By Julie McRann, ARC OT Seating Clinic Lead.

There are so many different wheelchairs on the market; it can be overwhelming. However, there is a reason for this – every person who needs a wheelchair has unique needs.

Your wheelchair and seating system must meet your positioning, posture, and functional goals. These are reviewed as your needs and goals change over time.

How to choose the correct wheelchair.

A few tips to help you with this process:

Choose an Occupational Therapist that has experience in seating, positioning and assessing for wheelchairs.

This is very important as OT is such a diverse profession. There is a range of OTs specialising in this area, and these assessments make up the majority of their caseload, as is the case for me at ARC.

Consider the cost of the seating assessment and prescription process. At ARC, we recommended allocating approximately 10 hours of funding (non NDIS clients require less funding as reports are not often necessary).

A thorough postural assessment is recommended before trials are arranged with the supplier, and 2 hours should be allocated for this. Wheelchair trials generally take another 2 hours, and you may require more than one. Clear communication between the OT and supplier is essential to ensure the recommended equipment is brought to the trial to optimise time, cost, and overall success. Therefore, some non-face to face billing time is required for this.

In addition, NDIS report writing takes a long time as the reports are 25 pages long! Therefore, if you are purchasing the wheelchair privately, reports are not required.

Additionally, 2 hours should be allocated for delivery and set-up so that the chair and seating system is set up as per initial assessment recommendations and is set up for your individual needs.

Wheelchair skills training is also a good idea if you are new to using a manual or powered wheelchair, so you feel confident indoors and outdoors.

The thorough process is to ensure you get the right prescription of seating that suits your needs.

Talk about your goals and your priorities!

There may need to be some compromise so having an order of priority is a great start. I’ve seen a range of clients with different wheelchair goals – from wanting to access bushwalk tracks, playing wheelchair sports, a powered wheelchair that is compatible with an accessible vehicle docking station for driving, a powered wheelchair that can fit in confined spaces indoors, a lighter weight manual wheelchair to reduce shoulder pain etc. There are many considerations to consider when selecting the most appropriate wheelchair for you, and it’s worth the detailed process to get it right the first time!

Don’t forget a cushion and pressure care!

Depending on how long you will be sitting in your wheelchair and other risk factors, your OT with exploring the best options for you.

Customisation makes all the difference!

Simple tweaks to the wheelchair, backrest, cushion, headrest and footplates can significantly improve your functionality, support and comfort.

Learn and practice your wheelchair skills!

You can arrange practice sessions with your OT to build up your confidence and skills indoors and outdoors, e.g. negotiating kerbs, slopes, uneven surfaces outdoors or small turning spaces indoors.

Keep your OT’s business card.

If you have worked with someone great, it makes sense to go to them in the future for a review. The need for modifications often arises, mainly if your functional abilities are likely to change over time. The OT can also signpost you to the wheelchair supplier regarding servicing, repairs and maintenance.