Scooter or wheelchair

[ToadRage]

I am disabled although still a little resistant to admit it. As my mobility has gone down hill I have found myself needing more help and Christmas shopping was a real chore as my husband had to take me everywhere, all his presents were bought online. I have used a walking stick for a while now and the council OT has provided me with a walker.

My husband has approached a charity about helping me with the cost of scooter, which would be great but a friend of mine keeps saying I would better off with a wheelchair and reeling off why a wheelchair is better than a scooter:

1. You can take wheelchairs on buses but not scooters - I rarely use buses and depending on what I get, I am hoping its light/small enough for me to fold up and carry myself. My husband usually takes me to the city centre and hire a scooter from shop mobility.

2. Wheelchairs are easier to take on holiday - I have looked into this and you can take a scooter on a plane, it does have to go in cargo but its free as long as you let them know in advance.

3. A wheelchair might be free - with a referral from GP the council can provide a wheelchair but they don't do motorised ones. Someone would still have to push me around and the whole point of this is to give me a little independence so I can pop to the local shopping park or supermarket on my own.

4. In her experience people treat wheelchair users as 'more disabled' than scooter users - this doesn't bother me, I just want to be able to go out by myself.

My friend has a motorised wheelchair but I cannot afford one. I have used scooters before at a couple of local tourist attractions and in town, having my own would help me improve my manoeuvring (I got stuck in a lift the first time I used one in town and almost took a door out at the zoo)

For those who have tried or do use both which do you prefer, which would you recommend and can you dispel any of these reasons as myths?

I have both my scooter is cumbersome for nipping into town Dh says he doesn't mind breaking it down but i feel it is a burden, so i take it on longer trips and holiday, can you hire them to see what suits your needs?

Sorry i prefer my scooter but i wish i had bought a lighter one,

Do you have ability to self propel yourself with a wheelchair?
Would the scooter give you more independence to not reply of DH taking you everywhere?
You can often pick up 2nd hand ones of both. Or try a few in a disability shop to see what types/styles might suit.

We're going through the same decision making (although self-funded).

First off, I'm assuming you're looking for a "boot scooter" rather than the big heavy things that are permanently set up.

For me, after a lot of road testing all sorts, a lightweight folding motorised chair is less expensive than the same lightweight scooter and it a lot more manoeuvrable, especially in crowded spaces.

The wheels are larger, which means they handle uneven surfaces better. The little wheels on the collapsible scooters are a bugger on unpaved surfaces like a path in the park. I like visiting bird sanctuaries and parks and gardens; my mobility scooter hasn't been great for that.

The advantages of a scooter in my experience are that there's a steering column between you and the rest of the crowds so you're less likely to get bashed or walked into, and they are less stigmatising as "disabled" than a chair. (I'm struggling to accept I am actually disabled now, and it isn't getting better.)

With regards to taking it on a plane, it depends on the battery. Most small scooters are ok for airlines but those with a very long range are not. You should check the model specifically for that before you buy anything.

Check carefully how easy they are to collapse down. A number of scooters come into several parts which is a nightmare when out on my own and trying to handle everything at once. Others fold very simply - it's essential to try it yourself a few times before deciding.

Chairs tend to fold down much more easily from the 10 or so I tried over the past few weeks.

When i said holiday i meant if im in the uk my scooter comes with me, sorry just wanted to clarify. If im abroad i take my wheelchair and if we are wandering quite far or going to a specific attraction that i need a scooter i will hire one.

