Power Wheelchairs: Be Back In Control

When the wheelchair was first invented (the manual type), everyone thought that it was the best kind of mobility device and just could not get any better. But little did we know that the creation of power wheelchairs would eventually change that perception, and how!

A power wheel chair (also known as an electric powered wheelchair or a motorized wheel chair) runs with the help of a motor, which in turn runs on batteries. It is best suited to those people who do not have the required strength in their arms to propel a manual wheelchair. By opting for a power wheel chair, such people can be back in control of their movements and need not depend on other people for their mobility.

Power wheelchairs usually have some kind of control panel or a joystick on the armrest of the wheelchair, which enables their occupants to be in control of the speed of their wheelchair as well as turning it in the required direction. But what if someone is not able to use their hands in addition to their legs? How would they be able to use the controls of the wheelchair?

Well, there are many models which can be useful to people who cannot use their hands. Such wheel chairs can be built to be controlled by the chin or the head of the wheel chair occupant. By customizing your power wheelchair, you may even be able to get one that can be controlled by voice commands, thus giving you total control of your whereabouts in spite of having lost the use of your hands and feet.

Types Of Power Wheel Chairs

Electric powered wheelchairs are usually categorized as those that are meant for use inside the home (or office, school, workplace etc) and those that can be used outdoors. If you want to use your wheelchair outside of your home, it would be best to go in for an All Terrain Power Wheel Chair.

They can be used for outdoor activities such as trekking, spending a day at the beach, hill climbing, or even taking your dog out for a stroll. So while a regular power chair can allow you to have a normal and fulfilled life inside your home, an all terrain power wheelchair will give you the ability to enjoy nature at its most glorious. How often is it that people who are restricted to wheel chairs lament the fact that they become housebound? Well, with an electric powered wheelchair for off road conditions, you need not feel that way anymore!

Power Wheelchair Features

• More power than manual wheelchairs
• Battery operated controls for independent mobility
• Option of features such as recline and tilt, which allows you to better position yourself on the wheelchair so as to avoid painful bed sores.
• Affixed seating mechanism for raising and lowering the height of the wheel chair.

These and other features of a power wheel chair enable you to have as close a life to normal as possible, even if you are restricted to a wheelchair!