Wheelchair to replace McLaren Major?

[annie987]

My son is 5 1/2 and has had a Mclaren Major for a few years. At an appointment today we were told that they want to replace the buggy with a wheelchair. The appointment moved on and I forgot to ask any more.
We use the buggy mainly outside so surely a wheelchair will be much more difficult to use.
Is there a standard wheelchair model that is mostly given out like the Major seems to be the standard SN buggy? Just wondered so I could have a look before i ring them up. Thanks

The cheapest. it used to be an invacare blade plus, but probably PCT dependent.

They usually like to switch to wc at school age so that dc's are not infantilized by peers on school trips, even if just used outside. We kept the Major for home use, but I do agree that school children should be using age appropriate mobility aids in that environment.

We take our anti-tip wheels off (completely against the rules) as they make it a) impossible to walk and push without altering your gait significantly, and b) impossible to get up kerbs. Do try the proposed model first at a walk, rather than just getting ds to sit in it...

Yes, Invacare Blade here too... and we also took the anti tippers off! They are not as comfy as majors IMO as the don't give such high support and are totally upright, so rubbish if your child falls asleep, but they are more 'grown up.

We ended up buying a second hand Convaid Scout for day trips out for the above reasons.. (excellent buggies, and almost indestructible) and used one til DS2 was about 11 .

Definitely try pushing your DS before agreeing to any model!

watching with interest

we have an invacare & also ahd to take the tip bars off as impossible to push without walking as if you've shit yourself otherwise & gives you a back ache.
We have a couple of additions on ds2's that make it more dififcult to collapse but overall its been a good sturdy chair.
Got an assessment for a new chair nxt wk so may see whats on offer now.

We are doing this as well, although it was us that asked to move to the wheelchair. Far too many comments in front of (or TO) DS2 about being a baby or being far too old to be in a pushchair, and it just makes things stressful for us to have to keep deflecting comments when he doesn't understand why people are saying things. Plus we just feel that it's more appropriate at his age to use the wheelchair as opposed to the pushchair.

We also have the invacare blade model and I hate pushing it as it's handles are lower than the major, I can't get it up kerbs and am always stubbing my toes on the anti tip wheels. Didn't realise they could be removed, am going to do that.

I've also found it tough emotionally to be using one, and have used it less than I used the major. This has been good in some ways as it's pushed ds to walk a little more but in other ways it's meant I've had to do things like shopping or errands round town when DS is at school. These are my issues though and I need to get over them. Taking his WC to asda the other day would have been much less stressful than taking nothing (shudders at memory).

DS prefers the wheelchair as it seems more grown up to him.

We get less judgemental stares than we did with the major (which I had wrote a sign onto, we got so many looks and comments).

Yes, I think the judgemental stares tend to irritate me. At least this will be less of an issue. Not to mention that DH doesn't drive, so he was very uncomfortable taking DS2 anywhere as when he's on the bus there's the very real chance he'll be asked to collapse the Mac Major and he cannot cope with doing that and holding on to DS2 at the same time, (or putting it back up either) as DS2 is a runner and must be held on to at all times (in some way). The wheelchair means it's just not an issue - I don't think he minds waiting for the next bus if there is already a w/c in the w/c space, but I also don't think he has any issues insisting pushchairs in the w/c space are moved for DS2's w/c either. Added plus that he recognises a Mac Major (and is more alert for SN pushchairs) so he wouldn't insist if a SN pushchair was in the w/c space.

It's like a minefield either way, though, isn't it?

DS2 got his wheelchair recently, he is 4. We have an invacare action 3 which is similar to the blade plus. We took the anti tippers off too, glad we're not the only ones . I've found it so much better than a buggy and DS2 is so much more confident in the wheelchair. He used to try and hide in the buggy when other people talked to him and I think he was embarrassed to be in there . Also you can take wheelchairs places where buggies aren't allowed which is great, especially at school events. I used to try and avoid the headmaster and school secretary when I took my double buggy into the school hall (they expected me to leave it in the entrance and carry a 4 year old and a 1 year old) but with the wheelchair they wouldn't dare tell me to leave it somewhere.

As an aside - I'm well short so handle height isn't an issue for me, but you can order the blade with extra long handles for taller pushers - dh is a foot taller than me, so we discussed it, but as I was going to do the majority of the pushing we went for the standard height ones.

So, do ask about the extended handle options if you are on the tall side - no need to opt in for back ache!

madwoman i didn't know that!! Thank you so much - DH is quite tall, and I prefer handles higher up as well, so I will mention that when we go in.