Looking for the right wheelchair for you? We sat down with Kristin Pinter, Community Liaison and Marketer for Med Supply to answer 8 questions frequently asked about wheelchairs.
1. Can you explain the differences between these wheelchairs: standard, lightweight, ultra lightweight, and heavy duty?
Standard: Your typical wheelchair that you see every day, usually classified as an 18″ wheelchair by the width, 16″ for how narrow it’s going to be.
Lightweight: Almost a standard wheelchair, but a little bit lighter with the metal and other things it’s produced of.
Ultra lightweight: This is a specific wheelchair designed for higher functioning patients and also is sometimes used for athletic purposes
Heavy duty: Basically, it has to do with the weight capacity needed for the patient. Those are typically 250 pounds per patient and greater. Those you typically see over 20″, all the narrowness goes by the height of the seat. This measurement is typically from the patient’s knee to their hip and how they will sit comfortably in a wheelchair.
2. What do you offer outside of standard wheelchairs?
Bariatric Wheelchairs: We spoke about heavy duty wheelchairs earlier, this is for patients 300 pounds and greater.
Back supports: These come recommended by a physical therapist for patients that may have different diagnoses that they need more of a trunk support, back support, patients with a stroke or things of that sort where their back will need a little extra cushioning.
Seat cushions: Typically go with every wheelchair. There are some that we have special, cushions that are often referred to as “roho cushions” that have more of an air pressure so patients won’t contract pressure wounds. We have the standard cushions or the Roho cushions.
Other accessories: All of these are recommended by physical therapists if they see a need for it: You have anti-tippers where if a patient is likely to maybe tip back, things of that sort, they won’t fall back. Brake extensions, those are for patients that maybe have a weaker right or left side, or no movement on one side, if they need to reach over to grab the brakes there is a brake extension on the brakes. Leg rests come with it, those are typically recommended by physical therapists. Whether the patient needs elevating leg room, maybe due to a fracture, edema, things of that sort. But they typically come with just the standard swing-away (two foot rest pedals that swing up and out of the way of the chair), those are for basically every patient that needs their feet up and in a safe position.
3. Why choose a gel or foam seat cushion?
It all comes down to patient preference. Gel is usually the preferred option because it is slightly more comfortable and provides a more breathable surface. If the cushion needs to be purchased out of pockets the pricing is lower for foam however.
4. What’s the difference between a 16″ and 24″ wheelchair?
So the comparison of the width: 16″ are for generally smaller patients, say your grandmother who is 5’1″ and weighs 100 pounds, she isn’t going to want to get into anything bigger than a 16″ because it won’t be comfortable for her. We really do look at the patients height and weight to determine what is best suited. For somebody that is say 200 pounds, a 24″ chair is still too big because of the width of the seat, and can they maneuver something that big throughout their house. Generally a doorway is 32″, but on a 24″ wheelchair the wheels are a little bigger so it may be hard to maneuver through a home. That’s why a 16″ or 18″ wheelchair is the best fit for somebody below 250 pounds or below 6′ height.
5. How do you close a wheelchair?
The brakes can either be on or off, you pull up from the seat and the seat will then collapse both sides in.
6. How much space will my wheelchair take up in a vehicle?
Open, you obviously must be in a transport vehicle, like a van or things of that sort. But your normal car or SUV, I have a car and a 16″ or 18″ fits perfectly in the trunk of my work car. Anything else, once it’s folded your wheelchair will fit properly and efficiently into the back of any vehicle.
7. How much do different wheelchairs cost? You have the option to rent? Will insurance pay for my wheelchair?
The price range varies from as low as $250 to upwards of $3000. Med Supply does not offer rental options at this time. Our staff at Med Supply will work our hardest to try to utilize every patients insurance in an attempt to cover as much of the cost of the equipment as the patient’s insurance will allow.
8. Why choose a manual wheelchair over a power wheelchair?
The lack of battery in general (power wheelchairs require a new battery every 6 months to a year). Manual wheelchairs will be covered by insurance, the qualifications to get a power wheelchair you pretty much have to check every single box. Manual wheelchairs have many benefits, you can maneuver easily throughout your home depending on your house size. With power wheelchairs you don’t have to rely on somebody to push you around if you have some disabilities that may hinder you from being able to propel a wheelchair.
View our online selection of Wheelchairs and Accessories here.
Have more questions about wheelchairs, accessories or information? Email Med Supply.