Electric scooter advisable?

Mrslala, there are walker leg extenders. Your Dad is not the only man over 6ft tall. It may need to be ordered special but he needs a walker fitted just for him. That is why PT needs to evaluate him. The ones ordered thru Medicare may just be standard. You may need to go to a Durable equipment store. Just looked in Amazon. Extra tall walkers are available and the extenders are shown.

I believe that walkers, the traditional ones encourage poor posture, a hunched walking position and poor visibility since the person is most likely looking at the floor rather than what is in front of them.
An "upright walker" MIGHT solve some of those problems. If it will be used.

Using a scooter will not improve his problems.
I doubt that walking down the hall a few times a day using a walker will greatly improve any of the conditions he has.
If he has poor gait he is at risk of falling. (I know there is a risk at any time)
He is rejecting PT so chance of improving stability, mobility and gait are slim to none.
If you have to get him out to appointments or to go shopping or even for a lunch what piece of equipment is going to be easier for you to get into your car?
A scooter or an electric wheelchair? (there are carriers that you can mount to your car that will hold either)

Now that I have firmly planted myself on the fence....
Discuss the options with the doctor when your dad goes for mobility testing.
If there is a way to rent an upright walker for a few weeks while you make your decision that might be the way to go. That will give you and idea if it improves anything.

By the way if your dad is a Veteran it is possible that any of the equipment might be covered through the VA.

I know this may sound like an odd reply but I have seen all types of items in consignment shops and thrift stores.

Every now and then I have seen expensive scooters in consignment shops that sold for significantly less than buying one new. The same thing for expensive exercise equipment.

If you are lucky enough to find an item like this, you have to grab it right away because chances are if you wait until later to purchase it, it will be gone when you return to the store. That’s the nature of thrift shopping.

At least pay for the item and they will mark it as sold until you can go and pick it up.

So electric scooters are a wonderful tool in the right hands. And for many - they get to a point where their options are limited - its either that or a wheelchair.

But in a residential living situation - they are going to be more strict about it than out in the world. They have to know that the person is physically and mentally capable of managing the scooter because in the wrong hands - it can also be a weapon (meet my FIL unfortunately).

If he qualifies for one - BEFORE you do anything about purchasing you need to talk to the facility and find out what their requirements are. Because just because he gets one doesn't mean he can keep it and use it in the facility - which would defeat the purpose.

If they are like the SNF (which I realize is somewhat different) he will have to take a "driving test" - and that's not a joke. It is to test his physical reaction time, To test his ability to deal with obstacles under normal circumstances and in emergency circumstances (just like on the road). But also the mental aspect of it. Does he understand when to stop, when to slow down, etc. How to manage it properly.

If they were to feel like he might be a danger to himself or the other residents - they can and will disallow the scooter to be on their property. (My FIL lost his after using one for 10 years - he's now using a manual wheelchair).

It can be a great option for him if he really genuinely needs it. But you have to weigh a lot of things - because yes - to some extent - in a lot of cases - once they have the scooter - you do lose a lot of opportunities to get them to walk. But in a lot of cases that option isn't on the table anyway.

Have you considered that maybe your Dad is suffering from depression?

My dad is 85 and sounds similar to ur situation. I was worried same with dad, would getting the scooter make him decline. But I'm grateful we did it. It was 1500 and worth every penny! It took him a month or so to get used to it. Now he drives all over the ALF. I realized medically he is where he is. Reality is he's too old for surgery to fix his compression fractures and bad knees. We've done every therapy there is. It's just too painful for his legs anymore. We call it his batmobile. He loves it! Hope this helps.

Dad has no memory problems. Physical therapy is a fantastic idea. He was in PT until about 3 mo ago but QUIT. He said he could do the exercises at home, but never did. He would refuse when his caretaker tried to help him do the exercises. The PT helped tons! Less pain, more balance, more endurance. Less falls!! But he WON’T do it.
The AL has others on scooters, Dad has pointed out ones he likes. Thx for the heads up about depo$it fee$!! & the possible damage!

Will a scooter just increase his muscle loss? He has NO other physical activity.

The current walker is at its max height but he is over 6’ & the walkers are all too short. He won’t use a cane or even two hiking poles (suggested by PT to take weight off his painful upper back.) I’ve looked into the upright walkers. Anyone had success with those?
I’m just afraid if he loses more strength, then can’t walk, the staff won’t be able to get him in & out of the scooter (6’3, 275) then they won’t allow him to stay there. Keep in mind this is where mom is too, in the MC wing. They both want to be together, it’s our TOP priority!! But if he can’t be transferred or get in/out on his own—we would be in a world of disappointment.
Thx for ideas about used scooters! And the story about going too far—I can see dad making runs to McD’s for fries & ice cream. Hah.

