Shopmobility

[nonyanomemory]

Hi Sue, thank you for the post - I no longer shop as you describe but I haven't the 'guts' to admit that I need to sit down to do it. Your post was inspiring - if I get over this I'll post and tell you. By the way I sleep like you do if I do more than I should.

Mari - I empathise, hope the earache goes - I am awake a lot with earache and I know from experience that the other person who is awake as you have been can do very little to help apart from be there, which is so so so frustrating. I have loads of pain but earache does it for me - my grandmother was the only one who ever used to help and she would warm flannels to place on my ear. So for the earache sufferor and for Mari - spring blossoms

nonya

[Mari]

Oh how lovely!
How great to have such sweet internet friends! It was a much better night last night, so fingers crossed. I'm giving her plenty of love this morning!

I'm still at the stage of pretending I'm alright part of the time (in work) but trying to accept my 'demise' the rest of the time. A scooter would be 'going public'. My mobility isn't really bad enough to need a scooter anyway, I'm lucky in that. It would have avoided me pulling my shoulder out last Wednesday taking 2 bags to the car, though. (I didn't realise the cause of the pain 'til Fri night when it went back in!)

Mari x

[lil_miffy]

you can hire wheelchairs and scooters.

also they can provide someone to come round with you to help you shoppping and some centres even provide people to guide you if your visually impaired.

[nickb]

you can hire wheelchairs and scooters.

also they can provide someone to come round with you to help you shoppping and some centres even provide people to guide you if your visually impaired.

Now that I didn't know-thanks for the info
I went shopping with Sue and she used the service-I was soo impressed, it meant we could have a great day out

[Blaadyblah]

Linky goodness as it's become apparent some users are unaware of the scope of their service - it should be pointed out that this varies from branch to branch, call your local provision for details.

[cat117]

My local shopping centre has a 'Shopmobility' scheme running and I decided that today I would take advantage of that to see if it would make going into town a bit less of an ordeal, I tend to become a bit snappy when I'm in pain but I'm a teenage girl and I was starting to really miss out on shopping! They offer mobility scooters, powered wheelchairs and manual ones for a very small hire fee, it was £3 for me to borrow a manual chair for as long as I wanted.

I now have the utmost respect for those of you that use a self-propelled wheelchair! I realise that you must build up the muscles over time but it still must be really hard, particularly until you get used to it, my shoulders and arms hurt so much right now.

Oh and as soon as I took the chair back to the office and started using my stick to get back to the train I found that my knees and hips started playing up so I have nothing really to show for it, although it did make getting around a bit easier I suppose and my friend liked having somewhere to store all the bags ... Thinking I might try a powered chair next time I have to spend an real amount of time in the town centre, what do people think?

Modnote: Merged with existing topic as per forum rules.

[Flora]

Muscles do help when pushing a wheelchair, but so does the set up of the chair itself! standard chairs have the rear axle set behind your bum, but the active user type chair has it set beneath you. It may sound a minor difference, but it makes a huge difference to how much energy it takes to push. On a flat centre, on a good day, a manual chair is ok for me, providing it is set up to be a nice whizzy chair and not a dinosaur! On a bad day however, sometimes power is the only way to get round. I'd suggest trying the scooter/power chair and seeing how things go for you. It may be you get used to how you react on different days, and can choose between power and self-propelled.
Having said that, on a weekend, if you definatly want a power chair and not a scooter/manual wheelchair, do book ahead!
Flora

[vh86]

Argh, feeling a bit nervous, I have just booked a shopmobility scooter for this afternoon. I have never used one before. Don't know if I'm more worried about the awkwardness of running into someone I know or running someone over! I only started using a stick the last few months, so although I've struggled for years, I think most people didn't realise the extent of the problems I've had. But I find shopping exhausting. Walking around takes all my energy so I can't be bothered to try anything on. I don't stay long and when I get home I am exhausted and grumpy and I certainly pay for it with the pain and aching in my legs the next day. So I am hoping that taking the shopmobility plunge today will work out!

Victoria

[DeeNJai]

they will show you how to use the scooter and explain that the maximum speed is 4 mph on the pavements and in shops turn it right down to the slowest speed so you have more control. Some people find it easier to use the chair to get to the shops and then look around the shop by walking a little as some shops you struggle to get around the clothes with taking the clothes with you. Good Luck
Dee

[vh86]

Wish I had read that advice before I went! Didn't hit any people and only a few inanimate objects so all in all a fairly successful first shopmobility trip. Couldn't believe how different i felt driving home than I normally would after shopping for a couple of hours. Previously I would have been exhausted, stiff, aching, in pain and grumpy. Today I was in no more pain and not much more tired than when I arrived! Quite a revelation! And I even managed to buy a few things, which often doesn't happen, because by the time I have got myself into a shop I'm too tired and fed-up and just want to go home. I think next time I will try to leave the scooter inside the shop door and walk around the store though. My steering left a little to be desired. Anyway, I highly recommend taking the shopmobility plunge.

[Jorgie]

Me and my friend spend a fair bit of time up at the mall and recently I've been taking advantage of shopmobility. My mobility isn't terribly bad, depending on what day it is of course, but if I overdo it then it can take a couple of days to recover. So if we're only going for a smoothie or to Pizza Hut then I don't bother so much but if I know we're going to be out all day then I will borrow a scooter and the difference after a day out is amazing!

I'm only 19 (and look much younger!) so get a few funny looks, especially from elderly people, but they have no idea of what's going on with me so I don't expect them to understand really.

But the shopmobility service here is brilliant, I love it.

[trekster]

Is there a website so we can find shopmobility? Shame they couldn't meet me at the train platform in Birmingham.
I use the wheels when I visit my friends.

[Rosie]

Hi

The national site for shopmobility is here, I just used goggle to find it!. Somelocal ones have their own websites as well. WOuld it be possible for your frineds to pick up your wheelchair from the local shopmobility (if you book it) and meet you at the station? I have neevr come acroos a shopmobility scheme where they deliver their scooters or wheelchairs.

Rosie

[Jorgie]

Hey guys,

Any of you know anything about Shopmobility schemes in London?? I have a field trip with my uni class at the end of the month where we'll be bascially walking around London for two days
Had a quick scout and I can get a scooter at the zoo (with a £50 deposit!) but the Natural History Museum only have manual wheelchairs, which are no good for me. I figured I could borrow a scooter from the nearest Shopmobility and just use it in the museum? But just received an email from my tutor who thinks that electric chairs aren't allowed in the museum. I have no idea if this is true or not and can't really find any info to clarify either way. Wondered if any of you knew/had been?

Cheers, my dears

[sheppeyescapee]

That seems rather odd. Maybe you should contact the museum.