RX 3 Gen and perhaps earlier versions - mobility use

[Barry14UK]

Sadly my wife has advanced Alzheimer's Vascular Dementia and I need to be able to get her to part time day care and to her and my appointments. She is finding it increasingly difficult to use a Z frame and get into and out of my RX.  It looks like I will need to use a wheelchair and I appreciate it's probably a long shot but wonder how any members here faced with a similar situation have dealt with it.  I have seen ramps used and a hoist on other cars and there are of course specially designed mobility cars that will take a wheelchair but I don't wish to part with my RX, particularly as the mobility need could be for months rather than a year or so.  I should be obliged to learn whether any other person has met this situation and overcome it in their  RX. 

[katabrontes]

I have seen various adaptions to either allow a special seat to rotate and drop to make access to a wheelchair beside the care easy or a hoist fitted to a special roof rack which does the same.  A man in a wheelchair used to use something like this to go clay pigeon shooting in Cyprus and it allowed him to be completely independent.  I don't have a source for this type of adaption but I am sure your local occupational therapy department would be able to help.

[Barry14UK]

12 hours ago, katabrontes said:

I have seen various adaptions to either allow a special seat to rotate and drop to make access to a wheelchair beside the care easy or a hoist fitted to a special roof rack which does the same.  A man in a wheelchair used to use something like this to go clay pigeon shooting in Cyprus and it allowed him to be completely independent.  I don't have a source for this type of adaption but I am sure your local occupational therapy department would be able to help.

Thank you.  Yes I will try Mobility outlets but as this is probably a rare situation that few will have encountered for an RX thought it worth asking here.  

[katabrontes]

You might find NHS Occupational Therapy services or specialist disability support groups would be more helpful than commercial suppliers as they should be able to offer experience from those actually using the equipment. I tried to find the shooter in Cyprus who had a system fitted to his 4x4 but I don't have his contact details.

[Barry14UK]

Well thank you again for searching.  As it happens I have been told by the NHS Disability people that  they will be coming to see how well various equipment they have loaned is working and I will see if they have any suggestions.  I know I could purchase a lightweight foldable wheelchair to take my wife to the car and stow it in the boot but that means my assisting her from the wheelchair and into the car helped a little by a small step I bought remains the problem. Unfortunately, her legs have buckled on two occasions as she was getting from the Zimmer Frame into the car and even with a wheelchair this transfer part would be the same problem.

If I can find something better, I will post, as maybe  somebody else might be in a similar situation some day..