See what the Doctor says, but I'd have a Physiotherapist assess Dad. See what his pain, strength, mobility is like. Maybe his walker can be adjusted as others have said? Or maybe an assessment for different equipment can be arranged with an Occupational Therapist

I did not read the replies. You may want to check with the AL to see if the scooter is allowed. One OP said the AL her parent was in wanted a $3500 deposit for having a scooter.

If your Dad has to hunch over to use a walker, its not adjusted correctly. And people tend to push it ahead of them. What you do is push it forward a little and walk into it. Maybe getting PT in to make sure he uses the walker correctly.

Funny story about crazy old people driving scooters!

The senior apartment building where my oldest brother once lived had residents who would drive their scooters on the sidewalk to the nearby Walgreens. Sometimes they would call my brother to rescue them because of engine problems.

One crazy resident drove his scooter for miles to reach the French Quarter to get a beer with his friends! He was sorry afterwards. He blew up his engine! They aren’t meant for long distance travel!

Two thoughts, first, when my dad got his rollator, it was fitted by a physical therapist who told us that the majority of users have them adjusted far too low, causing the hunching over and increasing back pain. Dad’s was fitted so he stood up straight.
Next, when my dad used electric scooters at times, we quickly found that some were far more stable than others. One of his nastier falls was when a scooter tipped over in a parking lot. I’d get the advice of a physical therapist for the best kind for your dad.

I have serious back problems and can assure you laziness has nothing to do with why my walking is limited. It's irksome to read about elders with dementia or mobility issues who are "lazy" or who "refuse" PT when that's an assumption being made by active, young and healthy children or doctors who see these patients for 15 minutes every once in a blue moon.

What WE may think is best for our elderly loved ones is not necessarily the right answer.

Perhaps dad "refused" to be active and watched tv for the past 2 years because he felt no pain while doing so. My elderly father had a bad back and all my mother did was poke fun at him for what he couldn't do. She accused him of not knowing what REAL pain was......until she wound up in a wheelchair for 3 years and "refused" PT due to her inability to remember instructions. She lost all core strength and had to be pulled up out of bed even. But it was part and parcel of her age and health limitations, nothing else.

Medicare Part B sometimes covers electric scooters or wheelchairs after a face to face meeting with a doctor if medical records support it, and if all other manual durable equipment have been deemed unusable. But normally, electric scooters and wheelchairs aren't allowed in AL anyway, for obvious reasons. Between wrecking drywall and running into residents, there would be chaos with elders pushing the gas button when meaning to push the brake. My dad wrecked all the walls in their AL apartment with his manual wheelchair, and my mother ruined the walls in her Memory Care ALF with hers, and put literal holes in the walls with her electric recliner by not realizing she was continuing to push the recline button after the back had hit the wall.

Best of luck sorting out what's best for dad.

I asked my mother’s neurologist about a scooter and he said that they are incredibly hard to get approved by the insurance companies.

Some people are able to use scooters. Others can’t.

Best wishes to you.

If Dad can manage it (and it's allowed at AL,)and you want to get him a scooter, see if you could get the Pride Maxima.

It may not be laziness, but rather pain from osteoarthritis. My Mom has this and became very stooped very quickly after being a very physically active person her whole life. I took her to PT to try to strengthen her core but didn't really benefit from it. She wanted a brace that she could put on herself, but doesn't use it. I've bought (and returned) several walkers. She sometimes uses a cane and will use the walker inside her home only. She isn't lazy, she's in pain and also has mild cognitive impairment and very mild memory loss. She takes Tylenol before she thinks she'll do some yard or housework.

Just saying, maybe take your Dad to a pain clinic. He won't move if he's in pain. He's young enough where maybe there are other therapy options for his back (and having a stronger core may still be possible, too). Also talk to the admins and staff to encourage them to encourage your Dad to get out and participate in activities. Talking to his doc (or orthopedist or genotologist) about the need for a wheelchair or scooter will help you make a decision. You can call Medicare anytime to find out what types of wheelchairs or electric scooters they will cover. If your Dad is declining in memory and cognition, he may not be able to retain something new, like how to run an electric scooter. Maybe find used ones on craigslist.org or Nextdoor.com.

I would discuss this ASAP with memory care staff. They know your Dad. They know if he is capable of safely managing either an electric W/C or scooter. And they know their own rules and regulations regarding the same. Dependent on the layout of the facility, these things aren't always safe in MC settings. I am all for the help of the scooter or wc if Dad can manage them and they are allowed.