Mobility advice

looksee

I wonder if anyone will be able to give me an advice or suggestions. My husband is getting to the stage where he cannot easily walk any distance (CLD). He is fine around the house but we are increasingly restricted to only going places where he can just sit in the car. He can walk very slowly but has to stop frequently to get his breath.

I am wondering about getting a motor assisted wheelchair or scooter, but it would have to be something that I could lift into a car. Our car would easily take a folded wheelchair in the back seat area, but I doubt it would take any sort of scooter. He is not likely to be very receptive to this idea so I want to have the answers ready before bringing the subject up

Can anyone offer any suggestions or things to be aware of when looking at wheelchairs and scooters, and where is the best place to go in Ireland? It does not look as though there is very much choice.

Thanks for your help.

SerialComplaint

Maybe you could start out going to some places that have the scooters available for loan, such as the Dundrum Town Centre. See how he gets on with that before making any big decisions.

looksee

Thanks for the suggestion, but though shopping centres have them, his interest in shopping centres would be somewhere below zero . There is nowhere round here that does hiring on a 'casual day trip' basis. There is one place that rents them but you have to book in advance and its not very handy for occasional trips.

SerialComplaint

Dundrum wouldn't be my favourite place to hang out either, but it does have more than just shops - cinema, theatre, bars, restaurant, medical services, VEC offices etc etc.

snorlax

does he use any other mobility device at present such as a rollator? get advice from your physio regarding his exercise needs/ a device.

looksee

snorlax wrote: »

does he use any other mobility device at present such as a rollator? get advice from your physio regarding his exercise needs/ a device.

Physio? Rollator? Exercise? No chance. No, this is a situation where I am at this stage more concerned about just getting out and doing more than sit in the car. He probably would not be willing even to use a wheelchair unless we were away from home, no chance he would go out in our local town in it.

Please don't tell me he should get exercise, I know. This has been coming on for a long time and nothing is likely to change. He can get around the house and for short distances fine, but can't keep it up for long.

The wheelchair thing is going to have to be approached very carefully, I just want to be ready to go when/if he agrees.

snorlax

I would contact your GP for a referral to your primary care team..they will assess and treat your husband.