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what to do when nhs chair isnt comfy
little grumble..
eventually took delivery of my nhs power chair, was real dressed when it came and couldnt even use it. silly i know.
wasnt given any choice on types of power chair and was just glad that it was brand new but having had it a few weeks and had an extra long day out at the very hilly Edinburgh zoo it just aint that comfy. its a invacare mirage. it had good battery life but was alot slower than my scooter, was glad i didnt need to travel accross any roads.
to get a good height for my knees I need ti build up with cushions so the backrest and arms arnt supporting me. if i put a cushion behind me the seat gets too short. cant angle back to shift pressure and the arms are fixed to i cant side transfer to pee. and i have the option of a fixed foot board that is better for my knees but need a helper ot remove or swing away leg rest that hurt me knees.
also the chairs speed control is in a stupid place and is hard to see. ..
sorry to offload but family is putting on the happy positive face and i dont want to grumble to them about something out with everyons control..thanks for reading
Re: what to do when nhs chair isnt comfyI would go back to them and tell them it isn’t comfy I would also go as far as to say that it is making your condition worse. Its no good having a chair if you can’t use it, its as much use as a chocolate teapot!
Re: what to do when nhs chair isnt comfyGet back in touch with them. Even if they won’t replace it, it should be possible to make some adjustments to the seating, to make it more comfortable. And it seems totally wrong to have a chair with fixed arms preventing side transfer.
Re: what to do when nhs chair isnt comfyoh no. clearly not fit for purpose – every prob you have described should have been none existent with a proper fitting assessment. id go straight back to them you deserve better. x
Re: what to do when nhs chair isnt comfyHello Cat,
I too think you should get in touch with the NHS bods who organised your powerchair and tell them all the problems you have with it.
Three years ago I too was provided with a replacement powerchair by the NHS – tailored especially for me – but it was just awful and I rang them later that day and said I wanted my old chair back. They swapped them over the next day. They said they could give the new one to someone else, so no worries there. I just wish they had listened to what I wanted to start with.
This summer I’ve been provided with an Invacare Harrier Plus with just small alterations and it’s fine. However, like you, I find that the speed control dial is in an awkward place [under the right armrest] where I can’t see it at all. But there’s nothing to be done about it…..that’s progress.
If you don’t inform them of your difficulties, they’ll assume everything is OK, so you really need to get things sorted out. After all, you’re using the chair and you’ve got to be comfortable and safe in it, and able to transfer on and off the loo [for goodness sake, whoever designs these things?]
Sybylla
Re: what to do when nhs chair isnt comfyok, so had chair a few weeks now and not managed to adjust it enough to get comfortable. its a invacare mirage.
getting on/off remains a problem. cant get off at all on my own and helpers find it much harder to get me off as arms are fixed. legs are all marked from bashing leg rest when being lifted. if time allows my peeps dismantle an arm rest and unhook leg rest to lift/swing my off.
cant get a good hip/leg angle as this requires cushion build up and i losewhat little support i get from the back wrest and armwrest as they become too low.
control dosnt flip or slide away. cant get close to tables. cant see speed dial.
not all doom and gloom the plus of chair is that back pain a little better as i dont need to lean forward like in the scooter. it does curbs better and turns good
awaiting appointment, had to give it a go. to be sure on list of faults
Re: what to do when nhs chair isnt comfy@catatude wrote:
awaiting appointment, had to give it a go. to be sure on list of faults
These things do need a thorough testing and as you’ve tried it and the problems persist ‘hopefully’ it will add weight to you wanting to try something else. Don’t be fobbed off, tell em straight “It is not fit for purpose”.
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