Pride Go Chair
Wheelie Long Points:
When I could no longer drag myself around using a wheelie walker and I was told I would likely have a long wait for a government-sponsored wheelchair, my husband and I felt we had no choice but to purchase an interim wheelchair privately. I was already using a Pride scooter so when my wonderful 'scooter guy' suggested a Pride Go Chair, it seemed the obvious choice. Bought in August 2008 for AU$2,200, I used 'Mini Red' non-stop until my new chair arrived in July 2011. Apart from requiring a couple of new batteries (as all mobility devices do), Mini Red was fantastic for what I needed at the time. Her compact size meant that I could get around most places in my house (even before it was renovated for accessibility) and my husband could even disassemble it and put it in the car to take to friends' homes. A word of warning: the Pride Go Chair is NOT intended for extended, constant use. It does not have customised back and seat support and cannot be adjusted and fine-tuned to personal measurements. If you require a chair all of the time you should be assessed by an Occupational Therapist (OT) and professionally fitted into a chair. I have been using my new chair for two months now and I must admit, I actually miss Mini Red quite a bit! I especially liked the single footrest plate, so much so that I requested one on my new chair rather than the standard fold-down footrests. The manual recommends that the Go Chair is designed to perform best in 'normal driving conditions' which consist of 'dry, level surfaces composed of concrete, blacktop, or tarmac' but will also perform admirably on 'packed soil, grass, and gravel'. I certainly had difficulty as soon as I hit grass so I rarely chose to use it outside, however if you intend to use it primarily inside and on footpaths, you should be fine. If you need a motorised chair some of the time but you are still able to transfer in and out of it and walk at least a little, I would highly recommend the Pride Go Chair. |
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