Can the forum recommend any devices to help a mobility restricted person (Mum) get in and out of a car.
She has difficulties lifting her feet and cannot climb steps. She uses a wheeled walking frame.
Thinking Dad needs to get a car with a bigger opening and higher roof - thinking Belingo type car - it’s a shame Ford don’t make the CMAX anymore!
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My late Mum had similar limited mobility and used a frame.
She got into the car by shuffling backwards until her calves touched the door cill at which point she could lower her backside onto the seat. She could then swivel herself round, knees together in the way ladies of her generation were taught so as to avoid showing their stocking tops, so as to be properly seated and seat belt attached.
That worked OK in various cars of both mine and my sisters.
However with our 2013 Berlingo the seat was too far back from the cill; backside and seat not proximate. That was the case with both front passenger seat and at rear via the sliding door.
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My Indie suggested looking at Vx Zafira, BMW 2 Series Active Tourer - Higher seating but not SUV height - his experience getting a car for his sister who is roughly 70!
You cannot judge from brochures, spec etc the passenger has to try and see how easy/troublesome each car is.
My wife had restricted mobility but a new hip avoided buying & selling.
We used a plastic 1/2 step that are sold by disability websites as an aid before the operation.
£10 or so is worth a try whilst you are searching around.
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Not funny but several years ago I had to sell my 330 convertible because my old mum, probably 86 at the time, really struggled getting in and out of the rear seats. My 99 yo Aunt went in the front ! Sometimes I had to put the roof down and almost lift her out.
Along came the Macan...my old mum, by then 88, liked that. Used a folding plastic stool to get in & out. Now 94, she gets in & out of the Focus Active, with its minimally raised ride height, without too much of a struggle.
Until it ‘broke’ a few days ago, I struggled slightly with the 17yo Megane convertible. I think my days of an MX5 or similar are long gone.
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I’m sure I once heard about a thing that was a sort of turntable mat that could be put on a car seat so that an occupant with limited mobility could sit on it sideways and sort of swivel round on it to get into the car.
But, I really can’t remember where I saw that or anything more.
I guess a specialist retailer of products to aid those with mobility problems might know.
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>> I’m sure I once heard about a thing that was a sort of turntable mat
>> that could be put on a car seat so that an occupant with limited mobility
>> could sit on it sideways and sort of swivel round on it to get into
>> the car.
I had a recollection of something similar.
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tinyurl.com/5cuxxmek
I've no experience of using one.
Last edited by: John Boy on Fri 25 Mar 22 at 16:48
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>> I struggled slightly with the 17yo Megane convertible. I think my days of an MX5 or similar are long gone.
I droved a newish Renault Clio this week and it made me realise it wouldn't be such a good idea to swop my Subaru XV in for one of those hybrid things Dunc drives.
My last car wozza CRV and the one before that was a Forester - spot the pattern?
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The Dacia Duster is remarkably easy to access.
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Physically or financially?
;-)
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:-)
Indeed
And if I were ever to buy a car in Spain for both myself and friends to use, a new Duster would be high on my ( very) short list
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>> And if I were ever to buy a car in Spain for both myself and
>> friends to use, a new Duster would be high on my ( very) short list
>>
Can I safely assume that a ten year old Yaris would be even higher up that list?
tinyurl.com/2p854fy8
Because - not that it's ever going to happen - that is what I would do.
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Don't bother with a turntable, use a plastic shopping bag instead - low friction and pocket-able.
The low floors of most taxis are a pest to me. I ask for the front passenger seat to be pushed right back, enter big end first and drag my legs up by my trouser cuffs. Sometimes there is no roof handle and I have to ask the driver to drag me out. To a passerby this must often look like a desperate fight.
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Would rear hinged doors help? Much easier access IIRC. Dads Rover 75 P3 for example. As that was a 1948 model, perhaps not cogent.
Last edited by: NortonES2 on Sun 27 Mar 22 at 19:40
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Have you seen these handles that temporarily fix in the door latch to aid entry and egress?
www.amazon.co.uk/Able-Life-Auto-Assist-Grab/dp/B00I45JJQO
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>> Have you seen these handles that temporarily fix in the door latch to aid entry
>> and egress?
