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Mother spent almost $5,000 on a scooter that she only uses around the house and in her immediate neighborhood. This seems like a big waste of money to us. How do other people justify this kind of expenditure?
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A study was done in Canada evaluating the impact of power wheelchairs and scooters on older adults Life-space usage. That's a fancy term to describe how often they got out, how far they traveled, and what they did during that time.
The group was made up of 60 per cent women, 40 per cent men. Most were power chair users (52 per cent) with 48 per cent scooter users. Half the group had some kind of neurologic problem such as a stroke, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, or brain injury. They could walk indoors (independently or with a walker or cane) and get in and out of their wheelchair or scooter without help.
They found that men were more likely to travel distances farther away from home in their powered mobility device compared with women. Men and women who used scooters were able to go farther more often than those in a wheelchair.
While analyzing the data, factors that might affect power mobility device usage were also examined. These variables included things like sex (male or female), diagnosis, walking ability, type of device used, training to use the device, living status (alone, partner, assisted living), and overall activity level.
Power mobility devices (whether a powered wheelchair or scooter) give older adults the ability to get out more in their own neighborhood. Having a powered mobility device didn't mean the user would increase the distance to his or her outings -- just the frequency (how often) they got out.
People who had specific reasons for wanting a powered mobility device called participation objectives (e.g., go shopping, eat out, take the dog out) did increase their Life-space mobility. The freedom to come and go without help (even inside the home) was considered a definite benefit and well worth the cost.
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*Disclaimer:*The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. |
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