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Dad has mild memory loss (can’t work a washing machine or remember where he’s going), cataracts, poor hearing and is unsteady on his feet. He had his driving license taken off him 10 years ago. He’s now decided he wants a mobility scooter to cruise the narrow, steep roads with fast cars to go down to the shops. Very uneven pavements too. Should we discourage him? Do you need medical approval?

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You should figure out an alternative way for him to get about independently.

How far away are the shops?
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Jewelly Oct 2020
About a mile and a half. He can’t walk more than 100m without a shopping trolley, and uses a walking stick just to get from the door to a car. Good idea though - he could use taxis if he wanted to go anywhere. My sister does his shopping, but won’t take him with her.
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I think you might also want to try blocking the afternoon tv ads! I see lots of clients with their eyes on stalks wishing they had these marvellous machines that apparently you just pop into your car and away you go... (oh yeah? And have you tried lifting them?).

Why won't your sister take him shopping? And why is he so keen to go?

If this is shopping as recreation (terrible timing for it, by the way) then you could have a look for community networks and volunteer associations in his area, and see if anyone has set up a seniors' minibus service or similar idea.

Could he use Uber?
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Jewelly Oct 2020
My sister finds it hard to cope with him shopping. I don’t even think he particularly wants to go out, but likes the idea of the independence. There is a seniors group though so I’ll find out if they’ve opened up again.
He couldn’t use Uber, but could get a cab if he wanted.
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Very possibly Jewelty's sister won't take him shopping with her, because it is very time-consuming. I would have loved to have done my mother's shopping for her, but she refused. So it took hours and hours...
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JoAnn29 Oct 2020
I don't like grocery shopping for me so never volunteer to do other peoples. When I shop, I want to get in and out. I don't browse.
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Perhaps you can find a way to get your dad out and to the shops. That might stop his pursuit of transportation by way of a mobility scooter.

Isolation is a real problem for our seniors. They can not help but feel bad by being cooped up and being by themselves most the time, it does start eating away at their wellbeing. Find a way to change that for him.
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Jewelly Oct 2020
Thank you for your suggestion. I did organise a carer to take him shopping once a week but he didn’t like being with a new person instead of someone he knew.
I think COVID has reduced his visits and visitors this year.
I might see if I can organise something now.
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According to your profile, your dad has mild memory loss, therefore your thinking that he shouldn’t be operating a scooter is very wise. He could have a very bad accident. You and your sister are being very logical to be concerned about him.

Are you speaking about the motorized scooter where the elderly person is seated and drives? They are very expensive without insurance. It’s difficult to get approved for insurance for these.

My mother’s neurologist said that people are turned down all of the time when trying to become approved for a scooter.

Best of luck to your dad. This must be so hard for you and your sister to witness.

I suppose that your dad wishes to be more involved in his life and feels like he has lost control of his life. That’s a tough position for him to be in.

Your sister probably only has so much time to devote to shopping and it’s hard for her too.

It’s frustrating for everyone. So sorry that you are dealing with this situation. Hope that you can find a viable solution soon. Best wishes to you and your family.
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JoAnn29 Oct 2020
Sounds like she is from England. Socialized medicine, different from ours.
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Yes, discourage him. Even though our township allows these scooters on the roadway, I think its dangerous. I really don't think they are suppose to be used on main highways and driven miles to get here and there. My husband says how else are they going to get around, I say Senior bussing. One of the low income apartments has a van for that purpose.

I have watched a man on a scooter riding on the sidewalk fall over almost in the road. This was from my office window. The sidewalk was uneven. TG a couple of people stopped immediately to help. After that he road in the road. We had a couple of clients who because of disabilities got them free. Only to find out that when the battery could no longer charge, it was $100 or more to buy a new battery. They could not afford it, so the scooter just sat.

