Wheel Chair Ramp

Power Wheel Chairs

If mobility is your primary focus, power wheel chairs offer unprecedented freedom. But a power wheel chair can have drawbacks. Make sure you do your research before you buy.

Power Wheel Chairs

As the baby boomers get older but are still wanting and in some cases needing to remain independent, power wheel chairs can be the answer for them. Power wheel chairs are also almost a necessisity when you buying for or are dealing with a person who has limited upper body strength such as an older person, or someone who has suffered a head, neck or spinal cord injury.

Power wheel chairs are driven with a joy stick, which again aids people with limited mobility. It is powered with a battery that is recharged by simply plugging it in as you would your cell phone. You can recharge your power wheel chair battery either inside your home, or out in the garage. This is very handy especially if you primarily use your power wheel chair outside.

Either gears or belts or sometimes both are used to propel a power wheel chair. Gears are the lower maintenance of the two, but wear out more quickly and are quite noisy when they are wearing out. Belt driven power wheel chairs are quieter to drive, but they are higher maintenance.

Considerations to take into account when looking to buy a power wheel chair are where you will primarily be using it.

• Inside at grocery stores and/or malls
• Inside on linoleum, tile, or hardwood floors
• Inside on carpeted floors
• Outside climbing gentle slopes
• Outside climbing steep slopes
• Outside on paved areas
• Outside on graveled areas
• Outside on dry grass
• Outside on dry dirt paths

After you determine where you will be using your power wheel chair most frequently, now you can begin to look at the wide array of accessories that you can purchase to make your power wheel chair not only as comfortable as possible, but also as safe as possible for wherever you go in your power wheel chair. Here are a few of the accessories you may find.

• Wheel chair cushions
• Wheel chair baskets and/or ‘backpack’
• Cane or crutches holder
• Oxygen tank holder
• Cup holder
• Lap belt
• Rear view mirror
• Safety flag

Remember, to try out any power wheel chair before buying it to ensure you are buying exactly what you want and need.