Anyone Have Any Mobility Scooter Info?

_Whimsical_

I have a neighbour who wants to buy a mobility scooter. She has a chronic illness that goes through severe and milder bouts but even at "good" times she can only walk very short distances. She wants to get the scooter to give her a small bit more independence... ie the ability to go to Dunnes or to around town on her own. She also has a special occasion coming up that she'd really like to have it for so she's eager to buy it soon! (she won't get health board assistance with the cost for varying reasons.)

She can drive so she'd need a scooter she can put into her car by herself. Most can be disassembled for transport in cars according to the online sales blurb I've read. She would need not to require some Rambo like person to lift it and be with her everytime she goes to the shop though. The whole point of getting it is that she'd be able to do these things by herself!

I told her I'd look around online for her but I have found very little that I'd consider relevant/trustworthy.So I'm here looking for some advice...

Does anyone have a mobility scooter?
Are they easy to get into a car by oneself?
Are there any pro's or pitfalls she should be aware of before buying?
Can anyone point me in the direction of some place online for decent advice or info on this issue ?
Thanks

charlesD

Are they easy to get into a car by oneself?

This depends on the type of scooter you buy. A travel scooter is designed to be taken apart into several pieces that can be handled pretty easily. Usually the heaviest piece is going to be around 25 pounds (11 Kilos).

The downside to a travel scooter is that it will have a slightly shorter range and less features.

You can also consider purchasing a scooter carrier for your vehicle. They make some that attach to a hitch, which can be put on your car or taken off of your car very quickly.

Are there any pro's or pitfalls she should be aware of before buying?

You said she wants to go on the dunes and around town. Some mobility scooters are better suited for outdoor use than others. A 4 wheeled mobility scooter is going to provide superior balance and stability. A 3 wheeled scooter does not have as good stability, but has a much smaller turning circle making it better suited for indoor use.

Usually travel scooters are 3 wheeled and are not as stable as a traditional non-travel scooter.

A heavy duty scooter is on the opposite side of the spectrum and can be driven pretty much anywhere, but they are much much heavier, so you would need a scooter carrier if you went with one of these.

Can anyone point me in the direction of some place online for decent advice or info on this issue ?
Thanks

Check out the link in the next sentence. This is a store in the states, but offers all types of mobility scooters. If nothing else you can check out some of their features or download a few brochures and get an idea of what types are available.

If you have any other questions or if you find one you like and want some feed back, post back here or shoot me a PM.

_Whimsical_

Thank you very much for taking the time to reply CharlesD. Thats an interesting point on 3wheeled vs 4 wheeled. I think she's considering one atm. When I find out the model number I'll be back to ask your advice

kangaroo

I don't know if this is too late or not but I know somebody who got one of these: http://www.travelscoot.com/ a few months ago and she's always raving to me how good it is.

She previously had a sturdier three-wheeler but can't see any advantage to it now.

She's thinking of buying a second battery "just in case" but she's a very cautious person.

She went for the very light 4.5lb (around 2Kg) battery (which costs around US$600 as I recall) rather than the 13lb one.

Another guy for whom this is his second scooter said going down steep hills one needs to have one's hands ready on the brakes as it can freewheel unlike others.

It's more expensive than some others on the market and perhaps can only be bought directly from the US. I think she paid something like 1800 Euro for everything (postage, lightweight battery, etc).

(no financial interest)