Would my husband be able to use an electric wheelchiar? He has Parkinson’s Disease Dementia. He is between stage 4 and 5 PD. Dementia is mild. He currently walks with a zimmer frame. His mobility is worsening rapidly. I wanted him to have some independence and thought an electric wheelchair might be the answer. I don’t want to spend around £1,000 only to find he either cannot manage it or he can but only for a very short time. I know everyone is different, but I thought it might help me to hear from forum members. Thank you in advance. C
Hi Carol99 … I would imagine that you can hire / rent one to see if he gets on with it.
Best wishes
Steve2
Contact your local Occupational Therapy community service. They will be able to assess your husbands needs and provide guideance about the best way to deal with his problems.
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Good idea PeteT … Probably go through your GP [I did] or phone direct. They may
have something you can borrow or know good outlets locally.
Best of luck
Steve2
Hello Carol99
You will need to check out the local referral process but I suggest your husband has an assessment by your local wheelchair service; even if he doesn’t qualify for provision of a powered chair you should have a better understanding of how viable that option is before spending your money should you choose to go ahead privately and give you some pointers as to what sort of features you would need to consider.
Tot
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Hello Carol,
A lot of the electric wheelchairs & lightweight folding power chairs, can have an attendant controll as an accessory. Some are physically fitted on the push bar on the back of the chair and some work through an app on a mobile phone which gives you full control of the chair. It sounds a bit of a gimick but does mean that once in bed for example I can drive my powerchair to the corner of the room so it is out of the way. Equally I can drive it back to me, though an empty chair moving on its own does spook my dog.
There are a lot of good mobility companies around and as already said in another reply it is possible to hire these on a short term usually weekly or longer term basis. If wheelchair service can not help ask around locally for the name of reliable mobility shops. The good ones will normally offer a home visit and assessment free of charge to ensure that you get a chair that you are both happy with and to suggest any adsptions your home may require. They will make sure that you have the best battery for your needs as there are limits on the batteries output if you are flying and the right dimensions for getting around your home and if you cruise the dimensions do not exceed the maximum permitted.
Best wishes John 
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Yeah you can go in or they will come to your house and show you and demonstrate different scooters small and big fold up ones to go in boot of car.And if you want brand new one, you can use mobility allowance
Hello
My husband with Parkinsons Disease has an electric wheelchair supplied by the nhs. He has had failed orthopeadic operations causing him to be unable to stand. I don’t know what the criteria is to have a nhs supply one or indeed if this is the same throughout the UK. It was our GP that referred my husband to the nhs wheelchair service.
My husband (81) does not have dementia and generally gets on with the electric wheelchair well, although doorways in the house are scratched and hit and all furniture is pushed to the walls, carpets are ruined as are kitchen cabinets and furniture edges.
He doesn’t like taking it outside very much (other than the garden) because the controls are a joystick which responds too quickly to pavement bumps and holes, quicker than he can respond to rectify himself. If the camber tilts on a pavement he feels off balance easily. This is an internal feeling as opposed to him actually becoming unbalanced.
Good luck, hope you are successful.
If your husband is in receipt of DLA /PIP
speak to motability