Mobility scooters. Any thoughts?

Mobility scooters have pros and cons. For some people they are excellent in situations where someone has to go long distances or be somewhere for a long time and a walker or even a wheelchair would just be really exhausting.

For others, they can be a slippery slope to losing their mobility entirely. And they can be dangerous in the wrong hands.

They range from lightweight to closing in on the size of a lawnmower (which requires a special lift on the vehicle) Some have horns and lights and 4 wheels. Some of them can go up to 18 miles an hour if road ready - which is just ridiculous for a senior with impaired vision, depth perception and hearing.

My grandmother has a very lightweight one - and rarely uses it. She uses a rollerator most of the time and gets around pretty well for short bursts with that (she's 97, small frame, still moves pretty well, has had one hip replaced, moves slowly). The scooter is just for longer trips where she knows she won't be able to manage the walk without many stops - and she can stay seated on the scooter.

My FIL on the other hand - began using a scooter probably off and on about 12 years ago - then moved what I would consider full time about 11 years ago. He progressed to bigger and more powerful scooters and had to upgrade the lifts on the car, had to have an elevator put in his garage so that he could ride it up from the garage to the door level because he got to the point that the one step up was too much for him. The scooter started being detrimental because he was able to use the walker to walk even longer distances but "why should I when I have the scooter". This began a downward spiral for him. He wouldn't even use it for short distances. He would ride the scooter directly to the door of the car and then have someone put the scooter on the lift for him - and still want to drive!!

This was a real problem - because he has impulsivity issues. He drives the scooter like a bat out of hell. He thinks people should move out of his way - instead of him being aware of people. He would back up without looking. He would fly down aisles in stores. He would honk his horn at people and expect them to jump out of his way.

And it got worse when he went into the nursing home. We weren't going to take it with him. We figured if he was that dangerous outside of the facility it would be a serious problem inside. (He had already managed to fall off of or miss the seat like 3 times resulting in falls, and catch the wheel on a door once and flip it over entirely) But the facility said bring it on, so we did. BIG MISTAKE.

They give all residents with mobility scooters a driving test. But before they do, they are not allowed to drive it without express permission and supervision. Until they are released to drive they are not allowed free reign. He broke the rules, went joy-riding, and almost broke a nurse, fell off of it, got trapped and had to have a 5-alarm nurse call to rescue him. They consider him a hazard to himself, the residents and the staff and he was banned from having it and relegated to a regular wheelchair.

So why do I say all of this? Know your loved one. Know what they are capable of up front and how you think they will handle that kind of freedom. How do they manage driving? Will they become dependent on it or will it be just on occasion? How will it impact their mobility?

These are all important considerations.

Your profile says that your mom is currently in rehab. OT and PT is where to start before discharge. There are 3 wheels and 4 wheel units. With many, the 3 wheel can tip over. A lot also depends on cognitive skills. When my OT daughter was doing internship, 2 patients went outside. One ended falling into the bushes and the other went out of control down a steep driveway and fell over in a busy state road. Also if mom ends up in AL or MC, patients may be banned from using them for the safety of other patients or for damage to property which they may get billed for.

I haven’t read any other’s answers.
But I’m thinking maybe ask PT and OT ?
Also , I tried having my mother use the one at Walmart after recovering from a stroke many years ago . It was too difficult for her to get in and out of it , the chair did not swivel . It was the kind with the bicycle type handle bars Still have to be pretty coordinated to get in and out of those kind and she couldn’t keep/ get her balance .

I will never forget my friend telling me how her father with dementia had his license taken away, so he jumped on his mobile scooter and was about to hit the highway to go see his friend before she caught up with him in her car.

Cover
My friends aunt used one for several years and loved it. Turned out she had a lung issue that wasn’t diagnosed until a few months before she died so it probably really helped her out. She wizzed around in her house with it. Used a walker when she went out. She never fell so there is that.
But they aren’t good if they keep a person from exercising. Doesn’t take much to lose mobility when too many shortcuts are taken.
Talk to your therapist about it.

Thank you to all who commented and a big thank you to TouchMatters for posting a few recommended models.

Since the older population is increasing, a mobility scooter may be a way to get to where a competent elder wants to go without needing a car.

Unfortunately (or fortunately for some 😆) the scooter is a fair weather device. Despite the high cost of some models, (some around the cost of a used car) they can't be used in inclement weather and they're not waterproof; then there is the aforementioned dependency that some users may develop.

Cover, I understand that for Medicare to pay for a mobility scooter, you must need to use it INSIDE your home, ie, must be quite disabled.

Medicare will not pay for it if it is primarily for use outside the home.

Personally if I was looking for something for indoor use I would opt for a power wheelchair, they are infinitely customizable and are designed for comfort.
There is a man in my town who has a beautiful four wheel scooter that looks as though it can handle almost any terrain, I've been thinking that something like that may be the perfect option for when I give up my car. Yes all of this is expensive but usually there is a least partial coverage for mobility devices and an outdoor scooter is still much cheaper than a car.

There are so many kinds it's pretty hard to compare them. From my observations what you need is really going to depend on how you intend to use it; something small and manoeuvrable enough to be practical in most indoor settings is going to have limited capability as a commuter scooter, and anything robust enough to go distances and handle sidewalks, curbs and weather hazards will likely be too big for indoor use.

My stepfather had one, he was in AL and had to take a driving test which he passed. Without it his wife had to push him around in a wheel chair, she is tiny, he was big, it was a struggle.

Medicare paid for his, it was a god send.