Cheaper in Halfords, according to Zero ;)
www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?v=t&t=29775&m=644529
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Definitely helps me get out of the car when I’m rat assed. Money well spent.
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Does she have, or can she get, the higher rate mobility component of PIP?
We supply a lot of new cars under the Motability scheme to recipients of this benefit, some with very clever adaptations including seats which swivel out on a hoist mounted to the floor of the car.
It would be something to look into; there are specialists who can arrange supply and installation of such kit into existing cars.
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>> Does she have, or can she get, the higher rate mobility component of PIP?
>>
We are working on it. She was fine until a fall last year.
She can barely lift her feet to clear the patio door, but social services and the local NHS have been useless with regards treatment.
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>>She can barely lift her feet to clear the patio door
Why? Does she have something treatable like Parkinson's, or is she beyond improvement due to a stroke years ago?
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>>
>> Why? Does she have something treatable like Parkinson's, or is she beyond improvement due to a stroke years ago?
>>
She had a fall in August last year and has is still in very significant pain (10 out of 10). She is unable to stand straight or walk without a wheeled frame.
It has been confirmed that she needs surgery on her hip but there is no action.
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>> Does she have, or can she get, the higher rate mobility component of PIP?
She cannot make new claim for PIP if she's over State Pension Age.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Mon 28 Mar 22 at 10:00
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>> >> Does she have, or can she get, the higher rate mobility component of PIP?
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>> She cannot make new claim for PIP if she's over State Pension Age.
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Thanks, I didn’t know that!
Is there any access to the motability scheme for retirees?
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>> Thanks, I didn’t know that!
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>> Is there any access to the Motability scheme for retirees?
I think the answer is only if they got a qualifying benefit before Pension Age.
www.motability.co.uk/contact/faqs/if-im-over-65-can-i-still-join-the-motability-scheme
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Its seems a bit age discriminatory. What happens for example if you are a previously fit 67 year old, and have a serious accident with resulting disability? seems to indicate you dont get PIP and hence access to the mobility scheme.
If for example it had happened a year before retirement, you would.
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Yup from my understanding , that is correct , a person has a stroke on the monday before their retirement on the Friday , they have access to a motobility for the rest of their life , about 400/ month …….if thry have it a week later , nothing for the rest of their life .
My dad, always after retirement , healthily had Honda accords ( could get more golf clubs in there ) .Then at 80 he retired from golf having done his Achilles , then he got shingles and found spending 40kish ( of my inheritance) on an Audi Q3 he was able to get in and out easier .
So in essence if affordable Rent a small people carrier for the days you need to take her out , my dads car was used for 18 months and was sold for 27k , so that’s quite a bit of rental usage he could have bought for 13k or a black cab
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yer mate.been there .. i
you could try the plastic turn table
you could try carony .they make recardo seats that replace passenger seat with one that can transfer from wheel chair to car. expensive but very good
or you could buy an old agila or splash come to my house i have a swivel seat made to measure in my garage
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Finally Dad stumped up for a 2017 Citroen Berlingo Multispace.
It has 10k on the clock and looks very tidy.
It has been converted and has an electric winch for Mum's wheelchair.
They are looking in to the cost of getting an adaption to allow the front passenger seat to swivel right out so Mum can sit in the front sometimes.
My only concern is that it is a 1.6 diesel and Dad doesn't really do the miles to warrant the diesel with the potential EGR gubbins / problems. I have suggested that he takes it on a good run at least once a month at motorway speeds.
One observation, the supplying garage lent them this and another Berlingo over the course of September and October and this one seems bigger.
Was there an upgrade between 2015 and 2017?
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>> Was there an upgrade between 2015 and 2017?
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Like most cars, the Berlingo has gradually grown. Mk 1 (1998-2008) smallest, Mark 2 (2008-2018) bigger, Mark 3 bigger again (especially with the XL body), but the Mk 3 only came to the market in 2018.
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i had a carony wheel chair that fitted into the front passenenger department. if i was you i would look on ebay under disabled in car section
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Disabled car passengers - Bromptonaut
