Wheelchair Assessment and Prescription Process.
In association with Silver Fern Therapy
Getting the right wheelchair is all about getting the right assessment. An in-depth wheelchair assessment will ensure that you get a wheelchair that suits your needs.
STEP 1
MEDICAL HISTORY
Taking a full medical history is like building a strong foundation for a house: the whole process depends upon it. This step will allow your therapist to build a picture of how the past has shaped who you are today and how it will influence your future. They will ask you about your medical history and how it has influenced your general health and, most importantly, your mobility. They may even ask your permission to contact your GP or consultant for more information.
STEP 2
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
There’s no point recommending a wheelchair that is 30” wide when your doorway is only 27”. That’s why we cover all bases and make sure that anything we recommend will go where you want it to go. This isn’t just about door widths – you need to be able to turn around and manoeuvre without knocking everything off the mantelpiece! You also need to be able to transfer to and from the wheelchair.
If you are employed, we can arrange to visit your place of work or even join you on a trip to the shops (or the pub!) to see exactly what you require from your wheelchair.
We also take into account your social situation. The people you live with are also an important part of the assessment process. They will often have very specific requests that we will need to take into account.
STEP 3
PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT
This is where our knowledge of anatomy and physiology comes in! Getting the right-sized wheelchair means taking very accurate measurements. Sometimes, we can get sufficient information from your current wheelchair and by taking measurements of you seated on your sofa or a kitchen chair. However, for the most accurate information, we prefer to see you seated on a flat surface so we can see how you sit (and sometimes lie) without support. We can then add support to your seated position to mimic the support in your new wheelchair. We carry mobile therapy tables with us for this purpose. This can be a very time-consuming part of the assessment process, but it is also a very important part – it’s where your comfort in your new wheelchair can be won or lost! It is also important to identify deviations of your joints or spine that can be corrected. Your therapist is an expert at assessing range of motion of your joints and will be able to recommend adaptations to your wheelchair to assist in preventing any problems from getting worse.
If you wish, we can take photographs of you that will assist us in determining if the wheelchair is doing the job that we intend it to do. It will also allow you to keep a record of any changes in your body position.
STEP 4
WHEELCHAIR PRESCRIPTION
This involves collating the information we’ve gained throughout the assessment. We will always discuss the various options with you on the day and also provide you with a written report.
If you wish, we can work with any wheelchair retailer on your behalf. We can ask them to provide equipment for trial that we think is suitable for you. It will then be up to you to decide if you would like to purchase it. We can ensure that as many of your requirements are included (and with as little compromise) as possible. If you need a recommendation on which retailer to use, we can point you in the right direction.
STEP 5
WHEELCHAIR FITTING
We can ask the retailer to deliver the wheelchair to us. We can then deliver it to you and complete handover. This is an essential step and involves adjusting the equipment to suit you. This is when you get to see and feel the benefits of your new wheelchair! Just like a new pair of shoes, you’re likely to need a few weeks to become accustomed to the new wheelchair, so we’ll often visit gain after 6 weeks and ensure everything is comfortable for you and working as it should.