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Wheelchair Guide Tips
Getting A Used Wheelchair
Getting a used wheelchair doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not getting an old piece of equipment. In fact, it means you could receive some substantial cost savings on a quality product. However, with any used item, you’ll have to do some double-checking so that you know what you end up buying. Here are some pointers to help you out when you’re buying a used wheelchair.
Find a reliable source to make your purchase. Your local Muscular Dystrophy Association office will often keep members informed of available used wheelchair products via their newsletter or word of mouth.
Do your research. Do a comparison of a newer model to the older model wheelchair you are considering. Ask yourself if there is much difference between the newer model and the older model wheelchair and whether these differences are acceptable to you.
Check with your insurance company. It’s very likely your insurance company will cover a used wheelchair.
Inspect the used wheelchair to make sure it’s in good shape. If you’re buying from a private party, you can get a medical vendor to inspect the equipment for a fee or free of charge. If you’re buying from a vendor, check with previous customers to see if they have been satisfied with their purchase of a used wheelchair.
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Getting A Used Wheelchair
TheWheelchairSite.com Tip: The Wheelchair Site recommends getting a used wheelchair for its affordability. Used wheelchair buyers should check for any existing warranties or to negotiate one with a vendor if possible. Unfortunately, if you’re buying a used wheelchair from a private party, you don’t have any warranty protection.
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Advantages Of The Manual Wheelchair
If you’re considering a manual wheelchair, you’ll want to know what the advantages of getting one are. Here’s our list of what’s good about the manual wheelchair:
A manual wheelchair is lightweight and with the use of alloy material, getting lighter with the advancement of technology.
Your purchase costs and maintenance costs will be lower with a manual wheelchair than with a power wheelchair.
A manual wheelchair is more compact and quieter because you’re not dealing with a motor and its associated noise.
For slight movements, you’ll do better with a manual wheelchair than with most power wheelchair models.
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Types of Wheelchair Carriers
TheWheelchairSite.com Tip: Are you wondering about the current cost of a wheelchair carrier? TheWheelchairSite.com pegs the cost of wheelchair carriers between $350 and $1600 through online vendors. A bumper mounted wheelchair carrier tends to be more affordable; while motorized wheelchair carriers typically hit the top of that price range.
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Advantages of The Power Wheelchair
Some wheelchair users may prefer or need a power wheelchair. There are several advantages to owning a power wheelchair for those who need or want a little extra mobility assistance.
You can conserve your physical energy for other activities when you use a power wheelchair.
Going up hill is much easier and requires minimal exertion on your part with a power wheelchair.
Wheelchair users who decide to go with a power version will find carrying groceries and other items easier by having at least one free arm.
You don’t require any mobility assistance with a power wheelchair that you might if you had a manual one. For instance, when you travel long distances or steep inclines, the power wheelchair handles the movement for you.
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The Upside to Buying From Larger Wheelchair Manufacturers
TheWheelchairSite.com Tip: Before you buy, do your research. Learn about the advantages and disadvantages of specific wheelchair manufacturers, and about various types of wheelchairs, and which will best suit your needs. Wheelchair manufacturers provide models ranging from electric to manual wheelchairs, and from pediatric to all-terrain models.
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Types of Wheelchair Carriers
If you’re looking for wheelchair carriers to transport your wheelchair, you have several options to choose from:
Electric Wheelchair Carrier – The electric wheelchair carrier does the work for you by using an electric motor to lift, fold, and place the wheelchair into a compartment on top of your vehicle.
Bumper Mounted Wheelchair Carrier – More affordable than the electric wheelchair carrier, the bumper mounted wheelchair carrier attaches to the rear of your vehicle and can be used with a wheelchair cover to transport your wheelchair.
Hitch Mounted Wheelchair Carrier – The hitch mounted wheelchair carrier is a mid-range priced wheelchair carrier. These wheelchair carriers attach to a standard trailer hitch and allow you to place your wheelchair on a platform for secure storage.
Pick-up Wheelchair Carrier – A pick-up wheelchair carrier works with pick-up trucks and uses an electric lift to bring your wheelchair onto the bed of your pick-up truck.
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Wheelchair Rentals For Travel And Vacation
TheWheelchairSite.com Tip: Before renting a wheelchair, The Wheelchair Site recommends that you consider what you will use the rented equipment for. Many wheelchair rental outlets will offer a variety of manual wheelchairs, powerchairs, all-terrain models, and motorized scooters to suit different needs.
