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The Types Of Mobility Aids You Use Most?
For some users of mobility aids it may literally only be one that you need to use but for other users it may be necessary to have all sorts of mobility aids for day to day living, both for use in the home and also others to be used outdoors.
One person might need only a walking frame and of course that same frame may be used both indoors and outdoors but another person may need a stair lift, aids to help them get dressed, to open things in the kitchen, a lift chair, mobility scooter or a wheelchair for getting around outside and maybe other stuff too.
What do you find yourself most reliant on and the mobility aids that get the most use by you?
April 9th, 2010 at 11:24 pm
Hi All
I find my Coopers Fischer Adjustable Walking Sticks with Arthritis Handle a great aid, for more comfortable than the old walking sticks I used to have as I can put more weight on them, I can often manage with just the RH one but when bad need a LH one also, I keep the pair next to my bed, I bought a RH one to keep near my chair & desk also another to keep in the car as I once went out and forgot it, the first pair I received from local council disability centre but the 2 extra RH ones cost me £21 each. I have just purchased another LH one to leave in car boot as some times I wish I had taken the pair out with me, it only cost me £5.98 inc. P&P on eBay, they are only in silver and must just be clearance stock as only LH available, I list the details below in case this could help other people who may find the extra stick a help but find them expensive, I found the seller (Andy) very helpfull, I ordered a couple of sets of battery Rose & Star LED lights which should have been £1.99 P&P each but he only charged me £2.99 for stick and others P&P free, the Rose lights are fantastic but the Star lights were a poor set 5 out of 10 very dimm, he appologised and offered to send a replacement set free as soon as I told him about it, they run off 2 x 1.5v AA batteries (Not rechargeable though), would look great on your wheelchair for Christmas for £2.99 + P&P.
If you intend to buy more than one item from this seller ask about combined P&P discount before buying.
This is first time I have dealt with this seller but will watch his items in future as he seems a genuine seller.
Coopers Fischer Walking Stick Adjustable Left Hand BNIB £2.99 + £2.99 P&P
Sellers eBay ID: asents – Location: Manchester eBay Item number: 360238296083
I hope this is of help to someone else.
Kindest Regards, Contax.
April 9th, 2010 at 11:39 pm
Hi All
Just before Chistmas 2009 I took the plunge and decided to by a rise and recline chair which I had gone on about for years, after checking out many offers and trying a few in shops at very high prices I felt I would love the Celebrity Westbury with easy to grip wood arm tips and soft waterfall back, as I weigh 19 stone I wanted one able to carry a heavy person so I bought the Grande (largest) version which can carry 25 stone with dual motor, it is fantastic but beware of Celebrity advertised warranty 5 year on mechanism & 1 year on uphostery, they do not mention the remote and power supply is only 2 years although I think this is still the best on market today, pity they could not be up front and honest in their adverts. I also opted for a SLA battery pack that sits on floor at back with power adapter so I can use chair in power cuts of which we have had a lot of out in sticks at Broughton near Brigg, Celebrity’s production manager claimed fully charged it can lift and lower chair 24 times but I take that with a pinch of salt, it is left connected all the time to keep fully charged, the 9v batteries 2 or 3 in power adapter I am warned by the can only lift chair once (cost £3 a battery so £6 to £9 a lift in power cut), if chair is unplugged or switched off these batteries run down as chair electronics are constantly powered so it uses the batteries if no power.
I found my supplier on the internet but as an old fashioned family firm they only have a web page as an advert, no contact by email you have to phone them, the delivery driver said they had only recently moved from using a slate to pencil and paper. They are Askew’s Furniture and Mobility Centre of Alford in Lincolnshire, Tel: 01 507 462 936 (John) Tuesday to Saturday 9am to 4 pm. They have a fixed price for each type of chair, my top of range Grande Dual Motor either Woburn or more expensive Wesbury is same fixed price, choose any range of material at no extra cost, arm caps can cost £55 (at Co-op) but £25 at Askew’s if bought with chair, I asked about the Battery Pack I believe RRP is £249, I have seen one on eBay at £162 but Askew’s charged £80 on special order as dealers are not aware of them, maybe because of the price. Askew’s make no markup on extra’s you buy with the item, you pay their cost price. They use the expess order system so your chair arrives much quicker, they deliver free I believe up to 100 mile radius with their own very polite 2 man team bending over backwards to suit the customer, if any furniture needs moving to get chair in or set it up they do it free as part of the service, I could not recommend this firm enough from first contacting them to final installation and I believe their promise of first class aftersales service, if the chair has to be taken back as an engineer can not fix on site they will collect and return free, this is what the old and disabled people need.
John at Askew’s said he is having a coach refitted out so they can take the rise and recline chairs and other items they sell to the people who can not get to their showroom to try out outside their home in the coach so it will be great for the old and disabled within the area they serve, a lot different to those pushy sales people from some of the big companies that pressure vunerable people in their homes.
I also found a new Celebrity Woburn single motor standard recliner in Grimsby with same cloth on eBay 2 weeks after I had placed my order so snapped it up at £100 for my wife as it had never been used, it cost £745 in Grimsby invoice with but they had advertised in several places with not a single enquiery.
My chair cost £795 + £80 SLA Battery Pack + £25 for Arm Caps to fit wife’s Woburn, Total £900, some people have called me mad but I am very carefull to ensure I always get the best deal (which is not allways the cheapest).
Askew’s sent the armcaps free P&P as arrived after my chair delivered I am delighted with the goods and service I received and do not regret spending the money,
We also wanted a compact sofa for visitors as our 3 seater too big, I got a 2 seater leather faced one for £249 + £39.99 for 14 day 2 man delivery/installation from a firm called Leather Sofa World (LSW) near Birmingham, they delivered in 5 days and called me 1 hour before pre arranged arrival, they were a great team which I can recommend both for polite helpfull sales and 5 star cheap delivery.
The sofa is only 18″ high with feet, rear cushions and slot on raised back removed so great to get into tight entrances, only takes an allen screw to fit each foot, but they did all that, it is just as comfy and very similar to one I tried in Harveys sale for £599 + £59 delivery with an estimated delivery of 8 to 12 weeks, I find the long waits can cause distress when often ill so like to get prompt service and delivery.
I hope my experiences can help others find the best deals and service to suit them, if you have found a great seller and good service why not share it with us all, it goes to show the old fashioned personal and family run traders are still out there but getting hard to find. Sorry if a bit long winded.
Kindest Regards, Contax.
April 18th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Hi Contax
Its wise of you not to just take things as they might first appear, both with regards to warranties and also what you are told by people working for the companies.
Askew’s sound like they do very good deals, its nice when people are able to come across family firms like that, they really sound like they are getting it right, both currently how they are operating and the plans that they have regarding a coach, im sure many people will appreciate this type of service and feel very satisfied with it.
Im really happy that you have found such good deals and as you say it shows that there are still some of those more traditional, going out of their way to satisfy types of firms out there.
April 18th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Thanks for supplying the sellers details for others to benefit too, its reassuring to discover that he was quick to offer a replacement.
April 19th, 2010 at 4:50 pm
[...] recently reading a reply by contax to the types of mobility aids you use most i noticed something that he said regarding a 5 year warranty that was advertised by a company and [...]