I was reading about ways to help us garden out on the web, much of it was similar to previous conversations we've had. One suggestion I found makes good sense. Put a good whistle on a lanyard around your neck or on a coil bracelet on your wrist if you are going to be outside working in the garden alone. If you should fall, you can use the whistle to attract attention. I rarely remember to take the cellphone, or I leave it on the patio when I'm on the other side of the house. I'm going to pick one up at the store next time I'm there.
a great idea
Cathy, my wheelchair and I have gotten stuck on the edge between the patio and the lawn so many times I don't dare go out alone. x, Carrie
Carrie, that is the pits.
I know.
I'm in the same boat because my new wheelchair gets stuck daily. I've been lucky so far to have help at hand but I already know there are going to be some awful times ahead. That's an excellent idea Cathy.
Oh, Twiggy, stay tuned, we'll figure this out together. xx, Carrie
I used to be a RN medical case Manager, and there are wheelchair tires made for yards, gravel etc. kind of like a dirt bike vs a street bike. Please check into that.
Sheri
Birdie - since the A.D.A. I have s-l-o-w-l-y been noticing more W/C accessible beaches, with beach wheelchairs with big dune buggy tires, but I had no idea they were available to individual consumers!
Oh my goodness YES...I was getting them for my insurred clients 10 years ago, so I'm sure they must still be available. I don't know if I still have any of my DME contacts even in file cabinets, but I will check...in the meantime, I would suggest contacting your DME providor or your insurance co or whatever representative you may have.
Your wheelchair is supposed to be built to work best for YOUR lifestyle and if you spend a lot of time outside, then it should have different options build onto it. The downside, if I remember is that the outdoor tires are not as "smooth a ride" on regular pavement, due to the tread, so ya just need to weigh the differences.
I hope that you can get this change..OH your summer would be so much more enjoyable if you could be mobile outdoors and relaxed, not worried about a tip over.
Please let me know, and if I get any info I will enter.
You are also welcome to Gmail me if you like.
I will help however I can...(call your provider , even,, if they are not familiar with these tires, but they should be!)
Ha! Last time I talked to my provider (you mean the guy who sold me the wheelchair, right?) he was going to be back on Monday with the cover and adjustment for the new W/C! That was in December or Jan.
But my W/C has to fit in my van, and get paid for by Medicare, and it's new. I got it for Christmas (NOT).
The day I test-drove it, I did a lot of driving around in the back yard. It must have been late summer or early fall - I don't remember leaves on the ground, but the garden was pretty and there was no MUD or anything to get stuck in. The sales guy said it would be a great chair for puttering around the back yard. It can make U-turns on a dime, but as for getting stuck - I have ruts on top of ruts. Blech.
When I was in the WC many years ago we looked into those kind of tires for me. That was in the early to mid '90s.
I live so far from anyone that a whistle would never be heard. I rarely go outside without a cordless handset and it stays in my pocket or very close to me. I have one phone with a headset that fits around my neck. The range it has is fabulous but seems to have little volume lately. It has the key pad on one side of it. It's an IBM and I think they are one of very few companies who make that kind of phone. The base can also be a speaker phone. We got it for a song too many years ago to remember. I just found out a year or so ago that it should have been priced at over $200.
This message was edited Jul 26, 2008 9:23 PM
The phone co. often has programs where they will buy/give/let you buy at a discount large print phones, or phones with huge buttons or whatever. Of course, the last time I did it was before cell phones or maybe even cordless phones, and the phone I got was so UGLY!