New Power Wheelchair - My Third

Anyone who has stumbled upon my blog may know of the troubles I encountered with my second powerchair--a Permobil.  Problems with that powerchair began almost immediately after taking posession of it, and continued to where virtually all parts of the chair had been replaced, at least once--well before I was eligible for government support in purchasing a replacement.

Since that time I've heard from numerous owners of a Permobil with similar issues and frustrations.  My personal advice is to stay away from this flawed brand!

My first chair was a Quantum, which ran well for seven years, with only one motor (under warranty) and the joy-stick needing replacement in that time period (not including normal wear on the tires.)  It was repossessed by the ADP government agency on my receipt of the Permobil (something to do with the tilt-seat which I really didn't need in the first place).

The Permobil was a nice looking chair and I was assured by the vendor that it was reliable.  I regretted the choice early on.  The curly-cue sides rails do not permit hanging side pockets for personal items such as keys, etc.  The only plus-side to the design of the Permobil I found was that the motors can be disengaged at the front, by the user, rather than at the rear.  This may be useful if you have some use of your limbs, as I have, to maneuver yourself to a more advantageous location during a breakdown.

A sympathetic friend found a used Quantum 300 powerchair which he offered for my permanent use.  This workhorse freed me from the Permobil nightmare and it continues to work to this day (I did replace both motors after one failed).

On July 12, 2018: having met eligibility for a replacement powerchair, I contacted an Assisted Device Program (ADP) representative at a major local hospital, requesting assessment for a new wheelchair.  I received by e-mail a Microsoft Excel form to fill out with my pertinent information, which then was returned.  This I did and then waited.

August 10, 2018: Not knowing how long these things may take, I waited patiently.  Not having received an update on my submitted request after a month, I again contacted the ADP representative.  She claimed not to have received my e-mailed Excel document.  I suppose I should have asked for a receipt on submission.  I found the original document in my "sent" folder and re-sent the same form which they now received.  (my e-mailed document did not "bounce back".  They must have lost it,)

September 18, 2018: I met with this ADP representative in my home where she assessed my needs and took measurements of my freebie Quantum.  She filed my request with the government agency and we waited for approval.

Late March, 2019: Almost a half-year after my request was filed, I was approved for a new powerchair

April 2, 2019: The initial chair recommended by the ADP agent would simply not meet my requirements.  The vendor who delivered the demonstrator model quickly assessed my situation and proposed another Quantum model.

May 19, 2019: The vendor I had selected delivered a Quantum Q6 model which I found much more to liking and suitable to my needs.  The vendor placed an order with the manufacturer to construct a Q6 to my specifications.

June 11, 2019: The invoice for my Quantum Q6 bears this date and has a listing of the components specifically requested, including seating.

August 22, 2019:  I took possession of the new Quantum Q6.

I found this Quantum model an improvement over my old freebie Quantum, particularly the suspension.  I find it climbs over obstacles much more smoothly.  The demonstrator came with similar curly-cue side-arms.  My model has the more common square frame side supports which Pride (Quantum) supplied with small side bags on each side.

I am keeping my freebie Quantum as I never want to be without motorized wheels again.  Those who have read this blog know I spent the summer of 2017 powerless as I waited another vendor to try twice to resolve my loss of power issues.

I changed vendors as I found the first vendor's office staff somewhat complacent regarding my urgency.  Vendors can only move as fast as the manufacturers offer cooperation.  I don't see why in this age of faxes, e-mails and overnight courier shipping, it takes two weeks to a month to obtain a wheelchair part.  This is in addition to the week's wait before a technician can diagnose the problem and another week for an appointment for the installation of the part.

Enough text.  Here are some photos of the Quantum Q6:

Front View: I requested a foot-rest which folds up underneath the chair.  I can stand and do so frequently during the day.  Also, because I have some use of my legs, I simply lift them up and drive to where I'm going around the house and my property.  The foot-rest would only be employed if I was to travel by a public disability service (taxi or bus).

 

Right Side View: The tubular arm supports form a square frame and you can see a small bag hanging from the middle strut of the arm-rest.  I find this useful for keys, pen; small personal items.

