I'VE GOT ME SOME POWER
Apr 10 '06
The Bottom Line I think if you need it, it will give you a new lease on life. It will help if you have a van to transport it with.
You heard me. I have a new Quicke Power Chair which runs on batteries and carries me almost anywhere I want to go except up and down stairs.
WHY
Well, briefly, about ten years ago I had a knee replacement. Somehow or other before the incision healed, I was walking out to the kitchen and fainted. The fall opened up the incision. When the doctor went to reclose the cut, he saw that the patella tendon had snapped. It took quite a while to reanchor the tendon, and during the procedure my kneecap slipped. If it is still on my knee at all, I can't find it, which means that sometimes my knee will simply give way.
After a few years my other knee has started to act up. This osteo-arthritus stuff isn't a whole lot of fun. I resisted using a cane for a long time. The doctor wanted me to use a walker full time, (at one time I had three walkers in my possession; two given to me and one for my husband)I told the doctors I probably would not use them, and, truly, I only did for a couple of days after surgeries.
I have finally settled for a cane, though, especially when I go out of the house. Now, because it worries my daughter when I don't carry it, I carry it around with me most of the time.
My doctor has again suggested that I get a power chair to save my "good" leg as long as possible. I have put it off, yet when I see these old folks zipping around with their power chairs on TV, it looked like fun. I agreed to see about getting the chair.
PRE ORDERING
I had a reason for putting off the chair. I may look clumsy when I walk or limp, and I might even grunt, and groan and cuss about the pain, but there is something to be said about being independent and as free from the signs of being handicapped as much as possible.
It has taken me a long time to realize that I am not fooling anyone, and we are all better off if I use a cane or any device that will help me keep my balance.
A note to young Epinionaters
If your parents or grandparents demur against using every device recommended for them, or if they don't want to daily take the forty-eleven pills doled out twice a day, please don't think of them as being stubborn or mule headed. They are only trying to retain a bit of independence, and trying hard not to give in to that old age bug that bites them when they least expect it.
One day you, too, will look in the mirror and suddenly realize there is an old lady or an old man looking back at you. You will be shocked, and wonder just where in theexpletive did that old timer come from. Of course, we all know it hasn't happened to me yet. (smile)
Anyway, before I ordered a new little chair run around, I decided to test out the ones they put out for customers in grocery stores again. My son asked me to go along with Leigh Ann, Emily and him to Sam's. As we were looking for the standard chair, a store emplyee came in with a new one. "Here", he smiled. "Take this one">
Let me say right here, that this baby didn't operate like the ones at Walmart, or Krogers or Buy Right. This one was new and ready to roll.
To begin with, it started so fast that I left Terry and his family in the lurch. I was halfway through the store before they realized I was no longer with them. If you push the lever toward the green button lights, you go forward. If you push the lever toward the yellow ones, you go backward. You steer by turning the lever by hand. I knew there had to be a brake, but I thought I would find it as I rode along.
After all, I have driven a car for years in all kinds of traffic. I even drove in Boston when my youngest daughter lived there; and if you can drive in Boston you can drive any where. It is only a teeny shade slower in Tennessee, except in Tennessee you don't get the finger signals that the Boston speed bugs give you - some of whom are out of their teens and should know better.
Well, anyway, on my cart I came to an aisle that looked interesting and turned down it. I knew I was going a bit too fast, and I looked for the brake. I pressed down with my feet, but there was no brake there. I pressed down with the steering lever, but the cart went faster. I saw a woman glance up at me, and then deliberately bend over the counter leaving her back side directly in my passage way.
"I don't know how to stop", I called out. "Get out of the way". I swerved and missed her barely, and negotiated a turn out into the next aisle. Fortunately, there were no human casulties except for my son who looked like he was about to have a heart attack although he was laughing.
"You should have yelled Hee haw" he said. The counter that I ran into that stopped me was one of those counters with sides that they display merchandise on.
About a dozen shirts went flying to the floor, and Terry and Emily and Leigh Ann sort of apologetically picked them up for me. I learned then that what I should have done was take my hand off the lever. The lighter the pressure, the slower you go. Harder pressure makes it go faster, and no pressure stops it right away. Live and Learn.
HOW
If your parent or grandparent is on Social Security and feel they would benefit from such a product, the first thing to do is to get a prescription from your doctor saying it is needed. Then you go to the store of your choice and see if they will work with you. There are several stores that carry these chairs and scooters. In fact, my doctor recommended "Scooters", although not a scooter for me because they have no balance wheels and can result in serious injuries if they fall sideways. We chose the Quicke chair because the carrier is closest to our home.
I am glad we did because they have been most helpful. First they sent the young sales lady to our home with a floor model. This young woman was charming. She was friendly and funny, and our two Labs fell in love with her. She seemed to be pretty favorably impressed with them, also.
It was Amy's job to determine if I would be capable of handling such a device, and if our house and rooms and furniture and doors would be able to accomodatre it. I could, and our house was O.K. She took the necessary papers for medicare and my supplementary insurance and the Doctor's prescription with her. The company filed the paper work, and within two days they called us and told us they would be bringing me the chair. The man was most helpful as well. He explained all the fine points of the chair, and told me just what to expect if I used it out doors or in. He saw that it "fit" me.
The chair is upholstered in a pretty grey-blue fabric and in what looks like a blue leather. It has two large drum driving wheels, and a two wheel forks front and back for steering.The fenders and the batteries are bright red. It can spin in a tight circle which is not only fun, but very handy. It takes two deep cycle batteries to operate the chair. The battery charger is on board, 24AMP.
It can go (I think) about ten miles per hour at top speed.
You can adjust the speed easily on the control panel. That is on the arm rest with a joy stick. There is a button that rings a little bell which is supposed to act as a horn. Our dogs don't pay much attention to it. One of these days I will probably get the tip of a tail, which should get their attention - although they will reproach me with their eyes for weeks every time they see me coming in my chair.
The chair can go for 25 miles without being recharged. It is recommended that you keep it plugged in when not in use. I don't use it all the time, for I want to keep the muscles working in my legs as strong as possible for as long as possible.
Of course, I am discussing the chair from the Senior point of view. Many younger people use the chair as well. Those that, for some reason or another, have trouble with their legs find it far more helpful then an actual wheel chair which they feel draws more attention to disabilities then does the power chair. The Quicke actually resembles an office chair or a computer chair. If you need it, it can be reclined, and a seat belt is available.
If you send back the registration slip for your chair, the Sunrise people will send out a repair person in case you have any trouble with it. There is no charge for this. I am glad for the service, because the chair weighs 191 lbs. which is a bit too heavy to carry back to the store. Actually, we cannot take the chair outside unless we buy or build a ramp. Terry has promised to build me one when he has time. It is just one of the bugs we will have to work out.
The chair costs over $5,000. Medicare pays all but about $1,400 of it, and my supplementary insurance is supposed to pay 80 per cent of what Medicare doesn't pay. We haven't heard from Aetna yet, although Medicare sent a notice that they had paid their share. That should leave me about $75 to pay, which isn't bad at all.
Thank you for reading this.
Virginia
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Epinions.com ID:
Granniemose
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Member: Virginia
Location: Greenest spot in the land of the free
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About Me:
I'm back. Waiting for Lorace to give me another piece of poetry
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