Transport chair or wheelchair?

[Coralc]

My mom and her friend are joining us on cruise in December. Mom can walk slowly, but not really in a straight line, and both of her rotator cuffs in her shoulders are detached, so she doesn't have a lot of arm strength.

 

We talked about renting a wheelchair onboard for her....but I am wondering if it might be better to just buy her a lightweight transport chair.

 

Mom probably only weighs about a 100 pounds, and I am worried that she doesn't have the shoulder strength to push herself in a wheelchair. I think someone will have to push her everywhere when she is using a chair.

 

Thoughts on transport chair versus a wheelchair? She will have a pusher for either one. TIA. :)

[cjm66]

We have used both. I assume you mean the type with four small wheels compared to the standard wheelchair with a larger back wheel - my advice is based on that. Before we bought the scooter Harry uses now, the transport chair was useful when we were travelling by car as it folded up very well to fit in our small car. It was tiring to push and more difficult to maneuver up and down gutters - very difficult to push easily unless on a level, hard and relatively smooth surface. The wheelchair was better, especially with inclines, steps and rough surfaces. I also had more confidence in the brakes. We used one borrowed from the ship in Rabaul, where the local transport could not handle a scooter but could manage the wheelchair, which folded - a useful feature! It also handled the sandy terrain from the volcanic erruption OK as long as I turned it around and pulled rather than trying to push. The transport chair would suffice for on board but a wheelchair would be much better for going ashore.

 

Colleen

[Coralc]

Thanks Colleen. We can't put mom on a scooter. That is the sort of transport chair I was thinking about. (Costco $159) Probably then, the rental wheelchair would be easier for someone to navigate with her in say, Cozumel.

 

I wish the cruise rental places would put wheelchair rental prices on their websites. Then I would have a better idea too. I will probably give them a call.

[katisdale]

I would also vote for a standard wheelchair. You can buy or rent lightweight collapsible standard chairs. We had a transport chair and my husband said it was very hard to push on carpet although fine on tile or lineoleum. As the person seated on the chair, the small wheels seem to transfer every bump and irregularity directly to the person in the chair. At the end of one day in Rome with cobblestones even my teeth were sore to say nothing about all the rest of my bones. I now use a scooter (not for everyone) but would stay home if my only choice was a transport chair.

[IRL_Joanie]

Thanks Colleen. We can't put mom on a scooter. That is the sort of transport chair I was thinking about. (Costco $159) Probably then, the rental wheelchair would be easier for someone to navigate with her in say, Cozumel.

 

I wish the cruise rental places would put wheelchair rental prices on their websites. Then I would have a better idea too. I will probably give them a call.

 

I am not positive but believe I saw another post that said they rented a manual chair for $75.00 USD for a one week cruise.

 

Joanie

[HGJ1370]

In 2007, we rented a standard wheelchair from HAL cruise ship for around $300 for the 10 days. Last year, we could not rent from RCL directly. We had to make arrangements from companies that they suggest from there website. Ultimately, we called around our local surgical stores and purchased a transport chair for about $125. My mother has a bad back and can't walk/stand for long periods of time, so this was perfect because she would just walk around pushing the chair and not have back issues. When not on the ship, we did not have any trouble on any of the islands. If the curb was too big, she would just get out of the chair and walk around. The piece of mind knowing she had a chair waiting for her was worth the money. It was a great investment.

 

Hope this helps you. :)

Heather

 

NCL GEM Jan. 18 - 28, 2012

[HGJ1370]

Price depends on length of cruise and weight of person/requiremement for equipment. For those interested in looking it up -- it's www.cruiseshipassist.com -- same company --- always CALL to rent though -- more dependable.

[Coralc]

Thank you Joanie and Katie. Both posts are very helpful. I will call the companies next week and see about arranging a rental.

 

Does anyone have a preference between "care vacations" and "special needs at sea" as far as service or pricing goes?

 

This is new territory for me. Mom is 84 and I am only child. So I really appreciate all your help.

