Prescribing wheelchairs: the opinions of wheelchair users and their carers

Abstract

The first stage in the process of developing an audit tool for wheelchair services was a study to examine the expectations of wheelchair users and their carers. The findings demonstrate an expectation that the wheelchair will improve their quality of life, enable them to maintain or attain a level of mobility, and help the user to achieve an acceptable level of independence. Wheelchair users also required a wheelchair that was comfortable, easy to propel, that had an acceptable appearance and was safe. For the carer/attendant the main requirements were for a chair that was easy to push and lightweight for lifting. They also hoped that the wheelchair would improve the quality of both their life and that of the user, and improve or maintain their health status. The results also suggest that information on carers may not be routinely collected during assessment, and that there is a need to formalize a sensitive approach to assessing the expectations of users and their carers. The authors conclude that a correctly prescribed wheelchair benefits both user and carer.