Sadly my mum’s health has rapidly deteriorated and as a family we couldn’t cope with her at home so she is now living in a care home. I am not happy with the wheelchair she has been given and am happy to buy her a better one.
Any tips or advice on which type and where to buy. Mum doesn’t walk at all so may sit in the wheelchair for several hours a day. Her feel dangle in the current one and she looks betty uncomfortable generally in it.
Thank you in advance!
May be worth getting an occupational therapist to do a wheelchair assessment, Unfortunately waiting lists can be long if you can afford it maybe a private assessment would be quicker?
Hello Julezannie and welcome to the forum.
You are right to be concerned about your mother’s current wheelchair for a start her feet need to be supported, it can quickly become uncomfortable if one’s feet are dangling. Wheelchairs and indeed any seating is a much more complex area than many realise. Am I right to assume the care home has provided her current wheelchair because it sounds like it is one they just had in the home. From what you write I think she needs a proper assessment by your local wheelchair service and that they will probably be able to provide an appropriate chair for her use in the home. The rules changed some years ago and in some circumstances the care home has to provide the chair but it sounds to me that your mother is likely to be eligible for one to be provided. Most areas provide their own guides on this issue, but since I don’t know where in the country you are I’ve copied a link for one that happened to be top of the list to give you some idea which happens to be Croydon.
If you are still interested in buying your own again there are lots of guides and this link is for just one example
For what it’s worth I would encourage you to find out where you stand regarding an assessment by your local wheelchair service before buying one when even if it is the care home’s responsibility to provide the whee.chair service should be able to recommend what they should buy
I hope this helps.
Tot
Thank you so much
I will read up those guides
My mum is in Warwickshire near Stratford upwind Avon and she has been referred for a wheelchair assessment but it is taking a long time 
you are very welcome. I should have added this yesterday but better late than never. In the meantime if it is a care home wheelchair, please ask them to adjust the footplates so her feet are supported which will make her feel more comfortable. If the wheelchair doesn’t have footplates or both feet are balanced on one - you would be shocked to see how common this is - get the home to sort this out. She should also be sitting on a cushion and the seat and back canvas should be taut, both can sag with use and should be replaced, although a cushion will help and you can get stretcher bars that fit between the two handles which are tightened to push the handles out thereby making the back canvas a bit more taut. Even in hospitals equipment is often not regularly checked and wheelchairs being used without cushions or footplates (or that have only one footplate) is very common. As your mother seems to be using her wheelchair for some hours a day and especially because the referral to the wheelchair service is taking some time, these things need to be addressed. Your mother will look and feel much more comfortable and be more supported than at present; this may be enough to keep her going until the wheelchair assessment comes through, I hope she doesn’t have to wait too long.
Tot
My mother was in the same situation as yours a few years ago. we’ve tried several wheelchairs, but none of the one I bought was of good enough quality. I was done with it all, so I bought her an electric wheelchair which turned out to be a great decision, It fit’s her perfectly and she can enjoy a lot of things with us. The only downside is that it costs a little more