 

~Patti :)

[GRBlizz]

Please don't rent a manual wheelchair! You can buy a perfectly good used one for less than $100 if you live in a city with a decent Craigslist. Or you can get a good chair brand new for $118 from Spinlife.com, an excellent online source for mobility aids.

 

When you rent something as low-cost as a manual chair, you are mostly paying for their time in bringing it to the ship, insurance, and admin fees. It's a bad deal.

[Coralc]

Please don't rent a manual wheelchair! You can buy a perfectly good used one for less than $100 if you live in a city with a decent Craigslist. Or you can get a good chair brand new for $118 from Spinlife.com, an excellent online source for mobility aids.

 

When you rent something as low-cost as a manual chair, you are mostly paying for their time in bringing it to the ship, insurance, and admin fees. It's a bad deal.

 

Thanks, but this a test. And we will see how it goes. She doesn't think she needs a wheelchair, but is not adverse to having one available on the ship and in ports.

 

I'm sure mom will want to be a participant in the actual purchase, if we go that route after returning home. :)

[katisdale]

another option to renting from one of the ship approved suppliers is to rent one locally. It is usually much cheaper and you have it for the travel to the ship. If you are flying it flies free and even if she chooses to walk into the terminal it can be used to transport the luggage. If you are driving it gives you a chance to collapse it etc. You could probably save half the cost. Some "Senior Centers" or churches have loaner services and they may have a wheelchair they could let you use although it may be heavy and not in good repair.

[kyriecat]

Another thought if you don't want to rent a wheelchair - does your local church/community center/religious affiliation have wheelchairs that you can borrow? I know my parents' church has a couple wheelchairs that were donated. The church lets members borrow them for travel or if they need one short term due to an accident/illness/etc. You could let your mom use one as a trial run. Just make sure that the wheelchair is a foldable one so it can fit into a taxi trunk if needed.

 

As a tip - if you are going to use the wheelchair for excursions, bring a backpack to hang over the handles. It can hold your water bottles, camera, etc. without having to haul around another bag. Sometimes it's hard to push a wheelchair and have a shoulder bag swinging or carry a tote bag.

[Starr Mtn]

Please do not try to save a little money by using a transport chair ! They are really

only good for something like going to a doctor - where there is smooth surfaces. They

do not work well on carpeting, and uneven sidewalks, streets, etc. Also - very

uncomfortable for the person sitting in them - as they feel every bump! And the

"occupant" is actually stuck in that chair; they can not even have the ability to turn

the chair for a different view!

 

A folding manual chair will definitely meet your needs so much better. There are

several options: rent one to be delivered to your cabin; rent one at home - so

you can use it at aiports if you desire; buy one yourself (again - several options).

 

If you bring one from your home (rental and/or your own) - you can check the wheelchair

w/o extra cost as baggage. Then you can check in through to your destination -

or "gate check it" - and take it all the way to your plane - where they take it from you

and store it under the plane in baggage - and bring it back to you at your next destination.

Good if you have a long layover for a connecting flight. Otherwise, my preference

is to check it in with your other luggage and pick it up at the baggage area later. In

the interim you can request a wheelchair from your airline and they will push you

to your gate. Be sure about 1/2 hour before landing to remind the flight attendant

that you have requested wheelchair assistance at the gate.

 

In the long-run - please remember that Medicare will pay for a wheelchair for you

(about 80% of the cost) - and any supplemental insurance usually pays for the

remaining 20%. At that point, you will work with a professional at a medical

supply facility - and they will help you select the best wheelchair to meet your needs.

[Arlened236]

Thank you Joanie and Katie. Both posts are very helpful. I will call the companies next week and see about arranging a rental.

 

Does anyone have a preference between "care vacations" and "special needs at sea" as far as service or pricing goes?

 

This is new territory for me. Mom is 84 and I am only child. So I really appreciate all your help.

