June 2, 2006 was the publication date of this article I wrote for The Phoenix..
Getting a new wheelchair is always an exciting time.. It is like buying a new car. You select your style and color. You kick the tires and try to haggle about the price.
Medicare will pay for a new chair every 6 years. it usually pays 80% of the cost and, as a result, you or your co-insurance pay the remaining 20%.
New chairs aren't cheap. Depending on what kind of chair you buy, count on spending at least $600 on a new chair.Try checking hospitals, nursing homes and rehab facilities in your area to see if they are selling or even giving away any extra chairs. Also check local yard sales. People who don't need chairs anymore want to get rid of them, and sometimes very inexpensively.
I always try to keep a "spare" chair, in case I get a flat tire, which happens. Tires are pretty expensive too. You can go to a health care equipment place or a pharmacy, but depending on your chair, you may be able to get a regular bicycle tire for much less the price, which would serve the purpose.
When you are shopping for a new chair it is important to have your chair customized to your specific needs and body type. You don't want to get a chair which is too wide so you can't reach the wheels to push, nor do you want a chair too narrow so you feel cramped. You want it to feel just right, so that you are comfortable.
There are different types of wheelchairs around now. I prefer to have the lightest possible- an aluminum chair. It's much easier to push and fold up and roll into the car or toss in the trunk.The only drawback with a lighter chair is maintenance. If you're very active you may want to go with a heavy-duty chair for endurance.
Electric chairs have come a long way since was a kid. I used to have an electric chair. It served its purpose, but soon I found it to be too heavy to transfer into a car (the chair ran on a Sears Die-Hard battery). Plus, I was getting too lazy from not pushing. Pushing is good for your back and shoulder muscles and good cardiovascular exercise as we ll.
Back to electric chairs: I remember I had on, and about 25 years ago they weren't as advanced. You charged it up every night, but the power would only last a few hours. I remember one time being a block from home and the chair died.
Nowadays, electric chairs and scooters can go all day long, and you practically take them everywhere. I see a few people tooling around Phoenixville in their electric chairs, red flags up for safety, which is cool-looking. The chair provides mobility and freedom.
I know one lady who uses her chin- yes, her chin- to drive her electric chair. They are so precise, it's incredible.
When you buy a chair make sure the tires are good. They may be lighter than the hard, solid, rubberized type of wheels, but be careful and watch for nails and tacks and that awful "hiss!" sound of a flat. If you don't have a spare nearby, you may be pushing a flat all day, which can really be hard.
Snow tires- with chains- can be useful. I try not to use my chair as a snowplow or sled.
As with buying a new car, you can also get "extras" like bags or baskets to help carry items; anti-tippers so you don't flip backwards; and "coasters" to help ease down a steep hill.
I have a friend who actually has a rear-view mirror hooked on his chair.
It does take a bit of practice learning how to push a chair. How to grip the wheels (hold your hands at the top of the wheels), how to make sharp turns, stopping without using brakes, and common sense things which come naturally in time.
Until you get the hang of it, you may be running over a few toes or crashing into a few walls. Don't worry, I've been pushing a chair for about 40 years now and I still scrap walls and furniture at times.
I don't think about it when I push my chair, just as an able-bodied person doesn't think when they are walking (left foot first, right foot next, then left...). You just do it! The chair becomes almost a part of me,a way of getting around. My chair is my legs.
In fact, if I ever have another fracture or tendinitis ( which often is a result from too much pushing, especially in rainy, damp weather), I would rather my legs take the pain rather than my arms. My arms are also my freedom.
Finally, when I push my chair I try to adhere to the "rules of the road," just like driving a car. Stay on the right side of the road, sidewalk or hallway. Pass on the left. Unless you're going down a busy hallway. Then I try to stay in the middle because you never know who will unexpectedly pop out of a room. Not good, especially if you don't have wheelchair insurance,
I have become a defensive driver over the years. Many times people, who are walking down the street, don't look where they are going, talking on their phones or texting. They do the "looking one way and walk the other way" thing. Sometimes they can end up in your lap if you are not a defensive driver. So, generally I back off and become cautious around congestion of traffic, because I know which way I want to push but I'm not sure which way the person in front of me will go.
Be safe than sorry. Oh, and never drink and drive!
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