I am all about staying as active as possible for as long as possible. I realize that some people have limitations that prevent them from being as mobile as they would like.
They do provide independence for some people. They are able to get around on their own. I see people using them in stores.
They are expensive. I don’t know anything about the maintenance. I would try to buy the most reliable one that was available.
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.
So true about the exercising; use it or lose it. I read that even using a wheelchair, the back muscles could weaken; could imagine that may be an issue with the scooter as well,?
One part I found interesting, with how much many costs, they're not waterproof (yet) and really can't be used in inclement weather or driven through, say puddles ( or some through snow)
Thank you!! It's a consideration 🙂. Its more out of curiosity, though. I've read they're expensive to buy and understandably harder if trying to go through insurance; there are the possible maintenance issues as well.
I guess those are the "drawbacks" to being more independent, though.
My mother's OT thought mom was a candidate for one, which surprised me, as mom has lost a lot of core strength, and this is the same OT who told me mom would never again go to the bathroom unassisted. But apparently there are models with swivel seats and pull-away arms and other helpful stuff like that.
Some models can also be taken apart and put in a car trunk--though I assume that in most cases the person doing this is not the person using the scooter.
If the scooter rides low, maybe some sort of bright flag to improve visibility when crossing streets? (Same with a chair I suppose.)
I'm not sure exactly what is gained over an electric wheelchair, but there must be tons of web comparisons out there.
Scooters do seem neat. I'm sure I would prefer one over a chair, but I'm not sure what my rationale would be.
As others have said, whether a scooter is a good choice depends greatly on what the intended uses are. A scooter is designed for someone who can get in and out by herself/himself, so the person must be able to stand and probably to walk a little. An electric wheelchair can be used by someone who cannot stand or walk and may have less use of her/his arms.
I had a scooter for a few years when I had terrible, intractable foot problems and pain. But the purpose differed from what most people here are discussing: I did not use the scooter in my home at all, and even if I had had enough space, my orthopedist would have opposed my using it at home: he wanted me walking as much as possible. The scooter was entirely for going places where I otherwise would need to walk distances on hard surfaces, which my feet couldn't handle. It was thus important for me to get one that would disassemble and fit in a car (a lift might have been possible).
I would add that often scooter ads emphasize use for going places that might otherwise not be easily accessible as opposed to getting around in one's home. One person here mentioned that her relative became dependent on the scooter against his doctor's wishes and ultimately lost a good deal of mobility. I think in-home a doctor would want you to use a scooter if the alternative were an electric wheelchair; but if the alternative were a walker, the doctor would probably support using the walker and maintaining more mobility,
Also fwiw if your home is not ADA ready or adaptable, it will not be approved. You may be approved but your primary residence is not ADA compliant, so no scooter.
In my area, lots of folks have had to have their homes elevated to meet post Katrina flood plain management standards. For many that means a BFE / base flood elevation from 18’ - 25’ above sea level. So stairs leading to your first floor many with landing between flights or have a lift (technically not an elevator for humans… ya in theory do not have “packages” weighing more than 225 lbs onto your lift, lol). The electric scooters cannot work in these situations as not ADA ok.
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.
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?
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 .
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.
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.
We have a Senior building in our town. To get to the shopping center is a pretty good walk so some residents were able to get the scooters. There are no sidewalks on part of the travel because of a parking lot. I was always afraid that one of the residents would get hit by a car turning in. Our State requires orange flags being displayed if using outside of the home. These scooters are really not made for this type of coming and going. Batteries are $100. Lifts need to be placed on the car. My GF purchased one some 10 yrs ago and that was $500. She eventually bought a used Special needs van with a ramp. She was lucky when anything happened to the scooter, her husband could fix it. It usually involved the hand controls.
We need more information on why the person might need / want a scooter. Review / google as I did here:
What is a good mobility scooter to buy?
The Best Mobility Scooters of 2023 Best Ergonomics. Pride Mobility Go Go Sport 4-Wheel. Best Lightweight Design. iLiving i3. Best Foldable. Shoprider Echo Folding Scooter. Best Heavy-Duty Design. Lagtom 800W 4-Wheel Mobility Scooter. Best For Travel. Vive Health 4 Wheel Mobility Scooter. Oct 18, 2023
I concur with the writer Blueeyedgirl, My husband had a four wheel Pride scooter that was heavy duty - when he discovered he could ride it inside the house, he stopped trying to walk with a walker. He had a stroke in 2011 and has suffered with back pain due to an accident he had many years ago. Yes, it was painful for him to walk, but he became totally dependent on the scooter and he started putting on a lot of weight which made his mobility issues even worse. He was told by his doctors that he would end up bed bound. He is 76 years old and outside of multiple UTI infections over the course of a year, he is in fairly good health. He became very weak after a serious infection in July of this year which ultimately landed him in long-term skilled nursing. Now he is wheelchair dependent and was told by the physical therapist he did not qualify for a scooter, too dangerous as he is not able to stand and transfer - he uses a transfer board to go from one sitting position to the other. He is returning home on December 6th, and he thinks he will be able to do the things he did before he was hospitalized. He has lost some of his cognitive abilities, therefore driving a scooter is out of the question. About a year ago he traded in the Pride for a Golden four wheel scooter that could be broken down in parts and put in the trunk of the car, which I as his caregiver was doing. I am not a great fan of the scooters; electric wheelchairs are a better option.