 

Rear View: The rear caster support bar is clean and compact.  Reflectors on the casters.  Motor disengagement toggles are at the rear as in all Quantum models I'm familiar with.  Cables from the controller unit to the motors are exposed and I worry that I may back into something and snag them.  (I'm capable of doing the impossible.)

 

Left Side: Identical to the right side with another small pocket on the sidebar.

 

A photo of the foot support lowered. It is nice, compact and has smooth surfaces so when I stand up and brace against it there is no sharp pressure against my legs.  One problem (arrow) is that the covers to the nuts securing the casters is simply pressure-fitted. My bed frame is at the precise height that it acts as a "bottle opener" and the cap flung off probably as easily as it was punched on.  The cap disappeared into the dark recess of my room, never to be seen again.  Sweeping under the bed with a mop did not recover the cap.  Nor was it thrown back into the nooks and crannies of the chair.  That cap seems to be gone forever.  One of those mysteries like where is Jimmy Hoffa, or Amelia Earhart.

 

One problem I had (with every chair that I owned) was that because I have the ability to stand, I brace against the chair to do so.  The seat pan of every chair is a metal plate about an eighth (or five-sixteenth?) thick.  Even though it is rounded over, the pressure of bracing against it produces cutting discomfort.  My solution was to obtain a thick-walled hose such as that used for washer drainage, easily obtained at a local hardware store such as Home Depot.  The hose is slit using a box cutter or other such item (careful!) and it is slid over the sharp edge.

Here the hose bumper can be seen in place (arrow), protecting the backs of my legs--particularly if in shorts--from the discomfort of bracing.

With warmer weather arriving (the battery won't freeze) I've placed the old Quantum in my garage and hope to use it exclusively outdoors.  I'll transfer from one chair to the other outside and in that way will keep the new one clean if I pull weeds, saw wood or paint.

I still have the Permobil at another site and am not sure what to do with it.  It is a useless "paper-weight" containing many new parts.  In that sense it is too new to scrap but I have no confidence in its continued operation.  Perhaps I can make a nice flower planter out of it.

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Greed, Engineering Stupidity? - Your Call...

Greed, Engineering Stupidity? - Your Call...

A day after having my Quantum 6000's joystick controller replaced, I'm still fuming that the diagnosis of my chair's power issue was incorrect and that I was stuck with a $921.00 bill for a component that was well used but entirely functional.

The new $921.00 joystick control unit,

My previous tech informed me that the Permobil control unit was built in China.  I imagine the Quantum is also a Chinese product.  Why China?  Well, for one reason alone - to save money for the manufacturer; not the client!

I suspect that the unit costs in the neighbourhood of $10.00 to mass produce and I'm probably overestimating.  Three film pressure switches; a row of LED lights; the gimbal joystick and a few chips and microprocessors within housing of recycled plastic.  Tack on the cost of shipping in overseas containers (literally a slow boat from China) and mark the product up 100%.  Stockholders and investors will be pleased.  The CEO can buy another Mercedes.

I can purchase an audiophile quality stereo component for about the same price as my joystick controller --- and it has a significantly greater number of electronic chips, components and circuitry than does the joystick.  Market size for these exotic components are probably smaller as well --- a poor excuse.

How can the cost be justified when many of the disabled relying on these products are destitute, unemployed, have no private insurance coverage and no huge wrongful injury settlement.  Well, the government will pay --- so jack up the price.  Remember it is not the government, but the taxpayer that pays and that means most of us.

So after they misdiagnosed my power issue, I was told I needed a new motor to replace the damaged one (the one which measured "bang-on" company specs a month ago)

The problem is that the small round housing holding one of the motor's brushes is cracked.  But you cannot replace the brush --- individual motor brushes are not marketed so you have to replace the whole motor.

'Can you imagine having to replace your car engine because you need new spark plugs?'

As I lamented in my previous post --- can you imagine needing a new spark-plug for your car and you're told the only way to get a new spark-plug is to install a new engine!

Technicians tell me that the motors are not repaired but are scrapped.  Crushed, ground up and melted to recover the metals.

A throw-away society that congratulates itself on being environmentally green!  Yeah, I'll light a candle for that during Earth Hour!

