Manual wheelchairs

Brendan4285
Brendan4285on Thursday, December 23 2021
13 Comments

Greetings. 

My sister (66yo) is in a nursing home in SEQld following a stroke in March 2020. There is no movement in her right arm, very limited movement in her right leg. Mobility suppliers have assisted with short trials (less than 30 mins) of two wheelchairs - a push/pull lever drive type and a one arm drive (two rings on the left wheel with cross shaft). Her OT recommends the latter as the best long term choice while my sister prefers the lever drive. New cost is around $4k for both designs. Neither supplier is able to provide a loan or hire unit for a longer trial, say 1 week, prior to making a commitment.   

Can anyone suggest a firm which hires these wheelchair types? Or a source for used wheelchairs? 

13 Responses

Hi Brendan

Jude from StrokeLine here. Our occupational therapist will be back on board soon, I will get her to reply to your post with some advice.

You can call if needed in the meantime 1800 787 653 Mon - Friday 9 - 5 AEST. 

Best, Jude

First try signing her to NDIS , secondly with los to one arm , then forget about a manual wheel chair , she needs an electric one with the controls on the right 

Thanks Gary. As noted, sister is 66. Our advice was that NDIS isn't available after age 65, and no applications after age 64. She has tried manual and electric wheelchairs (electric with controls on the left), her preference is to go manual.  

Hi Brendan,

Thanks for reaching out on EnableMe and sharing your sister’s stroke journey. It’s great to hear that she was able to try the two wheelchairs recommended by her Occupational Therapist (OT), and decide on a preference.

There are a number of providers who facilitate Dual Rim One Arm Drive Wheelchair hire (and purchase) in South East Queensland, however stock at some suppliers has been limited due to the current Covid-19 climate. These suppliers have stock for both hire and purchase:

For eligible Queenslanders, wheelchair subsidy funding is available through the Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme (MASS). Through this scheme, you may also be able to access the MASS stock equipment for up to 2 weeks trial. Full details of the scheme, contact details and the required application form can be found here: https://www.health.qld.gov.au/mass/prescribe/mobility

Another hire option is through The Australian Red Cross, who helps Queenslanders stay mobile by offering affordable and reliable mobility aids from locations across Brisbane, Gold Coast and regional Queensland:  https://www.redcross.org.au/support-us/red-cross-shops/mobility-equipment-hire

If you would like to talk with one of our friendly Allied Health Professionals about this further, please contact the team here at StrokeLine on 1800 787 653 or email strokeline@strokefoundation.org.au. Our operating hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm AEST.

With kind regards,

Leah, StrokeLine

Hi Leah, 

Thank you for your advice and links. We will follow up and keep you updated. 

Regards, Brendan 

Wheelchairs and mobility scooters are a great source for seniorfitness. This is why manual wheelchairs are necessary.

Hio Brendan you sound like me , with no movement in you right side , yes I have good and bad news , yes a wheel chairs arte avaiable for one handed operation , the have a push/mull mechanism with steering , bad news is there price it cost me $4,000  to get for a manual chair and they are for use in the nursing ho9me but in the street there dangerous , only on level flat ground , I got mine thru aidacare who sell them , only good part is the inflatable seat which I must have .

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