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.
My dad (stroke victim and can't do much on his own) has a GoGo we call "Timmy" that uses deftly to get into and out of church, into and out of favorite restaurant and into and out of the casino. Timmy gives my dad some much needed autonomy. We do not allow him to be on the sidewalk - he's too much a 3 yr old for that - ran it off the sidewalk twice and we aren't doing that again. It is four pieces and getting it in and out of the vehicle/ put together/ taken apart can be interesting some days, but well worth it for us. My dad also has a modified walker and a wheelchair for the house. He is not allowed to operate "Timmy" in the house that is not ADA compliant anyway. I would not trust my mother with a GoGo. I'll keep her on the walker or a wheelchair.
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.
My husband needs a lot of help transferring from his wheelchair to the power/electric chair. (He can't get onto a scooter; can't lift his legs). How does one transfer from one to the other? We've tried the transfer board that wasn't a help at all. Suggestions? Thanks.
They do provide independence for some people. They are able to get around on their own. I see people using them in stores.
They are expensive. I don’t know anything about the maintenance. I would try to buy the most reliable one that was available.
Are you considering purchasing one?
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!!
It's good it worked out for the aunt.
So true about the exercising; use it or lose it. I read that even using a wheelchair, the back muscles could weaken; could imagine that may be an issue with the scooter as well,?
One part I found interesting, with how much many costs, they're not waterproof (yet) and really can't be used in inclement weather or driven through, say puddles ( or some through snow)
Thank you!!
It's a consideration 🙂. Its more out of curiosity, though.
I've read they're expensive to buy and understandably harder if trying to go through insurance; there are the possible maintenance issues as well.
I guess those are the "drawbacks" to being more independent, though.
Some models can also be taken apart and put in a car trunk--though I assume that in most cases the person doing this is not the person using the scooter.
If the scooter rides low, maybe some sort of bright flag to improve visibility when crossing streets? (Same with a chair I suppose.)
I'm not sure exactly what is gained over an electric wheelchair, but there must be tons of web comparisons out there.
Scooters do seem neat. I'm sure I would prefer one over a chair, but I'm not sure what my rationale would be.
I had a scooter for a few years when I had terrible, intractable foot problems and pain. But the purpose differed from what most people here are discussing: I did not use the scooter in my home at all, and even if I had had enough space, my orthopedist would have opposed my using it at home: he wanted me walking as much as possible. The scooter was entirely for going places where I otherwise would need to walk distances on hard surfaces, which my feet couldn't handle. It was thus important for me to get one that would disassemble and fit in a car (a lift might have been possible).
I would add that often scooter ads emphasize use for going places that might otherwise not be easily accessible as opposed to getting around in one's home. One person here mentioned that her relative became dependent on the scooter against his doctor's wishes and ultimately lost a good deal of mobility. I think in-home a doctor would want you to use a scooter if the alternative were an electric wheelchair; but if the alternative were a walker, the doctor would probably support using the walker and maintaining more mobility,
Medicare will not pay for it if it is primarily for use outside the home.
In my area, lots of folks have had to have their homes elevated to meet post Katrina flood plain management standards. For many that means a BFE / base flood elevation from 18’ - 25’ above sea level. So stairs leading to your first floor many with landing between flights or have a lift (technically not an elevator for humans… ya in theory do not have “packages” weighing more than 225 lbs onto your lift, lol). The electric scooters cannot work in these situations as not ADA ok.
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.
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 .
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.
I am reminded of communities that use golf carts to ride around the neighborhoods.
Out of curiosity I just looked up the price of a four passenger golf cart. Geeeez, they run over $12,000! Not cheap, that’s for sure.
Review / google as I did here:
What is a good mobility scooter to buy?
The Best Mobility Scooters of 2023
Best Ergonomics. Pride Mobility Go Go Sport 4-Wheel.
Best Lightweight Design. iLiving i3.
Best Foldable. Shoprider Echo Folding Scooter.
Best Heavy-Duty Design. Lagtom 800W 4-Wheel Mobility Scooter.
Best For Travel. Vive Health 4 Wheel Mobility Scooter.
Oct 18, 2023
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.
It is four pieces and getting it in and out of the vehicle/ put together/ taken apart can be interesting some days, but well worth it for us. My dad also has a modified walker and a wheelchair for the house. He is not allowed to operate "Timmy" in the house that is not ADA compliant anyway.
I would not trust my mother with a GoGo. I'll keep her on the walker or a wheelchair.
Medicare paid for his, it was a god send.