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The Upside to Buying From Larger Wheelchair Manufacturers
Choosing a wheelchair, like any other specialized piece of equipment, will require some in depth researching on your part. Before you purchase a wheelchair from any dealer, make sure you investigate the wheelchair manufacturers before you buy. Take a look at our guide to discerning between the larger wheelchair manufacturers.
The larger wheelchair and accessory manufacturers include Invacare, Everest & Jennings, Quickie, and Permobil.
When you’re dealing with a large company with considerable financial resources, it often means they have more money to spend on prototypes, research, and development than their smaller counterparts.
Larger companies have the budget to spend more on design. If the aesthetics of the chair are important to you, then this would be a consideration.
The larger companies have built up a reputation. Most products will be well made and you’ll know you’re dealing with a company that will likely be in business for years to come.
You’ll find product lines will be fairly comprehensive with a multitude of models and accessories to choose from.
You dealer will have more experience repairing a wheelchair from a major manufacturer.
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Advantages Of The Manual Wheelchair
TheWheelchairSite.com Tip: A major advantage of a manual wheelchair is that you're not limited to the capacity of a battery as you would be with a power wheelchair. Manual wheelchairs can save hundreds of dollar per year in battery replacement costs.
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The Downside to Buying From Larger Wheelchair Manufacturers
Though larger wheelchair manufacturers do come with a built-in reputation for making quality products, buying from them does come at a price – literally. If you want to know what the disadvantages are to buying from larger wheelchair manufacturers, read on:
The big name wheelchair manufacturers tend to sell their wheelchairs at a higher price in order to give dealers a bigger profit.
You may miss out on a wheelchair better suited to your needs. According to Choosing a Wheelchair by Gary Karp, Some folks in the rehabilitation industry believe the larger manufacturers don’t place enough emphasis on the individual. Conversely, you might find a smaller wheelchair manufacturer less concerned about selling volume than getting you the right wheelchair.
You may have a longer wait period to obtain your product with one of the larger wheelchair manufacturers than you would with a smaller wheelchair manufacturer.
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Five Good Things About Smaller Wheelchair Manufacturers
Smaller wheelchair manufacturers aren’t like the well-known wheelchair manufacturers in that they don’t have the marketing dollars to advertise their products. However, buying from an unknown company doesn’t mean you won’t find a quality wheelchair. Here are five good things about the smaller wheelchair manufacturers if you’re considering purchasing a product from them.
Smaller wheelchair manufacturers focus on making specialized and innovative merchandise. So if you’re looking for a wheelchair that is cutting edge or performs a specific function, buying from one of the smaller wheelchair manufacturers may be your best bet.
With the well-known wheelchair manufacturers, you’re getting a product as is. That’s not so with many of the smaller manufacturers. A lot of times, they will customize a wheelchair to your specific needs.
Delivery times can be shorter when you deal with a smaller wheelchair manufacturer. They don’t tend to have big production schedules for manufacturing.
Sometimes, pricing is more competitive with a smaller manufacturer than with a larger one.
The smaller companies often have a leadership that is passionate about their work and a willingness to give you individualized attention.
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Disadvantages To Buying From Smaller Wheelchair Manufacturers
Wheelchair manufacturers do offer a product for a niche market that the big names might not. However, you will encounter some disadvantages to shopping with the smaller wheelchair manufacturers. Here are some of the downsides:
Utilitarian design – Many of the smaller wheelchair manufacturers have products which have a very utilitarian design. Though they may work well for practical purposes, the appearance is not always a strong point.
Repair and service - Repair and service may be more difficult with smaller wheelchair manufacturers. This is something to find out ahead of time so you’ll know whether or not you can contend with repair and service difficulties down the road or how to plan for them.
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Wheelchair Rentals For Travel And Vacation
Wheelchair rentals are convenient for instances of travel or cases where you need a wheelchair on a temporary basis. Although renting a wheelchair is a temporary situation, you will need to make some considerations. Take a look at our tidbits for when you need wheelchair rentals.
When you’re traveling to a major amusement park, keep in mind that wheelchair rentals are available for your use. Some parks also offer electric convenience vehicles if powered mobility is a consideration.
