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: Esther Abe asked: >Does anyone out there have a better way to make wheelchairs more comfortable? With a doctor's prescription, Medicare provided my husband with a wheelchair that he selected at a medical supply store. It has made his life, and mine, a little easier. I remember having to sit for a just a short time in one of the standard issue ones that are found in doctor's offices and emergency rooms. It was SO uncomfortable! Ours is a Breezy model by Quickie. It folds compactly and is light enough for me to lift into our van without getting a hernia. It's seat and back are well padded. We purchased an additional foam cushion for it. My husband has very little padding on his sitting equipment and has a problem with his spine too, so we have added a foam donut cushion that he sits on in addition to the fitted one. We picked that up at the medical supply department at our local pharmacy. Sometimes he puts another cushion on top of the other two. He reminds me of the story of the princess and the pea. I have tried sitting for a while in his wheelchair and found it to be very comfortable ( but I have a lot more personal padding than he does, alas.) It is important to have foot rests that can be adjusted so the knees are level at a right angle with the body. Our chair has arm rests that can be swung up and back out of the way. This makes it much easier to transfer a person out of the chair and into a car, for example. Seat widths vary and one that is not too wide for its occupant will help with slouching. To help with slouching, we use one of the trays that fit across the arms of the chair and are held in place with velcro straps. These are useful for meals and for supporting reading or writing materials, etc. Neal always sits in his wheelchair to read or watch TV, preferring it to any other chair or couch because it is more comfortable, supports his back better and is easier to get out of than most seating equipment. But nothing is really completely comfortable for those who have to sit for long periods of time. Hasn't anyone invented a "waterbed" cushion for wheelchair use? How about it Don? Martha Rohrer (CG for Neal, 77/12) [log in to unmask]