If your Dad can't drive a car, he can't drive a scooter. I would also check the law in your area to see if they are allowed on roadways.
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Jewelly Oct 2020
Thanks JoAnn, I agree that it’s basically unsafe for him and other road users or pedestrians.
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Thanks for the suggestions. I am in Australia and he is in England, but I will look into alternative ways to get other people involved and get him out more. There is a great local seniors group.
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My parents got one scooter. But never realized or checked on whether the scooter could get thru the door of their 1950's ranch house before they bought it. No it did not fit thru the tight turns into the bathroom, bedroom, etc. The thing sat for years unused only played with by people zipping around the living room fireplace only open space in the house it would fit. Eventually Mom asked me to take it so the spare room would have less stuff. I kept it, while thinking maybe my sister would need. But she is in a nursing home and has no need or ability to use it either. The one they had came apart into a few sections so that you could put in your trunk and go to the mall???? the base with the motor and wheels is kind of heavy and also too wide/and deep to fit into my medium size trunk. It was a huge waste of money-they paid out of pocket for this thing they have had for more than 5 years-there was no medical reason at the time-no way to know how your insurance would work or dr. recommendation to have this item vs a manual type wheel chair-no motor.
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rovana Oct 2020
Speaking of insurance, what kind of liability insurance would cover scooter use? When driver had lost their license?
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The everloving scooter lol. My FIL got one about 9 years ago-just to use here and there when in a bigger store because it was getting harder to use the walker for bigger trips. (grocery store, Walmart). Sigh....I wish that thing had never come into our lives. It was helpful to FIL....and then it was a problem. But because it honestly enabled him to LOSE his mobility. Fast forward, he can zip around (honestly irresponsibly) on that thing beeping his horn at people, but he can barely use his walker to get 3 feet anymore. There are multiple lifts installed in his house to get to the scooter, including a scooter lift on his car and two in his home....
Using a mobility scooter to get safely around is one thing. Using it to ride down busy streets, zipping through parking lots without paying attention to cars moving, backing up without checking behind you, racing down aisles in stores where people have to jump out of your way to avoid getting hit....
So...very long story short lol...if the only purpose of the mobility scooter is something dangerous.. I would discourage it. The tires aren't really road-rated, it isn't safe to ride in traffic, it  causes sightline problems for drivers, it is very dangerous. And unfortunately you may see an actual decrease in mobility if he becomes dependent on it for other things and stops walking on his own with the walker.
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jacobsonbob Oct 2020
Excellent point about over-reliance on the scooter, BlueEyedGirl94!
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Uh yeah. Those devices are not allowed to drive on city streets in the U S. I don’t know where he’s located. But that alone should be a consideration. Now if he had sidewalks he might be allowed. But then is he mobile enough to get on and off by himself?
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They are very expensive. Cant afford it. Need money for emergencies and the future. We have money going out but none coming in etc. I can get you what you need, and we can save the $$$.

My elderly dad would run to one of those in the store. Could barely get on it. Practically ran me and sales lady over. Would confuse back up and foward. Funny I have not seen the scooter at our local home depot any more. Maybe thats the reason lol.
My mom would take him to the drug store as his outing for the day. He would have to walk that. A nightmare at grocery store. So those outings stopped.
When he asks, redirect the conversation to something else. Heh its lunch time, we better go in lol
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My parents were in their mid-eighties and living in an independent living community. Dad’s knees were in bad shape, so he went over to the community workshop and built a portable, sorta-heavy 3 ft long, curbside ramp with two pieces of plywood. Used piano hinges to fold it in half and he added shoulder straps to carry. There are commercially made portable aluminum ramps with suitcase design. Worked beautifully when he was eventually wheel-chair bound and I could get him in and out of his one-step up entry to apt building. In the meantime, prior to the wheelchair, he bought a 3-wheeled scooter. He could still walk, but it was painful. Gave my mother nightmares! He was legally blind from macular degeneration and hearing impaired. He was determined to ride it on the sidewalks over to the senior medical center. My mother would drive her car alongside (she was in the street, he on the sidewalk - all in their gated community - she was worried sick he would fall and no one would be there to help him. I think he rode the thing all of 3 times. The wheelchair with someone to push him was infinitely better, but of course, he was dependent on others if he wanted to go anywhere. So very sad to watch the loss of mobility. Dad wasn’t a knee surgery candidate because of diabetes.

If you do get a scooter, avoid a 3 wheeler. They’re prone to tipping.