The engineering geniuses also designed motors that are not reversible; left can not be swapped for right or vice-versa.  Why?  As I understand it, they are attached to a frame or housing which only fits one side. Twice the needed inventory space makes no sense. (more on that further below). 

The Dual Quantum motors are indicated by the red arrows.  The also point to the lever which engages or disengages the motor from the wheelchair (so it can be manually pushed).  Simply flipping the motor over to the opposite side would put the leaver facing inward.  Can the black cap on the rear of the motor be unscrewed and flipped around to make the motor interchangeable?  Can a left motor be mounted in the right motor's housing?  I never received a clear answer from my tech.  I suspect it is not that easy,

When the motor(s) failed on my Permobil, they specifically ordered a left (or right) motor.  Is it different for the Quantum?

My issues are not with the Quantum chair, nor Pride which is the parent company.  This Quantum was given to me free of charge by a sympathetic friend and the chair was old with worn parts that would last an unknown duration.  It is well past its life expectancy but I wish to keep it going for heavy use outside around the garden and garage.

My final gripe is that nobody stocks parts any longer because of the cost of storage of a variety of parts that may or may not at some time be needed.  Very little is kept at the shop.  Everything seems to be ordered by carrier pigeon and shipped by that 'slow boat from China'.  No faxing orders --- no overnight courier shipping.  The client can wait --- they're disabled and have no life anyway.

You can't sell what you don't stock!  Unfortunately, with Shopper's Home Healthcare out of the wheelchair business (though they were incompetent), there is no alternative to turn to and therefore no competition,  Companies competing for clients would keep each other on their toes and serve their clients better.

Am I bitter?  Hell yes!  The franchise in this city is not run as efficiently as the previous one of the same name in my previous town.  Now that Shopper's Home Healthcare has divested itself of wheelchairs they are the only game in town.  There is no competition.  Service lags, long wait times for service and technicians are stressed.  It's a formula for disaster.

This chair will no longer climb my ramp and I was advised not to "push it" as it may fail altogether before replacement motors are available.

2018 may be the summer I spend indoors.

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Permobil M300 - It Runs!

Anyone following this blog knows of my persistent problems with the Permobil M-300 motorized wheelchair.  Virtually every part of it had to be replaced  starting within months of purchasing it and with additional problems occurring every year thereafter.

Both motors died within months of each other and a replacement motor had to be returned as it failed to operate properly.  The electronic 'brain' or control unit also died and required replacement.

Still with all this done, one Permobil wheelchair motor would periodically cut out - that is, would not receive power.  This usually occurred while I was attempting to reverse.  With one wheel powerless, I could only turn in circles about the stationary wheel.

My wheelchair service providers could not determine the cause and Permobil U.S. headquarters were less than helpful in resolving the situation.  They required the error code displayed on the joystick module to determine the problem but there was no error code displayed.

It became a "Who's on First?" Abbot & Costello routine between my service provider and Permobil U.S.  "What's the Code?"  "There is no code!"  "Then you don't have a problem!"  "But the chair won't run!."  "Then what's the code?"  "There is no code." "Then the chair is not broken."  "But it won't run!"  "Then what's the code?...

The temporary solution my service provider found was to unplug the wiring harness connector from the motor not receiving power, wait a few seconds and then to reconnect the connector.  It seemed to solve the problem temporarily - like rebooting a computer.  Still the problem remained as it would cut out every few days.

The good news is that it seems to have corrected itself for about the last ten times I attempted to use the Permobil, it has run without any problems.

Still, it remains unsettling for if a specific problem was not found and a specific solution found, I operate the chair hesitantly, waiting for the next occurrence of the same problem.  It doesn't ease the mind when something fixes itself.  Why and how long are questions that come to mind.

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Still Broken

I last posted on October 26th that the Permobil failed yet again.  Today is November 23rd and the Permobil has been in the shop for just short of a month now with no resolution in sight.  Motion Specialties is baffled and Permobil U.S. has shown no interest in helping solve the problem but have indicated that they are willing to sell me a new motor every ninety days; their faith in their product reflected in the length of warranty they offer.

