Wheelchair Services Take 3

[davidgillon]

 Okay, I've got myself into a place where the brain-weasels will let me take another shot at trying to get an actual assessment from Wheelchair Services, as opposed to them dumping the heaviest clunker in creation on my doorstep and running for it. I'd be grateful if anyone with relevant experiences could take a look at the draft letter below and let me know if they spot anything likely to work against me:

"It is now several months since Wheelchair Services provided me with a wheelchair (Sunrise Medical Lomax Uni 8), however after discussing my current situation with my GP she feels that I need to contact you again.

Having access to the wheelchair has significantly increased my mobility over the crutches I previously used, in fact moving around has become a pleasure again, however the chair was provided without an assessment being carried out and Dr T feels that there remain areas which need to be addressed.

Current Situation:

As I had hoped, the wheelchair has allowed me to significantly increase the amount of time I spend outside the house, probably at least tripling it, and I have effectively become a full-time wheelchair user outside of the home. However this still falls short of a level of activity that would allow me to rejoin the workforce and it is clear that there are several areas in which the wheelchair is an imperfect match for my needs. I now have sufficient familiarity with the use of the wheelchair to recognise that these are not simply issues of unfamiliarity.

The primary issue I am facing is a lack of rigidity from the seat of the wheelchair, a consequence of the folding design. While this would not be an issue for most people, I have hypermobility specifically affecting my hip and pelvis, each time the chair flexes it imposes a sheering strain across my pelvis and hips, stressing vulnerable joints. I have quite literally subluxated* my hip as a direct consequence of the chair flexing under me as I crossed a kerb-cut (*subluxation, a partial dislocation, common in hypermobility affected joints), and have had other incidents which have left me unable to comfortably stand or walk for hours or even days due to the flexing of the seat irritating my sacro-iliac joint. It is clear that in the longer term I need some kind of rigid seat base, ideally a rigidly framed chair.

Related to this are issues with the back of the chair and my spine and shoulders. Even if I sit fully back on the seat I find that I am unable to sit comfortably with any part of my back against the chair back, because of my spinal issues I am forced to sit upright and well forward of it. Even with this forward sitting position I find that the back then impinges on my shoulder movement as I propel the chair. Given my shoulder and spinal issues it is impractical for me to adjust my posture to suit the chair, sheer practicality means that I am being forced to use the chair with the back folded in order to be able to self-propel it. For the longer term it appears that I need a chair with a narrower back that can be adjusted to meet my postural needs.

I have had the opportunity to try the rigid-framed lightweight chair used by a friend with similar hypermobility issues on several occasions, this is fitted with a Jay back and headrest and was much easier for me to use, while simultaneously giving me a level of support and comfort in my seated posture I have never experienced, not even with an individually fitted specialist office chair. This appears to confirm that I need a professional assessment in order to determine the configuration of wheelchair seating that would best meet my needs.

Weight is also an issue, the Uni 8 is notably heavy at 19kg, even when compared to similarly positioned chairs on the market. The lack of quick-release wheels means the minimum I can reduce this to is still over 15Kg. I live alone, I cannot go anywhere without lifting the chair into and out of my car, yet its weight is such that it is far from an easy lift even two-handed, and my shoulder situation means that there are days I am forced to lift it with one arm.

I recognise that Wheelchair Services are trying to address people’s needs within a budget, however the particular complexity of my needs has not yet been assessed. I hope that Wheelchair Services can address my needs, but, even if you cannot provide a wheelchair to suit, I need to take steps to obtain a suitable chair, and my best hope of doing that is by first having a full wheelchair assessment from a qualified and independent assessor, I therefore hope that you will agree to provide an assessment.

Yours,