Do you get pip, if not currently look into it because you can use the mobility element to get an electric wheelchair or scooter. A small fold up scooter is a great option but she isn’t wrong when she says wheelchairs are more legitimate I suppose, I also would request a manual chair via the nhs for as and when you need one, useful for some places

I've used folding lightweight scooters and folding electric wheelchairs. Generally I would agree with pp that electric wheelchairs are easier to maneuver in shops and crowds, and no risk of public access issues. While the small scooters are allowed in shops, buses, and trains, you sometimes have to prove it's the right sort (e.g. get a "scooter licence" for public transport), which might be frustrating at some point even if you don't use public transport often.
Folding electric wheelchairs are available quite cheaply now, they are different to the full-size powered wheelchairs. Then again, there are some lovely little three wheeled suitcase scooters on the market too. I personally find my electric wheelchair more stable and less unnerving to drive than a scooter, the lightweight scooter I used for a while had a tendency to tip as it had a longer wheelbase and smaller wheels, whereas on my wheelchair the wheels are closer in under me.
Depending on how old you are, you might get less funny looks in a wheelchair. I don't think the risk of funny looks should be a defining factor in choosing a mobility aid, but I was a very young adult when I used a mobility scooter and I got a lot more rude questions than I do in my chair. But if you are of the age where more of your peers might use mobility scooters, I imagine it would be less of a problem.

I had to use a wheelchair until I was strong enough to get on & off a scooter.

I don't go out much but prefer the scooter to a manual wheelchair. My dh puts it in & out the car as I physically can't. However you can get lightweight telescopic ramps to help with this.

I will admit there are some shops/buildings that are inaccessible for scooters, but you would also need someone with you to help if you were in a wheelchair.

I felt in a wheelchair I was ignored or treated as though I was mentally incapacitated. I found it really demoralising. It's my legs that don't work properly, not my brain.

My scooter is not a huge thing, but not the smallest. It has 4 wheels and is very stable. I didn't feel safe on the 3 wheeled lightweight one.

Whichever you decide on I would recommend a memory foam cushion. It helps you to not go numb on the backside so quick!

Thanks for all the replies, I am 39. I do get pip but already exchanged the mobility component for a new car, I wasn't aware it could be used for a scooter. We have a man coming from the charity on Friday with some scooters for me to try. We would ideally want a folding one that my husband could put in the car on days out and preferably one that I can fold, carry and unfold myself. I don't plan on going particularly off road with it but had had a little trouble in tight spaces, hope that improves with practice.
I don't know if I can self propel in a manual wheelchair, I have never had opportunity to try, have only ever used a wheelchair in hospital and a nurse pushed me, but due to my condition being a muscle wasting one, I tire quickly and would worry about being stuck somewhere cos I was strong enough to get in, but not got the energy to get myself out.

Wheelchair. I brought mine when I was ambulant but I have all but lost my ability to walk now. I have absolutely zero regrets about doing it and if anything its been life-enhancing for me. Far from being restricting my wheels are acrually liberating. Without my chair I wouldnt even get to the bins on my driveway let alone anywhere else.

Depending on the reasons why you need a mobility aid, you might find that a scooter seat isnt supportive enough for you. Scooter seats (and yeah, I've used both) assume that youre able to sit upright with your arms extended to use the scooter. This can be surprisingly fatiguing after a while, especially if the reasons why you need a set of wheels are to do with fatigue and/or energy conservation.

Like others have said, wheelchairs are a lot easier to navigate with than a scooter. Its a knack at the best of times getting on a bus with a wheelchair. There's absolutely no way whatsoever I would want to try it on a scooter. Also be aware that on some public transport (i.e. Newcastle metro) they wont allow you to use a scooter and most other public transport operators limit scooters to class 2 and only after you've got a permit. Also and yes this has happened before to me but a wheelchair user has priority over a scooter user on public transport as wheelchair user is covered by the Equality Act 2010, scooter use isnt (I was the wheelchair user, it was a long distance train and the other person had the scooter). Legally mobility scooters can be restricted from accessing somewhere, a wheelchair user cant.

Don't discount having a NHS manual chair either as it carries its own kudos, especially with certain healthcare places. I almost never use my NHS chair (I have more than one anyway!) but it's down on my medical notes that I am a wheelchair user.

Like other people have said, whatever you do choose to use, get a decent cushion with it. Not a sofa cushion, ideally you want something memory foam-ish or with pressure relief. The 'bum on fire' feeling isnt nice and a pressure sore really isnt nice.