 

~Patti :)

 

I have used both companies in the past and found both have had excellent service. The last 2 cruises I have been on I found the 'special needs at sea' was cheaper (a 2 week cruise). I rent an electric scooter and take my own folding wheelchair for shore excursions.

I would not hesitate to use either company again.

I think in the past when I rented a wheelchair the cost was around $75 for one week...

 

I see you live in N. Calif...I would check Craigs list and purchase a chair if you can..I have bought and sold items like that before on Chicago's Craigs list. It sounds like she could use it at home sometimes too.

[Coralc]

Thank you for all the information. It's very helpful. I will rent a regular wheelchair then. I will have to decide if we wish to travel with one or just rent one for the cruise. I appreciate the approximate rental cost information. It is just a 1 week cruise out of New Orleans, with a day & half pre-cruise in NOLA.

 

Starr Mtn, thanks for the purchase info as well, she does have Medicare plus supplemental, Craig's list is also an option. But we are just going to be taking a test drive at this point.

 

My mom lives alone still, in the mountains in a large non accessible house....so at this point she doesn't need one around the house; only for travel.

 

We are dealing with one small thing at a time. Thanks for all your help. :)

[sdschwrt]

Please do not try to save a little money by using a transport chair ! They are really

only good for something like going to a doctor - where there is smooth surfaces. They

do not work well on carpeting, and uneven sidewalks, streets, etc.

 

Not True: I have been pushing my wife in a transport chair, larger wheels in back than front and bicycle style handbrakes, for the past ten years. In the past year, we have used it on two land trips to playa del carmen walking from playacar hotel down 5th ave to end of tourist distirct, 30th ave and even went to Xcaret going to all places including down to underground river for boat ride. Have walked from pier in Barbados to downtown, from pier in St. thomas (crown bay I think) to shopping area and through street to all shops and into many of the shops, from pier in Phillipsburg to downtown through shopping district and then along restaurant strip. I could go on but I think you get my point, we can go anywhere that is paved or has hard packed dirt or shallow gravel. I do not think there is anywhere a regular wheelchair can go that we can not.

 

My wife can use her legs and she is able to move around in the stores for short distances and does not feel trapped. The brakes work well when properly adjusted and prevent the chair from rolling down hills or crahsing into things in rough weather. We do have the top of the line chair which we purchased from Amazon.

 

A major advantage of the transport chair is that it is lightweight and has a small footprint, fits easily into trunk of our PT cruiser convertable which a large wheel wheelchair would not do.

 

I have never used a conventional wheelchair so I can not comment on differences in pushing or comfort for my wife. She does feel comfortable in the chair even after a full day of sightseeing such as when we explored San Juan starting at pier, walking to furthest fort, going through fort then through city to second fort closer to pier and finnaly back to pier.

 

Succinctly stated, a quality transport chair can be used on just about any terrain except steps, deep gravel or sand, areas not assessable in a standard chair

[cruisetheworld179]

I call a rental company and have an eletric scooter delivered to the pier. So much easier than a wheelchair. Arrange for pick up at the end of cruise.

[Starr Mtn]

Not True: I have been pushing my wife in a transport chair, larger wheels in back than front and bicycle style handbrakes, for the past ten years. >>

 

Appears that your Transport Chair is quite an upgrade from what most

people consider... Usually they have small wheels - no brakes -

and very uncomfortable. Glad you have found one that meets your

needs so well.

 

My experience, and that I've read on this board - are entirely different.

 

My post was to alert folks to be sure to check out any chair ahead of time

to be sure to meet their needs.

[cjankowski]

You may try to locate a medical supply store near your home. I have just done this for my husband and most places rent a wheelchair for around $65 a month, or even $25 a week. BUT when I called our local medical supply store they told me they would BORROW us one if we only needed it for a week / few days. FREE is the best way I found to go. So it may be worth a few phone calls

[sdschwrt]

Appears that your Transport Chair is quite an upgrade from what most

people consider... Usually they have small wheels - no brakes -

and very uncomfortable.