At age 67, I bought a scooter for myself from Israel - the Moving Life Atto. Researched it on the internet. Good you tube videos help with instructions. Comes apart in 2 pieces and I could get it in back seat of my Toyota Corolla (one part weighs a bit, but I managed). I have spinal arthritis issues, overdid exercising my legs in the pool and wound up with chronic hip bursitis. Never knew from day to day if my legs would work for any distance, so I got the Atto scooter. Used it a few times in the shopping mall, taking it on the DC metro to see museums. Thankfully and unpredictably, my bursitis started to resolve after two years. So now I walk everywhere (too much doing steps will give me hip pain though - and no pool exercises again). I charge the scooter battery every couple months to keep it usable. The Atto folds up and looks like a carry-on suitcase. I keep it in my coat closet. When needed, I really like the Atto. There are still times when my legs stiffen if they’re tired . I think my dad would’ve enjoyed the Atto on trips with me to the mall or outside. I had no bursitis when I was caregiving for them and the Atto was not available then.
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Not safe at all, he will either hurt himself or kill someone. Poor hearing and poor vision do not help. Sounds like a nightmare. He probably would forget to recharge it also. .
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Seems like he would not be able to use a scooter safely - hearing problems, vision problems, and cognitive problems. Imagine him getting into traffic or hurting people on sidewalks. He could get further from home and not remember how to return home. Just redirect the conversations to what he needs at the store and plan a trip so he can get whatever stuff he wants/needs... with somebody as a competent driver.
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lol. This sounds just like my dad. At that time, he lived on a fairly busy street with no sidewalks and wanted to be able to get out since he couldn't drive anymore. He wanted to go to the grocery store on his own which is a mile away. We were in a drug store one day that had scooters on display. He was definitely interested but it would have required my help to make the purchase so I just kept changing the subject every time he brought it up and he eventually dropped the idea because it was not something he was able to accomplish on his own.
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Ddefinitely NO
These are not road safe.
My Dad had 1 and after the second time, with the police bringing him back in a police van with the scooter we donated it to the VFW. He would get lost, go on the roads that speed limits were 55mph. He used his arm to signal lane changes 😱😱.
No No No
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He can get one of these without medical approval by paying for it himself. Even then if he tries to get medical approval so his insurance will pay, don’t rely on that to prevent him from getting it. My father thought he could use one and ordered off a TV ad. The company got Medicare to cover the cost and they brought the motorised wheelchair and gave him a 15 min lesson with instruction that it is not to be used out of doors. Interesting since it didn’t fit in the house. My father tried to use it and kept driving it off the side of the driveway and tipping it on it’s side. The Fire dept had to rescue him a couple times. Fortunately he never made it to the road. He eventually went in VA and was able to use it there. If you can’t talk him out of one try to find someone who has one and let him try it. They are harder to manuver than you would think. Maybe that will discourage him. Better than having them just delivering one out of the blue.
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You said he can't remember where he is going. He won't remember better on a scooter. That is a nightmare waiting to happen.

Why does your sister always have to take him? Is there any other family members close that could take him? Maybe he just needs to get out of the house. I can relate to that.

Could you or someone else devote a day to get him and take him for a ride somewhere? My daughter does that for her dad. She told me that after church today, she is taking him out for lunch and they are going to go to a nearby lake so he can take photos. He loves playing with cameras and videos. Then during the week he can play with the photos he took today. It gets him out of the AL and also gives him something to do during the week.
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No doctor note needed. Richard bought one right after he moved to the apartment, was a simple matter of plopping down $650 and they assembled and delivered. Easy as buying a bicycle. The one he got was unstable, 3 wheel style, and he flipped it over a few times just going to check the mail. He would not use it after that unless I was present to walk alongside and stabilize or push him out of slight divots in the path. DISCOURAGE your dad from getting one!
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His various issues, esp can't remember where he's going, would bring a NO to my lips! If he were a little better, AND the places were just down the road a bit, couple of blocks, MAYBE. A mile and a half? Cars? Memory issues? Even if the sidewalks were smooth, there will be pedestrians to worry about. Nope. Definitely explore other options that don't require him operating anything with a motor!

As others noted, the more he can ambulate on his own, the better. One thing my mother harped on my dad about was Use it or Lose it! When her turn arrived... even after mentioning this to her, she just laughed and said yeah. Didn't change anything. When she moved into MC she was fully mobile and could do more self-care on her own (moved due to memory and safety issues, after she refused to let aides into her place.) Over time, sitting too much (her big thing, even before the move, was to sit and read stuff - newspapers, magazines, and her favorite - sales flyers!) led to non-use, which leads to weakness (AND weight gain!)

It was probably around the2 year mark that she asked for a rollator. I had the walker and rollator dad used stored here, so brought it to her. She did fine with that for over a year, but STILL would spend most of the day sitting and reading. Others would walk after meals, at least a few loops around the place. Not mom. Eventually this has resulted in refusal to stand or walk without help, partly due to weakness and weight gain, partly due to fear of falling. Even worse, too much sitting along with her (treated) high BP, she recently had a stroke. Made moving her even more difficult.

Find ways to get him up and walking, even with a walker or rollator. To the store is probably too far, but there must be places he can walk that might at least be interesting or fun. If someone can drive him to the store, make sure he WALKS around in the store - don't let him use one of the store scooters, if they have them!
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Is there some way he could try one out in a safe environment? (I understand how hard it is to lose drivers capability!) Could be he would discover scooters are not as easy to drive as he thinks and that he is not as able as he imagines. Be with him when he tries out the scooter, and suggest probable driving hazards on the roads he wants to travel and the need he would have for quick maneuvers. Remind him of uneven road surfaces. Scooters can tip over. If injured at his age, he might never recover. Make sure he understands this. If his judgement is not totally impaired he might make a rational decision on his own.
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rovana Oct 2020
I'd also suggest checking legal aspects - and insurance? If he hits someone, what kind of insurance would cover it?
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I don’t know the depth of his dementia, but if he wouldn’t know the difference, try telling him that a scooter:

requires a license or
requires a doctor’s note or
can’t be driven on the streets or
whatever else you can think of that he would accept.