Rental company policies vary, but you can expect to pay a lower fee rate per day when you rent long term.
Some companies which supply wheelchair rentals will drop off and pick up the equipment to your specific destination, whether it be your home, the hotel, or a cruise port.
You can take a scooter or wheelchair rental with you on a cruise ship if you want this option.
If you’re planning travel down the line, you can book in advance. Some wheelchair rental companies allow you to book a year ahead of time.
Verify how you’ll get charged and what the terms are. Some wheelchair rental companies charge rates based on a 24 hour period and will not charge your credit card until the day before you pick up the wheelchair, while other companies might charge your credit card up to a month in advance.
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Manual Wheelchairs, Power Wheelchairs, and Scooters
Making the decision on which wheelchair to get isn’t always an easy one. Before you even decide on a specific model, you have to know what type of wheelchair to get. Take a look some of the basics on manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs, and scooters.
Manual wheelchairs are suited for those who have lower spinal injuries or neuromuscular conditions affecting only the lower half of the body. If you have good upper body strength, consider the using manual wheelchairs.
Those with quadriplegic conditions will need power wheelchairs.
Scooters are a good option for those who only need occasional mobility assistance. Scooters tend to be a more socially accepted form of mobility assistance for some people as well.
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Wheelchair Travel: Salut, Aloha, Guten Morgen!
The last thing you need to worry about on your vacation abroad is wheelchair accessibility or wheelchair rentals if you're a part-time wheel chair user. You should be more concerned with:
• State Department advisories • Brushing up on your Russian • Packing suntan lotion • Choosing a bikini • Learning how to pick up cute locals in several languages
Luckily, you don't have to be concerned with wheel chairs on your trip. Or with the language barrier--tour guides on accessible tours are fluent in several tongues. But what are your travel options? Wheelchairs are welcome and wheelchair rentals are there for the asking in:
• Europe • Caribbean • South America • Middle East (isn't this supposed to be a relaxing trip?) • Australia • South African safaris (who's faster in your power chair, you or the gazelle?) • Asia (don't forget to remove your shoes in Japan and don't touch someone's head in Thailand)
Many of these trips are available through groups that cater to people in wheelchairs if you're not ready to travel on your own and need extra assistance.
Whether you're traveling solo or with a group, remember as your guide or the locals give you a hand that the most important things to remember, in any language and any country, are "Please" and "Thank You."
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Long-Distance Guardian Wheelchair and Scooter
You have to navigate the Washington Mall or the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport or the Appian Way...you're in for a long day's journey into night. You need a Sunrise Medical wheel chair, or a chair from one of the other wheel chair brands such as an Invacare wheel chair, that's built for stamina. Sunrise Medical is one of the oldest firms, and it's hard to argue with history.
The light Guardian Microlite Ruby can go the distance. Whether you're on that scenic tour into Rome, and all roads and wheelchairs lead there, or that Greyhound bus tour or airport dash, you can charge your chair through the joystick or the battery to keep on truckin'.
Don't forget the Microlite Garnet, a lightweight scooter that can also cruise along the base of the Great Wall of China. With a Sunrise Medical wheel chair, you can broaden your horizons and keep going till you're ready to stop for sushi in Tokyo. Finding wheelchair brands that you like and trust is a good feeling.
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Miss Wheelchair for Miss Wheelchair?
Beauty pageants—excuse us, scholarship competitions—get more elaborate every year. There are Miss and Ms. Wheelchair competitions and now it seems they have their own line of wheelchairs as well. Introducing the Miss Wheelchair brand, weighing 35 pounds, 20 inches tall, can carry up to 250 pounds! She wants to be a neurosurgeon and likes to crochet.
We're joking, there is no official Ms. Wheelchair America wheelchair brand. Contestants use wheel chair brands from a variety of wheelchair manufacturers, the top in the business, including:
• Quickie Sunrise Medical Wheel Chair • Electric Jazzy Wheelchair • Invacare Wheel Chair
And, although the Miss Universe and Miss America pageants swear, as does Donald Trump, that pageants are just scholarship competitions, the Ms. Wheelchair competition truly isn't a beauty pageant. That said, the winners are truly beautiful people. Maybe an official Miss Wheelchair brand isn't a far-fetched idea. How about a Junior Miss Wheelchair line for the winners of tomorrow?
