My husband has mobility problems as well as Lewy Body Dementia and so to get him out and about we have to use a wheelchair . The medication he takes for the hallucinations and voices he hears ( part of his LBD) have caused him to put on lots of weight and his current wheelchair is really not strong enough for his weight . I’ve started to look at the heavy duty wheelchairs which are fine for him but I find them so heavy for me ! It’s not just the weight of my husband but of the chair as well to move around , also lifting it in and out of the car as I have arthritis myself and don’t want to aggravate it to much as I still have to help my husband in the home with washing and dressing etc ! Does anyone know of a lighter weight Wheelchair (or the lightest weight) For heavy duty users please ? I’d love to hear any recommendations please before I take the plunge and spend the money as they are not a cheap item once you get to the bigger wheelchairs ! Thank you
You need to get a wheelchair with an Aluminium frame instead of heavy steel, my caree purchased a heavy duty wheelchair up to 140 kilogrammes, was about 140 pounds.
The foldable wheelchair weighs 12 kilogrammes as opposed to the steel ones weigh about 20/25 kilogrammes.
Just browse an internet search site or a well known auction site.
Have you tried NHS wheelchair services, they can supply a free NHS wheelchair and sometimes an electric wheelchair.
Going up to an electric wheelchair you can get a WAV , a wheelchair accessible vehicle, converted to have a ramp and flat floor for a wheelchair to drive straight in and have seatbelts.
Again if you are eligable for used to be DLA but now PIP, Personalised Independent Payments, a high rate would enable you to get a vehicle through Motability.
We got a second hand WAV, you can buy them again through the internet as little as £500.
They are just literally the same as a family car, many are now based on family cars, but are converted to have the ramp etc in the back.
Get back to me any more details or i am sure other members of the forum will be able to advise.