My dad had one that he used around the house when he was too weak to walk (Parkinson’s) and he would sit in the driveway. But he never wanted to go any further. His interest in it faded and there it sits.
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In addition to what everyone else has said, if your dad has memory loss he might have difficulty actually operating the scooter...how to turn the key, how to back up, etc. I vote no.
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You do not need medical approval to buy one privately, only if you want your insurance to pay for it. You also need medical approval if you want insurance to pay for any maintenance and/or repairs. So, you will probably have to intervene.
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Lamb232 Oct 2020
Medicare does not pay for scooters. They sometimes pay a portion for electric wheelchairs at an inflated price. Better to pay privately. I don't know if insurance companies pay for scooters.
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Tell him he needs a driver's license and he no longer has his.

Dementia gives you permission to tell white lies for their safety, because reasoning no longer works.
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rovana Oct 2020
Actually, this might be the simple truth if talking about taking a scooter on the roads.
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I wish I could be more positive about those scooters. I think in the right circumstances they could be useful for some people, if the person had someone with them to monitor...My mom had one that she kept in her house. Instead of getting up and using a walker, she'd use the scooter to get to the bathroom and kitchen. She'd even use it to mop the floor, by putting the mop on the floor and going back and forth on the scooter, LOL. Pretty smart...I'm sure it caused her mobility to be lost much sooner, but to be honest, her health was so bad with CHF, diabetes neuropathy, and COPD, her mobility was pretty much shot anyway.

I didn't live near my mom, but when I went to visit, I saw a lot of evidence of her having many many many accidents with that scooter in the house. She would be sitting on her scooter, fall asleep, and accidentally turn the speed up...then she'd halfway wake up and her hand would hit the throttle and she'd crash into the wall. Or she wouldn't realize her leg was dangling off the side of the scooter and she's scrape it along the wall causing it to bleed. There were marks all over the walls where she had slammed into them, blood everywhere. She destroyed the house with the scooter...it was pretty terrifying.

One time she wanted to go to Disney World with me and my kids...she rented a scooter...she wasn't on the thing for more than 10 seconds before she ran me down and knocked me over. This happened SEVERAL times that day. She also hit other people. I still don't know if that happened because she was impaired or because she just didn't care. It is really sad to see someone lose their independence. I don't look forward to it myself...but we have to be careful with things like that...getting run over by a dang scooter is not fun!
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check with your local Dept. of Aging and or DMV and/or your doctor and/or local police dept.to see what the laws are in your area. A lot of places do not allow scooters on roads
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Jewelly, I read your response about dad not liking being with someone new.

Encourage him to give it a chance, after the 1st time they are not so new and as time goes on perhaps they can become friends.

One thing that I have learned, parents like, some love, to complain about everything and anything, so not responding or acting upon the complaints they have has been very helpful and usually it isn't a complaint that they want me to address, they just want to make sure that I never forget how mistreated they are by me. Misery loves company is so true with my parents.

If he says he doesn't like the idea of being with someone new, tell him that it is a friend he just hasn't met yet and keep encouraging him to find things that he does enjoy about the person.

Best of luck. I do feel for your sister, shopping with a senior is very difficult for me. The slooowneeessss makes my body hurt, I just let them get ahead of me and catch up or visa-versa, I always have something that I am looking for, something new that I have never tried before, so that does help, but it is brutal. Give her a big thank you for doing what she can.
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Do NOT discourage HIM!!!!!! I am a cancer survivor & 68 yrs young. Take hi God to a place that sells the motor scooters or better yet call the sales manager where they sell the scooter and ask how you arrange for your father to take a test drive as u watch!!!!!!!!
Bless You! Dr Jack Grenan
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rovana Oct 2020
I suggest that you check the legalities of scooter use (outside, not inside the home).
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we use too live in an adult community in FL and many had golf carts that could be driven on some roads. More then once the police found confused seniors driving on Highway 75 with traffic. 😱 One had made it 5 miles. Can you imagine? In fact I believe there is one on YouTube. My mother wanted to have her own golf cart to take to the store, but we found every excuse possible to not allow that, because we saw her confusion starting.
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Invisible Oct 2020
My Aunt's golfcart was her lifeline. The senior community in which she lived had a dining room too far for her to walk. She was able to come and go in the cart and keep up her social life. It had a zip up plastic around it in case of inclement weather.
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