Wheelchair bound residents get help with car mobility alterations

“I can’t go down to Sydney and back in a day, technically I can’t go down to Sydney and even come back the next day, it’d kill me,” he said. 

So a three day trip to Sydney it was. Now there is another option for Mr Trimming. 

Tablelands Sport and Spinal Physiotherapy Lithgow teamed with Adapt-A-Car Mobility Solutions on Tuesday, October 23 to show Lithgow residents a new business that is being offered in the Central West. 

This is the first time the physiotherapy team in Lithgow have teamed up with a business like this, according to musculoskeletal physiotherapist Sally Webb. 

“It is such a great idea,” she said. 

Adapt-A-Car uses innovative products and devices to tailor a vehicle to residents needs, and can get residents driving and being independent. 

Mr Trimming said that having someone local who could pick up his car and change his manual to pull down ramps would be helpful. 

The new service will be based in Bathurst and will service the Central West. 

The length of the trip will be cut down for Mr Trimming who may be able to get his car sorted within the day. 

“It is great to see a new business in the rural area, I thought what could a one off person do? But with mobile solutions behind him, it is all fully qualified,” he said. 

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Sally Webb tested out some of the features available to show residents. 

Aaron Faulds, the owner of Adapt-A-Car, has 15 years of experience as a diesel fitter and vehicle accessories installer, and has worked across a diverse range of industries including The Australian Antarctic Division. 

“I love it, I am now a full time house Dad and this gives me work flexibility and I can help people,” Mr Faulds said. 

“I  think this will remove a lot of the manual handling that carers have and that tends to do a lot of damage to the body and is one of the biggest OHS issues.” 

Mr Trimming was impressed with the amount of resources the mobility solutions had. 

“It isn’t just the chair going in and out, he can make alterations which I think is fantastic,” he said. 

Mr Trimming said he detested the push wheelchair so to be able to connect his motorised chair to the car would be amazing. 

“It is just a tremendous idea and the technology is improving dramatically,” Mr Trimming said.  

Mr Faulds also plans on speaking to the local nursing homes in the community. 

“I want to help a lot of people and age affects the body too, not just disabilities.” 

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