Hire a wheelchair

[timeistight]

We need to get MIL to the hospital for an ECG. She has dementia, is housebound and virtually immobile, so getting her there is a problem. The last time we tried hospital transport, explained the situation (housebound for years, virtually immobile, dementia, severe osteoporosis, flight of steps etc etc) and to our horror they sent a taxi!

She won't use a wheelchair, says she would be in too much pain, but it would the only hope we have of getting her out of the house.

Does anyone know how we might be able to borrow or hire one on a short term basis?

In some local areas British Red Cross will help with this. You can also try googling for a local mobility shop that does hire.

I think that the redcross hire them , you may have to go and collect it and make a small donation

I looked into this previously but ended up buying a new one from ebay for £80

My father is immobile and more hands equals light work

We got something like this:

www.lloydspharmacy.com/en/betterlife-travelite-wheelchair-plus-carry-bag

Or perhaps the model up.

Of course my mum does not need a wheelchair. But it is in the back of the car and when faced with actually walking she will agree to the "would you like to use the wheelchair? Just this once. It looks like a very steep slope" or similar.

Some taxi companies have wheelchair access vehicles if you can borrow one. I would also ring PALS at the hospital and ask for chair transport to be arranged, she probably won't be able to go on a stretcher as they don't fit in the clinic areas and with hospital transport you can't guarantee what time they will be there and they often have to pick several people up en route. Can you ask if she could have the ecg done at her GP if that's easier.

We can’t risk hospital transport again. A wheelchair is the only answer, so we’ll try the Red Cross. Thanks.

This is an ECG for the Memory Service, so it has to be done at the hospital apparently. As it happens, because she is housebound and the GP won’t go out to her because she is not an emergency, she hasn’t seen him for nearly five years, with the result that she is in a poor condition physically as well as mentally. We’re just waiting for the PoA to come through so we can change her GP.

Hi
Have you checked any local shops providing equipment for people with disabilities to see if they hire out folding wheelchairs?

I investigated this earlier this year when PILs were coming to stay because MIL has dementia and various other health problems which mean she can't walk far. We wanted to take them out and about a bit while they were staying and thought a wheelchair for MIL would be a good solution.

We live in a small town but even so I found two places that would rent us a wheelchair for the period we needed for £5 a day.

Unfortunately when we mentioned it to FIL he wouldn't hear of it and insisted MIL wouldn't like it. The one time we tried to take them anywhere she was exhausted very quickly and so we just ended up getting the car and going home. Sigh.

Check out Shopmobility, some of their services offer wheelchair hire for a certain cost per week or as others have said Red Cross or if you have a local freebie fb page put a request up on it and you may get one

Also for transport wise I know you might be planning a car trip, are you OK with helping her in and out and with lifting wheelchair yourself?

If you check out your area if it has a local dial a ride scheme or similar names to that, with a wheelchair she can stay in it instead of having to get in and out of a car and you can go as a companion passenger they are also a lot cheaper than the taxi option in my experience,

For me to go to my local big town by taxi (not wheelchair taxi unless really stuck cos they charge a 1.5 fare basic) costs approx £18 and in wheelchair taxi costs approx £25 one way - the same journey which i need to prebook with local transport scheme has a wheelchair accessable vehicle and lift on the back so can stay in chair £4 return - in milage its 13 miles each way

Thanks all, MIL has now been assessed by a specialist mental health OT, who has agreed to provide a wheelchair.

DH and his sister will have to figure out transfer between them.