 

The chair we use is one of the higher priced chairs. It has the 12" flat free rear wheels which are much wider than the front wheels which makes pushing over rough areas a bit easier. We have two; one was purchased from a local supplier of durable medical products and I do not know the name but the insurance was charged a great deal of money for it. The other we purchased and it is a Nova Comet 330 which was $229. It was more expensive but is quite durable. We had an Expedition by Drive Medical which is about $159 but it broke within two years. The Nova is still going strong even after 2 years. We have found it is important not to skimp on the quality as we travel a lot and do go just about everywhere which means some heavy duty usage over extremely uneven, cobblestone, pothole containing walkways and lifting over steep Mexican curbs. Have broken three in ten years. In Poland hotel maintenance put it together with duct tape and in Playa del Carmen hotel maintenance took it into town and had a replacement part made; would not even accept tip. Prior to them making part we were using a spoon handle to keep seat in place. Was always usable with makeshift repairs we made.

 

The brakes are extremely important as we have found that even in slightly rough waters the roll of the ship is sufficient for the unbraked wheelchair to roll away. The handbrakes allow you to set the brake without bending down which is a convenience. On last cruise positioned my wife at table in lounge and when I turned around the ship movement resulted in her being with another couple. They are also good when going up and down steep hills as can instantly grip handle to prevent rollback or rolling forward out of control. My wife does have mobility and can move between tables or isle in store by herself pushing either backwards or forwards with her feet. On some ships, the 19" chair will fit through door which is an advantage.

 

As to comfort, my wife can spend entire days travelling in the chair without complaint. I can state it is more comfortable than a redwood bench or wrought iron patio chair as when we go to our favorite outdoor restaurants which have this type of seating, she chooses to stay in the chair. Can not speak to comparison with standard wheelchair as we have never used one.

[Starr Mtn]

<<The chair we use is one of the higher priced chairs. It has the 12" flat free rear wheels which are much wider than the front wheels which makes pushing over rough areas a bit easier. We have two; one was purchased from a local supplier of durable medical products and I do not know the name but the insurance was charged a great deal of money for it. The other we purchased and it is a Nova Comet 330 which was $229.>>>

 

Appreciate your update. Think your information will be helpful for many

folks , including cruisers. From your information (and my experience) -

I would definitely recommend others look into this type of transport chair as

opposed to those less expensive. Besides, the cost is not that much

more for the convenience you describe.

 

I'll look in to one just for the few times friends could take me to dinner or

even a medical appointment. Personally, based on my needs, I will

still rely on a rental power chair for cruises. And, yes, I realize others

prefer scooters. I've used both over the years.

[Coralc]

11/11 UPDATE: Cost to rent a standard wheelchair (or transport chair) from Special Needs at Sea- 7 night cruise out of New Orleans in December....$125

 

Cost to rent a wheelchair (only) from Care Vacations - 7 night cruise out of New Orleans in December.......$165 :eek:

 

I think both prices are really high. I did set up the wheelchair rental with SNAS. I'll bet mom ends up not even using the darn thing. :rolleyes:

 

And no...I don't want to rent one in advance and lug it in and out of transportation. At 44 pounds, I myself, can't lift the thing in or out of my trunk.

 

Thank you for all your help. When other cruisers inquire about an approximate cost......you might wish to revise the cost estimate UP a bit. :D

[klauer]

Maybe I'm missing something, but isn't the rental less than $20 a day? That will be a very small percentage of your total cruise cost.

[Coralc]

Maybe I'm missing something, but isn't the rental less than $20 a day? That will be a very small percentage of your total cruise cost.

 

It is a lot of money to me for a rental of this sort. And I find your comment on my cost basis to be somewhat offensive.

[klauer]

I didn't mean to offend you, I just meant that $20 a day to me seems well worth it for the comfort and safety of your mother. My husband uses a wheelchair full-time, so I definitely understand how the extra expenses (handicapped van transportation, special seat cushion, accessories, etc.) can add up.