The Permobil has cost me as much to repair as I originally paid to acquire it.  It was gently used almost exclusively on indoor surfaces.  After four years it has become nothing more than a paper-weight sitting on my repair shop's floor.

Even if I was to get it back, I hesitate to use it alone or in public as I no longer have any confidence in its ability to get me to where I'm going.

So I continue to use my privately acquired old 'loaner' Quantum powerchair without experiencing any problems to date.

Does anyone really believe that I was sold the only "Lemon" in their crop?

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Permobil Broken Again!

Permobil Thinks I Have Money To Burn!! 

Well, I spoke too soon!  Do you believe in a jinx?  Did I jinx my chair by noticing it was still running?  I started my previous post on September 21st by saying my Permobil M300 was still running after both Right and Left Motors were replaced earlier this year and the Left motor was replaced twice.  That's right - three new motors since January of this year.

This evening my chair again stopped working in an identical manner as last time.  I try to back up from my work desk and the wheelchair feels like it is struggling - like something is caught in one wheel binding them up.  The chair will not back-up straight, but turns, and turns sluggishly.  One motor is not engaged (left I think) or perhaps does not receive full power.  As a result the working motor pivots (pushes) the chair around the non-powered tire.

I disengaged the motors (manual mode), then re-engaged them hoping that resetting them cure the problem. Nope!  There are no indicator lights on the joystick flashing error codes.  One motor is either damaged (unlikely as this is the second replacement).  At the end of last year the control module died requiring its replacement.  Could it be that the new, replaced controller unit has a fault that shows up periodically?  Is there a power distribution problem in the Joystick itself?  Where can this problem lie?

One of the motors failed just past three months after it was installed.  Three months is the length of Warranty Permobil offers on their fine product.  If not for the persistence, and insistence of my repair shop supervisor, I would have had to fork out another $945.54 Cnd.  Now it appears as if the same motor has failed yet again.  It was installed on August 6th of this year so it appears to have broken after about six weeks of operation.  Will my repair shop supervisor have to fight to get this motor exchanged for yet another (3rd), if it is indeed the problem.

I can stand up.  Permobil knows I can as their sales person had the fold-up foot rest made specifically to fold beneath the chair, clear of my legs.  On standing, I brace against the chair and the motor brakes keep this chair from rolling back under my pressure.  Could that be damaging some component, perhaps the motor brake?  I stood with my old Quantum without any problem.  Permobil's sales person was eager to sell me this chair - so eager they outright lied to me on another issue.  Could it be that this chair's motor brakes are not strong enough to brace me and become damaged.  Why would someone sell me a chair that is not suitable for my needs if this is the case?  Pure greed, I imagine.

So, I am in my manual chair until I can call the service department Monday morning.  After that, it depends on whether they can diagnose the problem, talk Permobil U.S. into a replacement motor for the replacement motor for the replacement motor - if that is indeed the problem.

Last time my Repair shop supervisor spoke with Permobil U.S. it sounded like some Abbot & Costello routine where Permobil U.S. asks what code was showing and my service person says there was no code, where Permobil U.S.responds that they can't tell my service person what the problem was without a code where my service person points out that if he had a code he would know what the problem was and wouldn't be calling!

This Permobil powerchair has not left the house since the last motor was installed.  It travels between three rooms -four if you count the washroom.  Every part except for the steel tubing frame has broken and or been repaired/replaced.  Repairs have cost more than I paid for the chair in the first place.  I feel that Permobil owes me a grovelling apology and a brand new replacement chair.  Another chair manufactured by anyone but Permobil.  They think I have money to burn!!!

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A New Motor to Replace my New Motor

Those who have followed my posts know that both my Permobil motors failed this year, within a month of each other.  Motors are not stocked in Canada and so have to be ordered and shipped from the United States.  You would think that with Faxing and e-mails orders could be placed withing minutes and with overnight courier shipping, items could arrive the next day....you would think!

Followers may also know that one of my new motors acted up shortly after being installed.  With Permobil "shortly" is a very subjective term.  As best that could be determined, without a displayed code, and non-existent help from Permobil in Tennessee, was that the motor brake would not release.  The result was that I would spin in circles when trying to drive.

