Injury, old age, disease or illness are often the main reasons why someone would need a wheelchair for mobility purposes when traveling. If you or a loved one will be traveling soon, you might want to consider renting instead of buying expensive medical devices.
Some injuries are temporary and would only require a wheelchair for a short time. An example might be someone with a fracture that can’t put weight on the injury for a period of time. Buying a wheelchair for mobility purposes in such cases doesn’t make sense financially.
Temporarily Renting a Wheelchair
Renting a wheelchair in temporary situations is often the smarter choice. Wheelchair rentals are usually covered by insurance providers. If you are traveling by car, plane, train or cruise ship, you should be aware that wheelchairs, electric wheelchairs and scooters are often accommodated on these modes of transport.
This makes getting around on your trip much easier and more enjoyable.
People who are wheelchair dependent often feel much more comfortable in a wheelchair that’s theirs, but there are instances where renting might be more beneficial than bringing their own.
Indoor Wheelchairs against Outdoor Wheelchair
Most people don’t have wheelchairs that are usable on every terrain or for every situation in their life. Indoor wheelchair are different from outdoor ones. Indoor wheelchairs need to be lightweight and maneuverable while outdoor wheelchairs are often heavier and should be motorized if the user doesn’t want to be dependent on others for mobility.
Another instance where renting a wheelchair might be beneficial is when traveling since personal wheelchairs can often be damaged by baggage handlers or cargo that shifts. Another reason is although something works in a particular country, it might not work in another.
International Accessibility for Wheelchair Users
Some conditions might be country specific, for instance, some countries have narrower door frames and their wheelchairs are designed accordingly. Another common problem is with powering motorized wheelchairs.
Some countries have 220 volts which won’t work on North American power wheelchairs unless it has a built in transformer. If a part breaks, replacing it in a foreign country might be difficult because of incompatible parts.
These are just a few of the challenges that you might encounter when traveling abroad. Therefore even if you are very comfortable in your personal wheelchair, the above reasons might change your mind about using a rental wheelchair.
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