I previously had much of this post in a thread about the ZX1 power add-on#310, but thought it might be better to split it out.
I've done a lot of searching and can't really find much information about TiLite armrests on the forum. I know that many with SCI do not use armrests. Unfortunately, I think my husband really needs them, and we are trying to decide what type.
Situation: He has hemiparesis/hemiplegia (weakness/paralysis on one side of the body). He needs an armrest or something similarly strong to transfer using one arm and partially weight bearing on one leg. He also uses them for pressure relief and balancing and they help keep his weak arm in place so it does not fall outside the chair. He also has spasms and sometimes seizures, and the arm rests give him a way to feel safe in the chair and something to grab onto makes him feel better. We would like flip back or swing away arm rests on a ZRA. We have also considered DU100066 for a flip-back armrest with a desk arm pad.
History: We have a another TiLite chair with Removable Height Adjustable Desk Arm with Rigid Side Guards, and they are impossible to remove with one hand/arm. Even as an AB, I have difficulty removing them, as you need to put your fingers between the side guards and the wheel. We currently have 1" wheelspacing, but I think it would need to be 2" to maybe make this possible, and this would make the width of the chair too wide for many places we go. We have also considered the Removable Height Adjustable Desk Arm with Rigid Side Guard and Transfer Loop, but these would have the same limitation of not being able to easily remove with one hand/arm.
Problem: We want to get a power add-on, the ZX1, but it is not usable with armrests. One of the major features of the ZX1 is independence in connecting unassisted, but if assistance is needed for removable armrests, also when the ZX1 is not in use, this will cause problems.
Here are some questions I hope that someone can answer:
- Can flip back or swing away armrests on a ZRA be removed easily (one hand and no tools)? If anyone has pictures or a video removing them, that would be really helpful.
- Is there a possibility for a flip back armrest to be locked vertically
- Can anyone offer suggestions for a chair configuration without armrests that still provides a way to transfer using one arm? For example, would Carbon Fiber Fendered side guards be strong enough for transfers?
- Are there any aftermarket easily removable armrests that could be retroffited to a ZRA?
This is a short video of doing a transfer from a chair to a wheelchair with hemiparesis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq2-I6r4bHM&feature=g-upl
Just in case you are not familiar with the armrest TiLite armrest options here is a picture from the Options brochure:
I've done a lot of searching and can't really find much information about TiLite armrests on the forum. I know that many with SCI do not use armrests. Unfortunately, I think my husband really needs them, and we are trying to decide what type.
Situation: He has hemiparesis/hemiplegia (weakness/paralysis on one side of the body). He needs an armrest or something similarly strong to transfer using one arm and partially weight bearing on one leg. He also uses them for pressure relief and balancing and they help keep his weak arm in place so it does not fall outside the chair. He also has spasms and sometimes seizures, and the arm rests give him a way to feel safe in the chair and something to grab onto makes him feel better. We would like flip back or swing away arm rests on a ZRA. We have also considered DU100066 for a flip-back armrest with a desk arm pad.
History: We have a another TiLite chair with Removable Height Adjustable Desk Arm with Rigid Side Guards, and they are impossible to remove with one hand/arm. Even as an AB, I have difficulty removing them, as you need to put your fingers between the side guards and the wheel. We currently have 1" wheelspacing, but I think it would need to be 2" to maybe make this possible, and this would make the width of the chair too wide for many places we go. We have also considered the Removable Height Adjustable Desk Arm with Rigid Side Guard and Transfer Loop, but these would have the same limitation of not being able to easily remove with one hand/arm.
Problem: We want to get a power add-on, the ZX1, but it is not usable with armrests. One of the major features of the ZX1 is independence in connecting unassisted, but if assistance is needed for removable armrests, also when the ZX1 is not in use, this will cause problems.
Here are some questions I hope that someone can answer:
- Can flip back or swing away armrests on a ZRA be removed easily (one hand and no tools)? If anyone has pictures or a video removing them, that would be really helpful.
- Is there a possibility for a flip back armrest to be locked vertically
- Can anyone offer suggestions for a chair configuration without armrests that still provides a way to transfer using one arm? For example, would Carbon Fiber Fendered side guards be strong enough for transfers?
- Are there any aftermarket easily removable armrests that could be retroffited to a ZRA?
This is a short video of doing a transfer from a chair to a wheelchair with hemiparesis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq2-I6r4bHM&feature=g-upl
Just in case you are not familiar with the armrest TiLite armrest options here is a picture from the Options brochure:
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