At the repair shop, the problem disappeared as it had appeared -without cause or notice.  The chair was returned to me but I had little confidence in its operation -when would this happen again?  I thought that was the end of it.

However, the repair manager at Motion Specialties repair facility did not give up.  Unbeknown to me he contacted Permobil in the U.S. once more and requested a replacement motor for my chair.  Motion specialties U.S. pointed out to him that the motor was over 3 months old and therefore the warranty had expired.  If I was to get another new motor, I would have to lay out another $945.54 (base price) and buy a new one outright!

My service manager took the issue right up to the CEO (if I understood him correctly) asking him if their products were so poorly manufactured, and that they, themselves had so little confidence in them, that they would only offer an 90 day warranty on their product.  After some discussion  Permobil authorized a replacement motor at no cost (original replacement to be returned to them).
I know of no disabled people who could afford to lay out $945.54, (installation is extra), ninety days after having just done that-twice!!!

Still, the problem occurred in July and it was only yesterday, August 5th, that the motor was exchanged.  Motion Specialties is very busy now that it has acquired Shoppers Home Healthcare's dropped operation.  However, they have always acted in a timely and punctual manner.  I have to wonder if it took over a month for Permobil U.S. to act.

I have to believe that this replacement motor of a replacement motor will work for the duration of this chair's life...or significantly longer than 90 days, in order to get my $945.54 out of it.

So, kudos to Motion Specialties, and my service manager for going above and beyond on my behalf.  Another big 'raspberry' to Permobil for producing a lousy product and not fully standing behind it.  For the former, their customers are everything; for the latter, profit is everything.

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Again, I asked my service manager "why does your company continue to offer Permobil wheelchairs if they are this bad"  He replied that he had never seen a chair such as mine that essentially had to be replaced and rebuilt from the ground up in now, just four years.  He told me that they just received a Permobil powerchair in the shop that is having its first motor replaced after 9 years of service.  All I can think of is that they made things better almost a decade ago.

I will let the reader of this blog decide for themselves if Permobil is worth the risk.

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Shoppers Divesting Wheelchair Operations

Shoppers Home Healthcare

More Like

Shoppers We Don't Care

Where do you find a competent wheelchair repair service in Ontario, Canada?

Those of you who have followed this blog already know of the aggravation and frustration I've experienced in my attempts to obtain wheelchair repairs from Shoppers Home Healthcare.  If not, check out the post entitled 'If You Want Service Like This, May I recommend...'

Well, misery loves company, and it appears that there is plenty of misery out there for those attempting to obtain wheelchair service through Shoppers Home Healthcare.  Are they truly that uncaring, that incompetent, or was the plan all along to rid them selves of the home healthcare service which included wheelchair sales and service?

A recent article by reporter Jonathan Sher of the London Free Press (Ontario Canada) outlines the problems with Shoppers Home Healthcare in that city as well.  Jonathan reports that Shoppers intends to divest itself of the 'health care' aspect of its operation which includes wheelchair sales and service.

Recently, Loblaws, a major supermarket food chain, bought Shoppers Drug Mart under which Shoppers Home Healthcare operated.   I believe that Loblaws simply wanted Shoppers for their 'pharmaceutical' sales and nothing more.  One stop shopping - is seems as if every food supermarket has a pharmacy these days.

According to Jonathan Sher's article, Shoppers Home Healthcare was given a monopoly by the Ontario Government to sell and service wheelchairs.  It seems as if you were expecting government assistance in funding these expensive power wheelchairs, you had to deal with Shoppers.  Why a monopoly?  Competition not only drives excellence but lowers costs.

It appears as if Motion Specialties will be acquiring some of the business that Shoppers is divesting itself of.  Whether they will have another monopoly or whether there may now be some competition is yet to be seen.

In my frustration with Shoppers Home Healthcare, I switch to Motion Specialties as my service provider.  To date, they have offered excellent, compassionate and timely service.  My fear is that there will be an adjustment period after acquiring Shoppers clients and that service may falter as a result.  My hope that any growing pains would be temporary as the business expands.