Go to an auction to look for one. My in laws were out all the time on their scooters. Where they lived it was easy to get into the town on a scooter. My FIL at 97 was still out on his going all over the place. He had a big one ...cost £3k new ...was sold at auction for £150. They sell lots of them. My mil's one didn't sell this time around.

You can practise turns etc outside i did it in a park when we were walking the dog, the only thing is you get the reverse noise but if you tune it out and just concentrate on what you are doing, if all else fails just reverse,

You can get manual chairs that also have power assist on them. A true powerchair cant be turned into a push along wheelchair easily or feasibly though- my chair (which is admittedly ginormous but also totally fabulous) weighs 170kg without me in it.

I’ve got a mobility scooter which I absolutely hate. They’re not easy to move around, they’re cumbersome and they’re really uncomfortable. It’s practically brand new sitting in my garage because I hate it so much.

18 months ago we bought this folding power chair which has been life changing. It’s so much easier to get in the car, I do have a hoist but DH can lift it in, it turns on a sixpence, doesn’t get in the way, is much easier to use in a shopping centre and is so much more comfortable than any mobility scooter I’ve sat in.

I use a scooter for occaisonal use if I'm going somewhere like a zoo where there is loads of walking, as I can't walk very long distances. I'm okay getting on and off it to use the toilets. I got it second or third hand off Ebay.

I've got a large mobility scooter which doesn't fit in the car, but is great if I am going somewhere within a few miles of home. I've also got a small mobility scooter, which can go into the boot of a car, but I seldom use it apart from going on holiday in the UK. The battery is too heavy for me to lift in and out of the boot, so I need to be going with someone that can take it apart, put it in the boot and then take it out and reassemble it at the other end. Which is all a bit of a faff.

For short trips out in a car, I have a lightweight manual wheelchair that someone can push me in. (I can't use self-propelled as I don't have strength in my arms, as well as my legs). This is easier for short trips for example to the theatre. I bought mine second hand for £50 and it's immaculate. You can often pick them up on places like gumtree fairly cheaply.

Scooters have a wider turning circle, which makes them very difficult to use in many indoor spaces. I’m not sure they can be fitted with kerb climbers, which is an issue if you have kerbs on your way to the shops. The lighter collapsible ones probably don’t have much of a range or cope well with steeper slopes or uneven surfaces.

Powered wheelchairs have a much smaller turning circle, take up less room than a scooter, may be possible to take apart depending on the model, and can be customised to your needs.

I use a powered wheelchair which is vastly preferable to a scooter for me, because it would be impossibly tiring to extend my arms for prolonged periods. I have used a scooter a few times and it felt like I was trying to drive a small car on a path or pavement- I hated it.

Ultimately, it depends on your particular needs, where you want to use it, how do you want to transport it, and where are you going to charge and store it. There is a lot of choice! If your budget permits, it can be helpful to hire something for a while and see how you get on with it.

It might be a good idea to approach your GP and ask for an assessment of your needs. It’s a good idea to get yourself on the books, and in some areas you might get a powered wheelchair supplied which is supposed to be for indoor use but you can actually use outdoors. At the very least, they’d supply a manual wheelchair which can be handy to have around for emergencies, hospital appointments etc.

I have used both.

if you do want a manual wheelchair you can usually pick them up pretty cheaply on eBay. I have one but don’t use it much as they are absolutely exhausting to self propel.

i have both. Personally I find the electric wherlchair more useful - I have a folding lightweight one from amazon which goes in a car boot.

scooters tend to be heavier and come in more parts and I just couldn’t lift the battery for mine into the car so I use the scooter around the village and the wheelchair from my car.

i suspect it’ll come down to weight.

re holiday, if you fly then most places have scooter or wheelchair rental if necessary. Ground staff are reasonably respectful of wheelchairs but they do get thrown around and I wouldn’t buy one based on holidays only.