Power chair meeting 03

Last week there was a meeting about my power chair here at the nursing home in the back dining room. Those in attendance were: vendor rep, manufacturer rep, facility therapist, regional long-term care ombudsman, myself and my friend Rush. In the beginning the vendor rep was rather condescending to me and I tried to ignore it.

My friend Rush went over the Medicaid prescription/order because she another copy I sent on her iPhone. The order was for a different brand of chair than what I received. There was also specialized accessories on the chair that I do not use. I wondered how Medicaid could improve accessories I had not used before. But I thought maybe the vendor had to get everything he thought I might need on the new power chair. Unfortunately, we did not get an explanation for the different brand of chair. They said the brand mentioned one is from a company that had a couple of its chairs catch on fire, and it was sanctioned by the government. I read it online. The vendor rep said those chairs were unreliable. In fact, I don't even think that brand of chair was for sale in 2016.

We discussed the various parts of the chair that I do not use. The vendor tech removed the extended headrest when it was delivered because I asked. A friend of mine removed the bottom of an 02 bracket because I do not use 02. After some discussion, the manufacturer rep removed the vertical bracket (the rest of the O2 bracket).

The vendor rep told me they extended headrest was for my use when I used my van, or other vehicle. It's like a head restraint. But the manufacturer rep said the head restraint was included because the chair tilts and reclines. It's there in case the chair reclines and leaves you stranded. So, it's probably standard on tilting, elevating, and reclining chairs. But, my chair does not tilt or recline. I did not want those features. The head restraint will stay in the box that is in therapy.

They mentioned that the brains of the controller is a horizontal bar about 1 1/2 inches thick on the back of the chair.. I was never told that bar was like a CPU. I think that is vital information I should have been told. That bar has to stay where my backpack runs into it. I don't understand why it was put there since the vendor knew I would be hanging the backpack on the back of my chair. I think it could maybe have been positioned in a different spot. The lower part of the back of the seat might have been better.

I said I slide easily on the material on the chair seat. I said the seat is 20" deep, per the Medicaid order. That was mentioned and I told them I wanted the seat to be 18" by 18", like all my other power chairs. They said I needed a longer chair seat to allow me to sit straight.

The removable arm pads were discussed. I wanted higher armrests (13 inches from the seat), and that's what they came up with.. They Velcro on and the Velcro gets stuck on my pants and my shirt and pulls my pants down and my shirt up.. They said they would return and redo the Velcro.

My friend Rush also mentioned that she does not like the way my arms are propped when I am at my desktop PC. The manufacturer rep said that is done to stabilize my trunk. I told him I use my left thumb and forefinger to operate my touchpad on my desktop PC. In order to do that, my elbow is elevated which allows gravity to pull it forward and keep it there. I elevate my elbow when I'm in bed using my laptop. Maybe propping coincidently supports my trunk, but that was not the reason I did it..

I asked about the left lateral thigh support which is missing. I was told that I wanted it removed. I don't remember asking that it be removed.. I may have wanted it removed because it's not aesthetically pleasing. It's quite institutional looking. After sliding on the seat so much, I thought maybe the left lateral thighs support might make me more stable in the seat. They found the left thigh lateral support and put it on the chair.

They repositioned the controller located on the right side so it is more visible for the aides. They need to be able to see what speed I am in.

The manufacturer rep reprogrammed the joystick speed and sensitivity. He said the turning would have been quite jerky at the settings it was on. To me, the chair has always been jerky. I said I would have to use the chair when I was not tired to see improvements he made and if it needed to be more sensitive.

I wanted Speed 5 programmed. But the therapist said she was not comfortable with that. I told her I would only use it outdoors going across parking lots. But, she did not want it reprogrammed, and it wasn't.

The nonslip surface on the foot rests began to shred off when the chair was two months old. I reported it to a vendor rep and he suggested re-gluing it.. I said I wanted better nonslip tread to stabilize my feet. They suggested heel loops/slings. I explained they make my feet too far forward and I slide down in the chair.

I said the foot rests are smaller. They said they are 6" by 8". They said the large size in my brand of chair are 10" by 12" instead of 8" by 10" like those on my last power chair. They said the foot box could be used for foot/leg positioning. I did not see one of those on the chair.. But, it was on the order form priced at $636. They thought I should try it. I told them I've never had one and think it would cause me to slide forward much like heel loops I could not use. I asked if the foot box could be returned and may be able to pick a different accessory of equal value. I was told it couldn't.

They mentioned a device which goes on front rests to stabilize my feet from sliding. As these described it, I told them it sounded very restrictive. They said they would bring and attach a stronger type of nonslip material to attach to the front rests. Hopefully, it will wear better..

I asked why the tires look like they have been through salt during winter storm. The therapist said it may have been in snow and salt. No one really had an explanation. They said my tires looked like tires. But they are black tires with white spots of something from somewhere on them. It actually looks like rocksalt used when it's snowing.

They told me the seat back is set at 110°. I said it could be moved up 5° or so, so I will sit straighter in the chair. They suggested adjusting it right then. My friend Rush said since I was tired and they were going to return anyway, it could be done at a later time, and they agreed.

Since mostly all of my issues were addressed, and it was 4:30 p.m. or after, the meeting ended.

A few things were worked out but not enough explanation was given.