I have been talking to my friend Freyja who is a fulltime lying-down wheelchair user. She says that as Mog is not yet very heavy, the best solution may well be to adapt a ‘standard’ wheelchair, even Mog's own current one, both to lie flat or almost-flat, and to position the push-handles in a more useful place. This would not affect the positioning options it already has - or shouldn't do, anyway. I've had the same problem when needing to use my manual chair in its most-reclined position, and it's really well within the abilities of a halfway decent wheelchair techie to extend and possibly angle a push-bar as necessary.
I am only ever hoisted into and out of my wheelchairs in their most reclined position - hard to explain why, but it works a lot better.
And the finale is that I think I might have found a possible chair that *doesn't* need adapting - look! It's a Convaid Cuddlebug and the most likely-looking dealer for them that I've spotted so far is this one.
Something like http://www.kingkraft.co.uk/pages/gallery/kingkraft-support-frame114.php might be another option. Looks like a bit of an inbetween between buggy and pushchair. It's based on the vacuform mattress, which interestingly is apparently prefered in several (scandanavian, i think) countries to foam carve/other carved foam seating as it can be remoulded easily, but equally doesn't need any maintenence. It's more expensive than buggys, but nothing like as expensive as some things I've seen. Perhaps w/ch services might help?
Sadly Mog's too big for the CuddleBug. Would you have described that as a wheelchair though? Looking at the frame, I'd have called it a buggy.
And thanks for the Kingkraft suggestion too - I see their wheeled products are just as pricey as their rather fabulous bathtubs.
We have actually ordered a Tom Cross (please don't hate me). It was half the price of anything else and we will have it by the summer holidays which means we'll be able to go out even on her difficult days. Doing that as a private purchase means we can still put pressure on wheelchair services to provide something decent for her; lined with sheepskin or with a burnett support or with whatever else we can find it still won't be great when she's sitting up. So I'm hoping they will be able to come up with something that'll be everything she needs - even if we end up using WhizzKidz or similar to fund it.
Yep, they are rather too expensive - but, as you say, good products. I've just had to purchase a walker from them; they are the only one anywhere (literally - quite possibly in the world - one other possibility with no uk importer) that works for me and I am very out of pocket. I just wanted to make sure you knew of that product, because it's a bit qwirky and you might not have been aware of it. Hope your Tom Cross does the job for the time being and you can find the closest to perfect thing at a later date. :)
I wasn't aware of it so thank you; I can think of a few friends who might be interested in it too. Very much liking the idea of being able to remould it at home rather than having to wait three months for the next appointment.
Not running around to other people's timetables, just enjoying life
Not running around to other people's timetables, just enjoying life
and each other.
11 comments:
Beautiful - sisterly love! Glad you're enjoying the relaxed timetable.
How lovely! I am glad you hare having a peaceful time of it!
The girls look like they are enjoying it also.
oh, i love that! i love that 2nd picture!
Lovely photos of your two beautiful girls Tia - nothing quite like seeing two sisters cuddled up together and enjoying one another.
Blummin' marvellous!
Beautiful happy cuddly girls!
I have been talking to my friend Freyja who is a fulltime lying-down wheelchair user. She says that as Mog is not yet very heavy, the best solution may well be to adapt a ‘standard’ wheelchair, even Mog's own current one, both to lie flat or almost-flat, and to position the push-handles in a more useful place. This would not affect the positioning options it already has - or shouldn't do, anyway. I've had the same problem when needing to use my manual chair in its most-reclined position, and it's really well within the abilities of a halfway decent wheelchair techie to extend and possibly angle a push-bar as necessary.
I am only ever hoisted into and out of my wheelchairs in their most reclined position - hard to explain why, but it works a lot better.
And the finale is that I think I might have found a possible chair that *doesn't* need adapting - look! It's a Convaid Cuddlebug and the most likely-looking dealer for them that I've spotted so far is this one.
Something like http://www.kingkraft.co.uk/pages/gallery/kingkraft-support-frame114.php might be another option. Looks like a bit of an inbetween between buggy and pushchair. It's based on the vacuform mattress, which interestingly is apparently prefered in several (scandanavian, i think) countries to foam carve/other carved foam seating as it can be remoulded easily, but equally doesn't need any maintenence. It's more expensive than buggys, but nothing like as expensive as some things I've seen. Perhaps w/ch services might help?
Sadly Mog's too big for the CuddleBug. Would you have described that as a wheelchair though? Looking at the frame, I'd have called it a buggy.
And thanks for the Kingkraft suggestion too - I see their wheeled products are just as pricey as their rather fabulous bathtubs.
We have actually ordered a Tom Cross (please don't hate me). It was half the price of anything else and we will have it by the summer holidays which means we'll be able to go out even on her difficult days. Doing that as a private purchase means we can still put pressure on wheelchair services to provide something decent for her; lined with sheepskin or with a burnett support or with whatever else we can find it still won't be great when she's sitting up. So I'm hoping they will be able to come up with something that'll be everything she needs - even if we end up using WhizzKidz or similar to fund it.
Yep, they are rather too expensive - but, as you say, good products. I've just had to purchase a walker from them; they are the only one anywhere (literally - quite possibly in the world - one other possibility with no uk importer) that works for me and I am very out of pocket. I just wanted to make sure you knew of that product, because it's a bit qwirky and you might not have been aware of it. Hope your Tom Cross does the job for the time being and you can find the closest to perfect thing at a later date. :)
I wasn't aware of it so thank you; I can think of a few friends who might be interested in it too. Very much liking the idea of being able to remould it at home rather than having to wait three months for the next appointment.
http://www.consolor.co.uk/www.consolor.co.uk/info.php?p=13&pno=0 the uk stockist for all the other vakuform products
Post a Comment