Is Your Wheelchair the Right Fit?

Is your wheelchair the right size for you? Have you got a wheelchair that you fit in beautifully, like a glove? If you’re sitting in a wheelchair, and you might have bought one from some of the low-cost places, they’re pretty well one size fits all, but our bodies don’t all fit that same size. Having the right size wheelchair will mean a lot of difference for you in your level of function and reducing your risk of pressure injuries, and pain, and all those other things that come along with having the wrong size wheelchair. Getting a wheelchair measured up for you by a person who’s a health professional, means that you can have someone who can make sure you’ve got the right wheelchair set up for you, for the long-term. Sometimes people go and get their own wheelchairs, and buy them on the price point. But I’d caution you to really think about that, because a lot of people buy cheap wheelchairs, get them repaired and maintained over and over again, and it costs them a whole lot more.

So having a special service on your side, who knows wheelchairs well, is a great way to make sure you’re getting the right wheelchair. Now, wheelchairs can cost anything from about $500, like a manual wheelchair, about 5,000, $10,000. And then, you’ve got power wheelchairs could be 40, $45,000, those kinds of price points. They are expensive, but that’s why we would go through an agency like the NDIS, if you needed something like that, or other funding bodies to help you. But getting the right wheelchair means you get the function that you want. You’ll be able to push yourself around or move around the area where you live, so the right wheelchair is so critical. If you have gaps on either side of you, you’re going to lean to the side. If the seat’s too long, you’re going to sit like that, and you’re going to be at risk of pressure injuries. If your seat is too short, you’re not going to have enough support under your legs. If your foot propelling, you need to make sure your feet can move without causing pressure under your bony areas, so there are so many things to think about.

So if you are considering a wheelchair for yourself or for a loved one, get some help from people who know wheelchairs really well, and have someone on your side to help navigate this process of getting the right size wheelchair for you. It will make a world of difference. It’ll improve your function. It’ll improve your everyday living and your quality of life. It’ll empower you, and equip you to do all the things you want to do if you need a wheelchair to get around.