The disabled may be some of the most vulnerable people in society.  Service providers must offer timely and compassionate service at an honest price.  This is not where you should be making exorbitant profits either from the client or the government.  If unable, you shouldn't be in the business.  And be thankful that you are not held hostage by a wheelchair.

Those familiar with my blog posts know of the multitude of problems I've experienced with my current Permobil power wheelchair.  I have to wonder about the quality of materials and workmanship that go into these essential medical aids.

• Why do wheelchair manufacturers only give a year's warranty on their product.  Do they have so little confidence in what they produce?
• Should not the wheelchairs components be manufactured from military or medical grade materials?  At least the electronics?  I have had to replace virtually every component on my current chair and it is only three years old.  This chair is not abused and is used almost exclusively indoors.  I know as a fact, certain components on my current chair are manufactured in China, and most likely by the lowest bidder.
• Replacement parts are so expensive that many are not kept in stock and must be ordered internationally resulting in extensive down-time for the wheelchair client.
• As a health care worker in a hospital setting, I encountered and had conversations with numerous wheelchair bound people.  Many brought up the issue of pricing and wondered why identical wheelchairs in the United States were three to four times cheaper than here in Canada?

Just imagine yourself having broken down in the middle of a busy intersection on a rainy day with a full bladder.  You call up the Shoppers service department and get their answering machine.  You request a service call and leave your cell-phone number.......and nobody gets back to you....ever.

On one particular breakdown, I called their service department and left 21 messages over several days, requesting a service call and never got the courtesy of a call-back.  Shoppers.....they just don't care, and I for one am glad they will be out of the wheelchair business.  They should never have been in it in the first place!

New March 20th, 2016

Read the comment from a visitor to my blog for additional commentary and insight on the 'Shoppers' shameful mismanagement of their wheelchair obligations. (click on comments immediately under this post)

Just as an aside, I received a great deal of Shoppers 'Optimum' points when I purchased this sad excuse for a wheelchair.  I thought that I was continuing to accumulate points whenever I was "forced" to shop at Shoppers.  The other day my wife had the cashier check to see what our total was.  Interestingly it was a big ZERO.  I thought that points no longer expired....silly me...

A London Free Press newspaper article of February 24th, 2016 has Shoppers Drug Mart stating that they are interested in dispensing Medical Marijuana once the government legalizes the medicine general accessibility rules and provides dispensing guidelines.  If Shoppers Drug Mart is as incompetent in dispensing Medical Marijuana as its Shoppers Home Healthcare division was in servicing wheelchairs, then I suspect patients/clients will be severely disappointed!

New April 8th, 2016

An April 8^th article by City TV’s Shauna Hunt describes a disabled fellows attempt to get his wheelchair back from Shoppers Home Healthcare (more like ‘Shoppers We Don’t Care).  The diabetic has a loaner chair which is far too large for him.  He found the loaner very tippy and actually fell over breaking a tooth.  The Provinces Assistive Devices Program (ADP) paid $754.00 Cnd for the repair, however the chair was never returned to the client.  He states that he has been calling Shoppers three times a month however the calls have not been returned. (sound familiar?)

  

The Shoppers location has signage which informs of its closing on March 22^nd of 2016 and directs people to call Motion Specialties for service.  Motion specialties did manage to find his chair at the original Shoppers repair shop after some four hours of inquiries.  His chair now has been returned.

City news contacted the Ontario Government’s senior and Long-Term Care Critic, Mr. Bill Walker who believes wait times for assessment and repairs for mobility devices has become unacceptable in Ontario.  He goes on to mention another instance where a disabled client waited nine months for an inspection, let alone repairs being started.

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I just don’t get it!  This is not even incompetence!  Shoppers Home Healthcare really had to have a ‘game plan’ and make a concerted effort to be this bad!  Were they purposely trying to lose the business after the Loblaws supermarket chain purchased the Shoppers pharmacy chain for their pharmaceuticals alone??

Shoppers Home Healthcare has willingly decided to drop their corporate pants and crap on the disabled, the most vulnerable citizens of this province.  My advice to the disabled, and to anyone else who has compassion, not to give Shoppers Drug Stores your business, whether within or outside of Loblaws.

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