Loving my Freedom and Independence in my Powerchair…

Loving my Freedom and Independence in my Powerchair…

How about a Bank Holiday trip in a #Powerchair?  Tested by our very own Roger, the inspiration behind Branch Properties who says he is ‘Loving my freedom and independence, thanks to my powerlchair…!”  There’s no stopping Roger from enjoying a Bank Holiday trip in the sun, ready as you can see for all eventualities :0)

Roger in his Powerchair ready for off!
Roger in his Powerchair ready for off!

General Manager Fran Stone reports ‘We had the usual Monday catch-up (even though its Tuesday) about what we had all been doing over the weekend, and Roger’s reply was, ‘I went for a drive’, which was odd because he doesn’t have a car, but he laughed and added, ‘in my Power Chair.’ His Power chair is the Quantum which gives him the freedom he needs.

What does having the Power chair mean to you? I asked.

‘Think of staying in because you can’t go out and then think of going out just because you want to, and that’s it. A freedom I used to have, a right to roam and go where I like. It’s my legs. It’s given me a new world. I can go out for a long drive without getting exhausted. I think of it like my car, he added. It has to be registered with DVLA as a motor vehicle and I ride around in it, so for me, it’s akin to a sports car.’

Roger got his Powerchair through Motability as he was eligible for the mobility component of PIP,  which includes insurance and breakdown cover with wrap around insurance and peace of mind from @Motability. Good thing too, he added, because I broke down once. Luckily, ‘he told us,’ I was at the hospital when it happened, and two big burly ambulance men we managed to lift the chair  and  move it to a safe place.  The batteries in these chairs are very heavy!  Seems the gears locked up and it would not move. Roger explained that he called the Motability breakdown service @MotabilityOps and they sent a taxi for him and a lorry for the wheelchair and took them both home. Whilst the chair was in the garage getting repaired, he had a replacement chair whilst it was out of action  (not quite the super-duper model he was used to, but good enough.)

Rogers thoughts on his Powerchair! 

“The powerchair has great functionality he added, like a tilt function to make sure you sit back safely when in motion. It also has a recline function which means he can have a snooze on arrival if desired, and a rise function that means he is at head height with the gang when he’s out with others. Finally, the dealers say the battery can take you 25 miles, although I’ve not proved that, I have done 15 miles personally!

Charging is easy and quiet, which is a good thing as he charges it in his bedroom overnight.  Obviously it needs its own space for storage.

Roger in his wheelchair
Roger in his wheelchair

Because he didn’t always need a chair, Roger said it wasn’t an easy decision to make. He didn’t want to relinquish his mobility – use it or lose it – ‘I wanted to stay active for as long as possible,’ he said, ‘but it is a wonderful thing to have and I would suggest that if you still have some mobility, don’t wait because you can carry on walking and just use it for the longer, more difficult journeys. For me, when it became impossible to walk a distance outside where I live, it gave me a new lease on life. I’m independent again and I can go out on my own. On-line shopping is great but you don’t get the chance to drive round and choose what you like a basket on my knee.  People are always willing to help get things down from the shelf and the cashiers will away help to load your bag and hang it on the hook at the back of the power chair, so I can go shopping.

Where I live, I’m lucky. I live in a specially designed development that is fully wheelchair accessible throughout with lifts and automatic doors.  People are friendly and thoughtful and I can get round everywhere. Of course, there are problems when people park on the pavement or in some way block the pavement, and whilst the chair has fantastic maneuverability (mostly its fair to say, if you can walk through you can drive through.) Of course, I am totally reliant on drop curbs to get over the road and such, and for restaurants and everywhere to be fully accessible, but I fully recommend getting a wheelchair if it’s what you need. It’s a great addition to my family.

We hope you enjoyed this blog and look forward to hearing from you.  Are you thinking about switching soon, or if you have, how has your life changed since you got your wheel/powerchair?  Let us know your thoughts, we’d love to hear from you.

www.branchproperties.co.uk

Check if you are eligible here: https://www.gov.uk/dla-disability-living-allowance-benefit

This is the one Roger has: https://www.quantumrehab.co.uk/quantum-power-chairs/edge%203%20stretto.html

and for the full service check out https://www.motability.co.uk/

 

The Founder Sallie, with Dad, Roger
The Founder Sallie, with Dad, Roger