Do you have a leaf blower that can be switched to a vacuum? And if you do, would you be able to vacuum that way? I'm not sure of the limits of your physical capability, but would vacuuming be just as tiring as raking? Maybe not as much physical motion or movement, but I'm thinking lugging and moving a shopvac may be tiring. My leaf blower doubles as a vacuum and while it is a "hand-held" blower/vac, I get tired out pretty quickly! And I don't think I would use anything except a shopvac - I'm not sure if you are asking about other vacuums, or if you are only considering the shopvac, but just thought I'd throw that out there!

I would suggest asking on your local freecycle for some help. Maybe someone would come clean out the bed in exchange for a plant division or two.

Or perhaps your local teen center, boys & girls club, church, or middle or high school have some kind of job bulletin board or program where kids will work. This might be a good longer term solution as well for you. A friend of mine with arthritis used to have a young teen come over and help her. She found him through some kind of work program at the middle school. He got to earn some money and she got help with her garden.

Lastly, are the leaves matted so thickly that they will interfere with growth, or is it just a thin/light layer? Your other option is to clear the leaves around the new growth when it appears, and just leave them in the bed as mulch.

Good luck!
:)
Dee