"A life changing improvement"

  I would like to thank the OT, Amy, along with the other two members of the friendly team at WestMARC Motherwell for their efforts, for actually taking an interest, and, for all their help in providing me with my new electric wheelchair.

I had been using my first and only electric wheelchair for over two years, since receiving this from WestMARC QEUH.  After being on the waiting list and with deteriorating abilities, I was hugely relieved just to have one at all as this is absolutely essential for me to get around my home.

 I initially arrived at WestMARC Motherwell for a routine check up and service.  This was four months ago and was the first review I had ever had since receiving my first chair.  However, almost immediately, Amy started asking if my chair was too low, too narrow or the seat too shallow.  I have only ever had one electric wheelchair and have never even sat in any other.  So, my expectations and understanding were extremely limited.  I could compare my old manual wheelchair, but have no real grasp of what is possible or available for electric chairs from the SNHS.  Amy spoke with me about my daily usage, my ideal requirements, watched me transfer from the chair, and, took various measurements.

I was happy to be told my chair would be replaced. Even then, I had fairly low expectations.  I guess, I assumed my original fitter/OT knew what they were doing and that any change would, at best, be an incremental improvement on what I had grown used to using every day for the previous two years.

I received my new wheelchair last Friday.  To say the difference is 'night and day' is an understatement!  I am absolutely delighted with my new, correctly sized chair.  I am now able to sit down and transfer out with far greater ease.  It is vastly more comfortable and I am less likely to slide out with my legs locking straight because I'm not sitting back far enough - a daily issue with my previous chair.  I can reach things more easily, talk to people without getting a sore neck, and, even see my face in the bathroom mirror!  On top of this, my previous chair creaked loudly every time I moved, turned or even just shifted in it.

 The difference is so stark that I now look back on my previous two years with annoyance bordering on anger that I was ever given the chair I previously used.  With hindsight, I believe that chair would better suit someone a foot shorter than my six feet in height.

This is a life changing improvement that has only been possible because Amy and the team at WestMARC Motherwell took the time to properly and thoroughly review my requirements and equipment.  For that, I am hugely grateful.