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The Benefits of a Transport Chair

When my mother first began to need a wheelchair, I was more than a little frustrated!  Prior to being released from the nursing home, she was issued a standard medicare funded wheelchair. 

Once I got her into my car (not an easy task), I took the wheelchair around to the back of my car and tried to put the chair into the trunk of my car.  That’s when things got really rough! 

• I had a difficult time lifting the chair high enough to get it into the trunk (It weighs a ton!).
• Once I did get it into the trunk, I struggled to maneuver  it around in the trunk so that I could get the lid of the trunk closed.

Not long after this “incident,”  I learned about transport chairs.  I ran out and purchased one a.s.a.p. and it has been a lifesaver!!

The many benefits of the transport chair far outweigh the cons.  Some of the many benefits are as follows:

• The chair is fairly lightweight.  I am only 5’2″ and weigh about 120 pounds.  I find the chair easy to maneuver and easy to lift.  They are under 25 pounds.
• It fits in the trunk of my car (Chrysler Sebring) without any problems.  An elderly couple I met awhile back said that they keep theirs on the floor of the back seat of their Chevrolet Cavalier. 
• They come in some nice colors – - more than just the “chrome” of standard wheelchairs.
• They are fairly comfortable. I have not sat in my Mom’s for an extended period of time but she has said that it isn’t bad.

As is the case with most everything, there are a few downsides to these chairs.

• Medicare does not cover the cost of transport chairs.  They see them as a benefit for the caregiver, not the patient.  I beg to differ…..  Regardless, I found the approximately $100 pricetag well worth the money.
• Because the wheels are considerably smaller than those of a standard wheelchair, the patient is unable to move themselves around in the chair.  Users will need the help of a responsible adult to push them in the chair. 
• The wheels on these chairs are not as tough as those on standard wheelchairs.  Wheels on transport chairs wear out more quickly if they are used daily and/or on uneven surfaces such, as gravel.

Please keep in mind, these chairs are meant for short trips.  They are not meant to replace the use of a standard wheelchair.

I purchased my Mom’s from a local medical supply company.  However, they are available online at Amazon.

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