Power Assist

Power assist sits between a manual wheelchair and a power wheelchair. Motors are added to a chair someone already owns and already fits, so they keep the chair, the seating and the size, and gain help with the pushing.

Why not just move to a power chair

Because a power chair is a bigger change than it looks. It is heavier, needs a ramp or a vehicle lift, needs somewhere to charge, and it takes over the space in a home. It also changes how a person is seen and how they move. Many people who are struggling to propel do not want or need any of that. They want the same chair to be easier to push.

Power assist also protects shoulders. Years of self-propelling wears out shoulder joints, and shoulder pain is one of the most common reasons long-term wheelchair users lose independence. Adding assistance early can extend how long someone keeps propelling themselves.

Two kinds, and the difference matters

Occupant assist replaces the rear wheels with powered ones. The user still pushes, and the motors multiply each push, so a hill or a long distance takes a fraction of the effort. This suits someone who can still propel but tires or has sore shoulders.

Attendant assist powers the chair for whoever is pushing it. The user does not drive; the person behind does, using a control on the handles. This suits a caregiver managing slopes, distances or a heavier occupant, and it protects the pusher's back as much as the rider's shoulders.

Fitting

Power assist has to match the chair it is going on. Frame type, axle position, wheel size and the chair's own weight all matter, and not every system fits every chair. Bring the chair in, or send us photographs and the model, and we will confirm what will work before anything is ordered.