Carefully Assess These Specifications before You Rent a Power Wheelchair
Posted on: 1 December 2020
If you have a family member who will need to use a power wheelchair, you'll want to visit a local medical equipment rental service to evaluate the available options. You'll likely have a wide range of products that you can evaluate in order to find the right one for your family member. An employee of the medical equipment service can talk to you about the design and features of each model and suggest a few that will work well in your situation. There are several specifications that you should carefully evaluate before you decide which power chair you'll rent, including the following.
Weight Capacity
Perhaps more than anything, it's vitally important to determine the capacity of the power wheelchair that you'll be renting. Don't be so focused on the look of the chair or on a certain desirable feature that you neglect to figure out how much weight the chair can safely support. For example, you'll commonly see 250 lbs and under power chairs; these wheelchairs can safely hold people who weigh up to 250 pounds. Look for a sign that lists the wight limit of the power wheelchairs. Make sure the weight capacity of the wheelchair will be adequate for your needs.
Seat Padding
Don't be shy about sitting on a number of power wheelchairs so that you can assess how they feel. (Or, if you're able to have your family member accompany you during the rental process, they should ideally sit on some chairs.) You'll often notice a considerable difference in the padding, both on the seat and backrest, that different chairs provide. Generally, those that cost more will have more padding on the seat than those that are more budget-friendly. You have to remember that your family member may be spending hours at a time in the wheelchair, so their comfort should be a key consideration. Spending a little more on a chair that has thicker or higher-quality padding is a smart decision for you to make.
Controls
Have an employee of the rental service take you through a short tutorial on how to use the power chair's controls. You'll often find that users can control their power chairs in a number of different ways, but you want the controls to be easy to use for your family member. Think about your loved one's physical limitations when you're assessing the different controls. For example, if the person has arthritis in their hands, they may find that it's easier to handle controls that are larger and bulkier than those that are on the smaller side.
Share