Ramps can really make all the difference in assisting easier wheelchair access to your home, through doorways and raised landings in your home.  Also ramps make it easier to get wheelchairs into vehicles that have the space for power wheelchairs. 

It is very common for houses and flats, to have one, two or more steps to the entrance, which make it hard for someone in a wheelchair to enter or leave their own home.  The solution is a Wheelchair / Scooter Ramp.  These ramps are designed to be able to get the wheelchair from one surface level to another one. This particular ramp is actually portable, and therefore can be used for entry to different houses as well. 

There are also ramps available for inside homes to make easy transition over doorways, as many doorways have small inclines, or gaps between the doorway and floor that make it difficult for wheelchairs or walkers to get over them with ease.  Here a Threshold Wheelchair Ramp can be used, as it’s a stable and sturdy addition for easier wheelchair access in the home.  

Another place that causes wheelchair access problems in the home is landing steps.  For this you can use a Rubber Threshold Ramp, which is slip resistant, and can last for years even with constant use.  These ramps can also be used in doorways and are particularly suited for sliding doors. 

Another common problem is getting a wheelchair into a van or SUV for travel.  There are a couple of ramps I can recommend to help out here: 

1. TRIFOLD® Wheelchair Ramp, which has a unique 3 Fold design, which is both easily foldable and stored, and allows easy access for wheelchair into vehicles, and easy storage.

2. The HITCHHIKER™ SUV/Van Ramp, which is a ramp that can be stored on the outside of the vehicle, as a secured locked unit on the outside of the van or SUV, leaving plenty of room on the inside for safe passageway of a motorized wheelchair.

Whether you have power wheelchair, or a manual wheelchair, these ramps can really make access to more areas possible and more independence. 

There are some considerations to think about when choosing a type of wheelchair (or scooter) for everyday outdoor use. 

Firstly let’s look at mobility scooters.  

They do not need a lot of physical strength to operate them, making them a popular choice with elderly.  Curbs and road crossing are easily navigated in a mobility scooter.  

A few things to bear in mind though are that they are not easily put in cars, the scooter battery can run out at inopportune times, and you will need to leave them outside many shops, and use some other support aid like walkers, or canes and crutches to help you around the shop. 

So what about power wheelchairs? 

This is a wheelchair designed for people that have limited mobility.  They need to be able to control the wheelchair by using one hand on a joystick, which can be a little tricky at first, so some practice at home and in the back garden is necessary first of all, before being let loose on the rest of the world!  

This type of wheelchair is good for independent people, who want more maneuverability than they would have with a mobility scooter, as you will be able to go into more shops without having to bring along some extra kind of support, but they are still hard to transport via the car. 

Lastly, how about the manual wheelchair? 

The manual wheelchair is the right option for people who want easy access to shops, and easy manual maneuverability, and want to transport the wheelchair easily via car.  

People taking this option will need have upper body strength to keep the wheelchair moving. It is hard work so, people with high blood pressure or respiratory problems should think twice before selecting this type of wheelchair.   

Becoming wheelchair bound and having to move away from your home because it’s not wheelchair friendly is not only inconvenient, but stressful.  There are a lot of modifications that can actually be made to an ordinary house/or flat to make them adequate for wheelchair use. 

First of all, the simple things that need doing are taking away loose carpets and rugs, adding blocks of wood, or furniture coasters to raise tables, and writing surfaces above knee level, and replace work areas in the kitchen with roll away carts.  

If the doors openings are wide, you should install lever type handles, instead of doorknobs, as they are easier to open and tie a piece of string around them so you can shut them easily.  If the doors are not wide enough, you can take the doors of and remove the door frames, and put curtains in place of the doors to make sure there is enough room to get through it with a wheelchair, walkers, or any other form of support.  

Also rearranging the furniture so there is enough space for a manual wheelchair to maneuver around.  The recommended space is 32 inches for the wheelchair path, and a 5 foot space to be able to turn the wheelchair around. 

The bathroom is an important room to make wheelchair friendly, and easy to navigate around.  First adding a Locking Elevated Toilet Seat with Removable Arms will make the toilet seat higher and easier to get on an off with.  You can also strategically place grab bars around to help you get in and out of the bath.  Also make sure the floor is not slippery by putting a non-slip surface down.  

These are just a few things that could be done to make your home more wheelchair friendly, and help you be able to stay put.

Our customers have been very satisfied with the 16” suction grab bar we offer. We have received numerous requests for a larger bar. We are please to announce that we now have a 23” bar in stock. It uses the same suction cups as the 1167 16” bar and is basically a longer version of that model. The real overall length is actually slightly more at 23.5”. As always, make sure that you have a flat non-porous surface to attach the bar to. If installing on tile, be sure to measure first to ensure the suction cups will be entirely on a tile surface.

Drive Medical has updated the 750 D-Lite Aluminum Rollator. The new model is called 750N (The “N” stands for new). The 750N sports a more modern look with three spoke wheels. These large 8” casters are also tool free removable. It is available in Blue, Red, Black and Gold Champagne. The dimensions are not identical to the original. For example, the seat height was originally 20” and is now 22”. So what makes the 750N a successor to the 750?

• It is a 19 lb. rollator with a plastic seat that has an integrated handle
• Curved back
• Front mounted basket
• 8” Wheels.

We have added an ingenious suction assist handle to our product catalog. It is called the Auto Assist Helper (Model 1162).This clever device attaches to the window of a car and gives the occupant something to grab on to when entering or exiting the vehicle. Since it works with suction, it can be attached and detached with ease without leaving any sticky residue. The only thing I’m not crazy about is the color. But it works!