[Blind-rollers] broken down power chair

[Marlana]

So sorry you are having to get your power chair repaired. I hope you get it up and running quickly and you have lots of support in the meantime.

I'm a high partial and use a manual chair right now and am currently waiting for a power chair. I'm hoping to start O&M in Sept with the Oregon Commission for the Blind. I will have two instructors who have promised me that it is very possible to be independent in both a manual chair and a power chair. I'm both excited and nervous to learn how that all works. 

They say that wiht a power chair I will be using a much longer striaght cane with a large softball-size rolling tip on the end. I'll use a large contuous arch, no tapping, and the arch has to be large enough to cover both sides of the chair, to be sure I don't run off the side of the sidewalk.  I cannot figure out how this will all work with a manual chair. 

As far as funding for the chairs. Medicare does cover wheelchairs when they are prescribed and considered medically necessary. It is a process and takes two or three months. Even with that coverage I still ended up paying a couple of hundred for the manual chair. I will end up paying about $70 a month for about ten months for the power chair. 

So, you may need to jump through some hoops to get it paid for, but if you need it, you should nave any trouble getting a doctor to say you need it. 

Hope this helps.

Marlana




Original message
From: "Danielle Antoine via Blind-rollers" <blind-rollers at nfbnet.org>
To: orleans24 at comcast.net; blind-rollers at nfbnet.org; 
Dated: 8/7/2014 9:04:38 PM
Subject: Re: [Blind-rollers] broken down power chair

Hi Bibi and all,

I'd like to know how you all went about getting your chairs and paying
for them power or otherwise? While I can walk, I do tire easily
especially when standing for 10 minutes or more in one place or about
after an hour of walking. And I do experience pain in my hips and
knees as well. So much so that I go home and sleep for hours. I went
to a local dealer of scooters and wheelchairs and they wouldn't even
sit me down and give me measurements, saying something about being
processed. I'd have no problem buying my own equipment though it would
take a while as I am unemployed. I hope you get your chair back soon.
Also, are there any totals using scooters and if so how and what kind?
Is it even possible for a total to use a manual chair independently?

TIA,
Danielle

On 8/7/14, Criminal Justice Major Extraordinaire via Blind-rollers
<blind-rollers at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hi, all,
> Sub says it all.
> I know it's been a while since I last wrote, but felt I didn't have a lot to
> contribute to the group.
> Well... My power chair broke down on me while I was out and about
> yesterday.
> I knew for a fact I had the batteries fully charged and they were good.
> The mechanic had to come to the location I was broken down out and quickly
> spoted the problem.
> I ended up having a falty motor wire that was coming apart.
> He put some tape on it for the time being until I was able to get home.
> So tomorrow, the mechanic will be picking up my power wheelchair to take to
> the shop for immediately repair and hopefully, they will have a loaner one
> for me to use.
> I'll miss my quantum 610 for a while as I really enjoy using it for stayin
> independent.
> Still, I'm thankful it will be getting fixed and eventually, I'll have it
> back soon.
> One thing I do hope is that my gel batteries don't get removed as they are
> way better than the ones that end up being put into the chair as battery
> replacements.
> I hope I don't sound like a whiner, just really needed to bent so the
> frustration would leave me.
> I ended up taking a good nap earlier this evening, but hope I can get back
> to sleep so I will be ready for tomorrow.
> I will need some aditional instructions with the loaner chair so I know what
> to do and where things are.
> Bibi and MAR son Odie
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