Need a different mobility devise

[ex-Gooserider]

There are a lot of options for the basic accessible van.... BM and I are already in power chairs, so for us the 'drive from chair' option works... But they make power adjustable seats that slide back and turn / lift so that it is relatively easy to transfer from a scooter / manual chair /???? Do that for now and move to a full drive from the chair setup later - much cheaper to replace a seat than a vehicle...

Ditto hand controls or other similar mods - at least at the 'low tech' scale that I use... I don't know just what is involved in adding one of the fancy 'fly-by-wire' setups beyond huge amounts of cash... (I'd wonder if it would be wiser to stop driving oneself at that point) but the low-tech stuff is easy to bolt on when needed...

The van would work with a wide range of devices, although you would probably need to change the way you secured them as the devices change...

For home mods, if you plan on the power chair, everything less extreme will work...

ex-Gooserider

[biscuit]

If you want to be minimalist with this blimmin' MS and only do what is immediately necessary, as I prefer to do, I advise you to get a hatchback or station wagon with no lip at the back. That means that when
you load your mobility device, there's nothing to get in the way. It's much easier to get into a wc than a scooter if your feet don't lift off the ground much. I've tried both. For loading a mobility device, a block and tackle hung from a panel stand in the luggage space looks workable. I'm going to try it next month. (Hooray for credit cards!)

[Burgerman]

I can understand the do as little as you need at trhe time, minimalist aproach. I see why you do it. But...

Things like moving house to an open plan bungalow, or wide doors, all unessasary walls removed, very shallow built in 'ramps' that are invisible or better on drive parking hardstanding areas. All help everythone. Not just the disabled. Its just more user freindly. Likewise swapping out a car for a drive from wheelchair lowered floor minivan, even if you initially can manage without, is just easier in the long run. And easier for everyone right now. It neednt even look disabled. But this way you start off spending on the final soplution (that came out wrong...)

Instead of spending on multiple part way solutions that all need to be redonne later, maybe in a diofferent property etc. Best to begin a big joined up plan that gets you as close to what you will need, worst case cenario. Because by then you may not be able to manage it, or afford it if you wasted money on short term fixes.

Thats my opiunion! Take it or leave it. Start a big joined up plan. And do the hard bits first. Move if needed. To a cheaper part of the country so as to get that open plan ground floor property in a wheelchair freindly spot. My plan, list etc was only 1 page long. But it took me 15 years to achieve 95% so far.


What I am sayiong is dont waste money on narower wheelchairs when the real problem is a lack of space. Dont waste money adapting a bathroom to a wet room, when you will need a bungalow later on that already has more space and wider doors. Etc etc.

ONE example. My freind lauri has a stair platform lift. It cost thousands, blocks the stairs, and spends more time broke than working. I have no need of that as I have 2 bathrooms and 2 bedrooms downstairs. He cant turn around in his kitchen, its long and thin. So has a very adapted super expensive kitchen, to allow him to use it at all. My kitchen has space, wall removed and extended.

Both houses WITH adaptations cost around the same. He adapted his own house. I adapted my late mums bungalow. And used money that would have been used on adaptations (stair lifts, disabled adapted kitchen, ugly concrete ramps) in better ways. I could have wasted 35k adapting my own unsuitable flat. Then paid all over again when it was still unsuitable for a more open bigger bungalow in a better area for disability.

Theres also this. My place costs the same as 1 bed flat in london. Which do you think is the most suitable?

[flagman1776]

I've decided this house on several acres of land is suitable as a base location. The living spaces are all on one floor. I think my future needs can be divided into structural installations and portable items.

We have started with the exterior ramp to get me up to the level of the living spaces. We have a satisfactory plan for additions and alterations. Major projects need to be fully thought out & integrated with the final plan.

In a sense, a road vehicle and personal mobility devises are easy... once the current one is selected... because they are not installed. I certainly don't want to be wasteful... can't afford to be wasteful... but swapping a scooter for a PWC doesn't require demolition. The 4 door sedan I'm currently driving is paid for. My crystal ball seems to be cloudy about just when I need to make changes... not if...

[biscuit]

Planning vs winging it, or a mixture of both if one can keep a healthy balance between them. And let us not go into the annoyances of socialism in the UK, which mean I do not own my property and my housing is state funded and means tested , so any time I save above a few thousand, the state appropriates it.
I wish I had been more sussed in my youth! Unfortunately I was as ditzy as can be.

[Burgerman]

But still. Even the council are not stupid enough to blow thousands trying to make a property suitable, if they can see that a bigger pl;an and a different property means a better outcome with the same expense without endless £££ do-overs. So theyu can be persuaded if you get some medical evidence to show that it will be needed in the future. Write your plan, show the council and arguue your case. And saving for things like different housing for disability reasons, vans like mine (about 60k in the UK, and for 25K wheelchairs etc, backup powerchairs, etc are absolutely allowed if already agreed. I am about to get permission for savings for a new van over the next few years.

[scootntootn]

There’s a collapsible scooter with joystick that you should at least take a look at. Heartway P19. Might have different names across the world. That’s the original name. The main issue might be the weight capacity - 250 pounds.

[flagman1776]

Heartway P19 weights 64 pounds. That's too heavy. No need to fold as the weight rules out self-lifting it.

[ex-Gooserider]

I've decided this house on several acres of land is suitable as a base location. The living spaces are all on one floor. I think my future needs can be divided into structural installations and portable items.

We have started with the exterior ramp to get me up to the level of the living spaces. We have a satisfactory plan for additions and alterations. Major projects need to be fully thought out & integrated with the final plan.

It sounds like you have that half of things pretty well under control for the fixed stuff... Basically what we are saying is that in most cases making one instance of a given modification (i.e. a kitchen or bath makeover) to fit the 'projected worse case' scenario will be easier and less expensive than doing incremental mods of the same area....

In a sense, a road vehicle and personal mobility devises are easy... once the current one is selected... because they are not installed. I certainly don't want to be wasteful... can't afford to be wasteful... but swapping a scooter for a PWC doesn't require demolition. The 4 door sedan I'm currently driving is paid for. My crystal ball seems to be cloudy about just when I need to make changes... not if...

Certainly no need to replace a paid for car if it still works for you, at least not until it doesn't... But it may come to a choice of making expensive mods to the existing car vs. replacing it, and that should be considered in terms of long-term planning - You might be able to get away with adding a heavy duty hitch and scooter carrier on the back of the sedan today for less than the cost of an adapted van, but would you be better off putting that money towards a van in terms of being able to deal with long term needs???

ex-Gooserider

[scootntootn]

And if you get a lift or other device to get the scooter or chair into the car, you can look at for instance scooters where you can turn the seat. Even my old scooter has that. But it of course adds weight, so it means using something to get it into the car. And it means lifting the legs enough to get each of them on to the footplate or floor as you turn the chair back.

[Scooterman]

It looks well made