Mobility aids - choosing the right equipment

There are many kinds of mobility aids available to consumers with varying degrees of mobility problems. It is important that you choose the right equipment for your needs now, and into the future.

A mobility aid can be as simple as a walking stick or even a shopping trolley that has a little bit more reinforcement than a regular one – and there needn’t be a stigma associated with using one either.

Anything that provides a little extra help, and enables the user to extend their own mobility one step further should be welcomed, although the less intrusive the solution is, the better.

Sometimes there is no choice but to opt for something that is more obviously a mobility aid – wheelchairs being an example – but even here there is so much scope for personalization and extension that they will quickly become part of everyday life.

      Mobility Aids

Mobility Aids are not just about finding a way from getting from point A to point B. They can also be about extending ones freedom in other ways; daily aids represent a set of devices which help those with disabilities or mobility restrictions to perform daily tasks.

Linked to other, more obvious mobility aids such as wheel chairs, are transfer aids. These devices help the user transfer from one position or location to another – getting out of a car, and into a wheelchair, getting up from a comfortable chair, perhaps in order to employ another device such as a walker or powered chair.

Then there are a range of daily aids which can help improve the mobility of the user in areas such as eating, dressing, and even reaching for items without the need to get up.

More obvious mobility aids are concerned with giving the user some additional freedom of movement, either indoors or outdoors, and therefore independence. These include wheel chairs, both manual and powered, mobility scooters, and lightweight walking aids.

      Assistive Furniture

Some mobility aids fall into the category known as assistive furniture, which covers tradntional furniture that has been modified to provide some additional help to the mobility impaired.

For example, one of the more modern mobility aids is the stair lift, designed to lift the user up the stairs on a small platform, or in a chair. The principle is very simple, a rail is installed then runs up one side of the staircase, turns at the top and bottom (to avoid parking where people might want to walk), and has the ability to lift a person.

There are also a range of chairs designed to lift up and help the user to stand, in order to transfer to another mobility aid, such as a wheel chair or walker.

      Walking Aids

Among the simplest mobility aids are walkers and sticks. A walker can be as simple as a frame with, or without wheels, which is used to support the user as they walk around. The former, known as a rollator, can have either three or four wheels, and come in a wide variety of styles.

They can be used indoors, and in some cases outdoors, although unless the terrain outside is very flat and unforgiving, it might be easier to use a lightweight manual wheel chair or even an electric scooter designed for shopping trips.

When choosing from a selection of rollators, it is important to realize that the user might have certain requirements which need more specialized solutions. There are, for example, pediatric rollators which offer some child-specific safety features, and 6 wheeled variations which are more directly supportive to the user.

For those who have very little need of mobility help there are also a variety of different styles of traditional walking stick. There can be some resistance to accepting such a device at first, but they also double up as anything from a portable seat to an umbrella.

      Wheelchairs

Wheelchairs come in two categories – manual wheel chairs, and powered wheel chairs. Powered wheel chairs contain an electric motor and battery, which is rechargeable from regular mains power.

While manual wheel chairs tend to be reasonably simple mobility aids, there are a few aspects to consider when choosing one. In particular, if it is to be used as an occasional aid, then it is possible to find a lightweight model  that can fold away, but if it is a daily aid, then the chances are good that something more robust will be required.

Electric wheelchairs are more likely to be daily aids than something that is used occasionally. As such, they are usually fairly robust, however they do come in different varieties.

It is important to choose a chair which will cope with all terrain types, and will be able to do enough miles on a single charge of the battery to avoid being stranded in the middle of a shopping trip.

The electric wheelchair control method is also important, since you need to be sure that the exact disability of the user is being catered for. Some quadriplegic users, for example, will require a control method that uses chin movements.

Finally, whichever type of chair is chosen, it has to fit the indoor, outdoor, and transportation environments in which it will be used; which means paying attention to how the user will transfer in and out of the chair, as well as how easy it is to move inside the house.

Mobility Scooters

Mobility scooters are designed with a slightly different brief to the powered wheel chair, but offer better mobility for those who can partially support themselves.

They tend to have less specific disability features, and are usually aimed at those with mild mobility problems, such as not being able to walk great distances, rather than those whose disability prevents them from being able to move in a conventional manner.

They come in all shapes, sizes, and budgets. Choosing one can be tricky, and it is important to bear in mind that the two deciding factors – terrain suitability and autonomy – will also play a part in deciding the eventual price.

One should aim for as much comfort as is needed, with a scooter that is matched to the type of terrain. This might mean, for example, that suspension is required so that the user is not thrown out of the vehicle when it hits an uneven patch.

Finally, as with powered wheel chairs, it is important to be sure that the distance that can be covered between charges matches with the amount of distance that will need to be covered. Typically, a scooter should be able to run for 20 to 30 miles without being recharged; any more than this an a car should be considered.

      Accessories

Finally, once you have chosen your mobility aid, it will usually be necessary to pick up some accessories to help integrate your new purchase with your existing environment.

This might include selecting from the variety of wheelchair lifts or wheelchair ramps that are available to help get your chair from ground level into your house or car.