deal with the 2 bends in my stairs. The company was ThyssenKrupp, a Dutch company which at the time sold their Flow 2 range through Acorn. Curved stair-lifts cost more, have to be individually manufactured and have to be more engineered than a straight lift. The cost was £7,500. Gulp. There was a small range of colours but since I was having to redecorate anyway I tried to make the chair look an integral part of the hall stairs and landing. No easy feat!

The chair, which has a safety belt, swivels round 70° to negotiate narrow, steep and bendy stairways and rides on a tube which is securely anchored by 7 metal stanchions along the length of the staircase. As you can see from the photos, it intrudes into the stairs to allow the chair itself to go up and down without touching the walls.

The seat itself is powered by a battery which is automatically recharged when docked at the bottom station. The seat armrest controls take 2 LR14 batteries. Since it is powered by batteries, the stair-lift can be used during a power cut. If the batteries fail, the emergency cord can be pulled out and the chair can descend so you don’t get stuck. There are additionally 2 wireless “call and park” remote control handsets which each take 2 LR14 batteries.

How has it been? I have had the stair-lift for seven and a half years now so it has cost about £1K per annum so far. I expect it to last another 10 years or so with servicing at around £100 each time. It has stopped working 4 times. Twice because I hadn’t noticed the replaceable arm batteries were needing to be replaced, once for a mystery stoppage which the engineer fixed the next day (it happened late at night), and once because the main battery needed replacing (I was informed by Acorn that the whole main power unit had to be replaced at a £2K cost which was completely incorrect when I checked with ThyssenKrupp. Once I complained the matter was sorted out satisfactorily, but if I hadn’t investigated……)

The installation and call engineers need special training so on call out it is important to specify the need for a Flow2 specialist.

There are silly things that I find annoying. It is difficult to open the arm rest cover to replace the batteries, the footrest mechanism is weak (hubby has had to tie it up with a hidden plastic tag), the thing is a bit slow and it does take up a bit
of space at the top of the stairs.

But overall it does get me up and down stairs. I can carry things on it and it enables me to continue living in our home with its easy access, lovely garden and its short distance to the village with its independent shops, restaurants, cafes, pubs and a supermarket. A necessary evil!!

If you are ready for a stair-lift please speak to Sue Walker at the NMC, your OT or an Independent Living Centre before doing anything. It is a lot cheaper if you have straight stairs and you may be eligible for free support. (I was over the monetary threshold). Although I had no advice when I got my lift, the world has changed a lot since 2007!

Stair Lifts

When you have a disability there comes a point when climbing stairs can become very exhausting and risky. When you get to this stage it is worth considering the options. You could think about moving (this can be very costly and you might not either want to, or feel ready to move to a single-storey property) or, stay where you are and consider installing a stair-lift.

Choosing a stair-lift
It is really important to choose a stair-lift that best suits your needs, lifestyle and works with your home. Stair-lifts can vary enormously in price.

Before placing an order it is advisable to have your stairs assessed so that you can choose the right stair-lift for your type of stairs. They will:

• measure your stairs and the supplier will be able to tell you if you need to make any adjustments to accommodate the new stair-lift for example move a radiator.
• ask if you are left or right handed and suggest which side the controls should go.
• measure the length of your leg when sitting to ensure that you don’t graze your knees when going up and down. They will want to know your weight and will ask about your mobility.
• explore the option of adding power features which might be useful in the future.

You can get either a straight stair-lift or curved stair-lift. Straight stair-lifts can only travel in straight lines and therefore cannot turn a corner or go around a bend. They can be more suitable for narrow stairs. Curved stair-lifts have tracks and are designed to suit staircases that turn corners. They tend to have a snugger fit.

Various chairs can fit on to either straight or curved staircases. Each chair has different features and benefits. You can opt for a manual swivel seat or a powered swivel seat.

When companies visit your home there should no pressure and no obligation. It is a good idea to have a second person with you, a PA, family member or friend. Some companies favour one maker of stair-lift, others do not. Remember to ask about a warranty and service plan. Local Independent Living Centres are also a good source of advice.

Delivery, Installation and After Sales
Delivery tends to depend on the type of lift you order. The more complex the order then the longer the lead time. Most stair-lifts only take a few hours to install but the more individualised the stair-lift then the longer it will take. Occasionally, slight alterations may need to be made prior to the lift installation. It is important to find out about what support is available should something go wrong with the stair-lift and also about servicing.

Benefits of having a star-lift
The thought of having a stair-lift can be daunting. However, try and think about the benefits of having one.

• It will reduce the amount of effort required by you. This is particularly important at the end of the day when you are likely to be really tired as you climb the stairs to bed.
• As a result you will conserve energy.
• It will give you greater independence.
• It will allow you to go upstairs more often if you need to. There’s nothing quite like regaining the pleasure of going up and down stairs whenever you like.
• It will allow you to be with your family.

Companies that specialise in stair-lifts… Stannah - www.stannah.com Handicare www.handicare.co.uk Age UK – www.ageuk.org.uk – T 0800 566 8742 (7 days a week) Abbey Stairlifts – www.stair-lift-comparison.co.uk