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<p class="userway-s14-active">Dad has moved to AL this week, mom to adjacent locked memory care wing. Dad has back probs, but for the last 2 yrs sat watching tv refusing to be active thus weakening. Stopped going to PT which I set up (which he said was helping his pain, stability, balance.) Now he complains b/c using walker hurts his back (hunches) but is nec b/c instability. He is _just_ strong enough to walk that far down the hall. He wants a scooter. Won’t that just further weaken him & enable him to be lazy? I think he needs to adjust & get stronger by walking over to mom. Or maybe an upright walker? Or should we get a scooter? Or should we just get an electric wheelchair so we don’t have the expense of both? We do have a doc appt to test mobility. If we do get a scooter we are asking Medicare to help pay for it, so we have time consider (time for him to adjust & maybe gain strength) this issue for several weeks before making a decision. <p class="userway-s14-active">Has your family been in this situation?? Your ideas and suggestions are appreciated. Thx!

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Two thoughts, first, when my dad got his rollator, it was fitted by a physical therapist who told us that the majority of users have them adjusted far too low, causing the hunching over and increasing back pain. Dad’s was fitted so he stood up straight.
Next, when my dad used electric scooters at times, we quickly found that some were far more stable than others. One of his nastier falls was when a scooter tipped over in a parking lot. I’d get the advice of a physical therapist for the best kind for your dad.
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It may not be laziness, but rather pain from osteoarthritis. My Mom has this and became very stooped very quickly after being a very physically active person her whole life. I took her to PT to try to strengthen her core but didn't really benefit from it. She wanted a brace that she could put on herself, but doesn't use it. I've bought (and returned) several walkers. She sometimes uses a cane and will use the walker inside her home only. She isn't lazy, she's in pain and also has mild cognitive impairment and very mild memory loss. She takes Tylenol before she thinks she'll do some yard or housework.

Just saying, maybe take your Dad to a pain clinic. He won't move if he's in pain. He's young enough where maybe there are other therapy options for his back (and having a stronger core may still be possible, too). Also talk to the admins and staff to encourage them to encourage your Dad to get out and participate in activities. Talking to his doc (or orthopedist or genotologist) about the need for a wheelchair or scooter will help you make a decision. You can call Medicare anytime to find out what types of wheelchairs or electric scooters they will cover. If your Dad is declining in memory and cognition, he may not be able to retain something new, like how to run an electric scooter. Maybe find used ones on craigslist.org or Nextdoor.com.
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I asked my mother’s neurologist about a scooter and he said that they are incredibly hard to get approved by the insurance companies.

Some people are able to use scooters. Others can’t.

Best wishes to you.
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Mrslala541 Nov 12, 2023
That’s GREAT!! Maybe we can use that as the reason we can’t get one!
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Funny story about crazy old people driving scooters!

The senior apartment building where my oldest brother once lived had residents who would drive their scooters on the sidewalk to the nearby Walgreens. Sometimes they would call my brother to rescue them because of engine problems.

One crazy resident drove his scooter for miles to reach the French Quarter to get a beer with his friends! He was sorry afterwards. He blew up his engine! They aren’t meant for long distance travel!
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I would discuss this ASAP with memory care staff. They know your Dad. They know if he is capable of safely managing either an electric W/C or scooter. And they know their own rules and regulations regarding the same. Dependent on the layout of the facility, these things aren't always safe in MC settings. I am all for the help of the scooter or wc if Dad can manage them and they are allowed.
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I have serious back problems and can assure you laziness has nothing to do with why my walking is limited. It's irksome to read about elders with dementia or mobility issues who are "lazy" or who "refuse" PT when that's an assumption being made by active, young and healthy children or doctors who see these patients for 15 minutes every once in a blue moon.

What WE may think is best for our elderly loved ones is not necessarily the right answer.

Perhaps dad "refused" to be active and watched tv for the past 2 years because he felt no pain while doing so. My elderly father had a bad back and all my mother did was poke fun at him for what he couldn't do. She accused him of not knowing what REAL pain was......until she wound up in a wheelchair for 3 years and "refused" PT due to her inability to remember instructions. She lost all core strength and had to be pulled up out of bed even. But it was part and parcel of her age and health limitations, nothing else.

Medicare Part B sometimes covers electric scooters or wheelchairs after a face to face meeting with a doctor if medical records support it, and if all other manual durable equipment have been deemed unusable. But normally, electric scooters and wheelchairs aren't allowed in AL anyway, for obvious reasons. Between wrecking drywall and running into residents, there would be chaos with elders pushing the gas button when meaning to push the brake. My dad wrecked all the walls in their AL apartment with his manual wheelchair, and my mother ruined the walls in her Memory Care ALF with hers, and put literal holes in the walls with her electric recliner by not realizing she was continuing to push the recline button after the back had hit the wall.

Best of luck sorting out what's best for dad.
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Mrslala541 Nov 12, 2023
Staying in his chair has been his preference but not due to pain. Dad had less pain when he was going to PT. But he quit and refuses to do the exercises. Even with help.
I understand & know how to work with people who have severe chronic back pain. It’s real & limits decisions. The story you shared about loss of muscle is exactly what I fear. But it doesn’t have to be like that. He’s super healthy. Just making poor choices. What do we do??? Thx
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If Dad can manage it (and it's allowed at AL,)and you want to get him a scooter, see if you could get the Pride Maxima.
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Dad has no memory problems. Physical therapy is a fantastic idea. He was in PT until about 3 mo ago but QUIT. He said he could do the exercises at home, but never did. He would refuse when his caretaker tried to help him do the exercises. The PT helped tons! Less pain, more balance, more endurance. Less falls!! But he WON’T do it.
The AL has others on scooters, Dad has pointed out ones he likes. Thx for the heads up about depo$it fee$!! & the possible damage!

Will a scooter just increase his muscle loss? He has NO other physical activity.

The current walker is at its max height but he is over 6’ & the walkers are all too short. He won’t use a cane or even two hiking poles (suggested by PT to take weight off his painful upper back.) I’ve looked into the upright walkers. Anyone had success with those?
I’m just afraid if he loses more strength, then can’t walk, the staff won’t be able to get him in & out of the scooter (6’3, 275) then they won’t allow him to stay there. Keep in mind this is where mom is too, in the MC wing. They both want to be together, it’s our TOP priority!! But if he can’t be transferred or get in/out on his own—we would be in a world of disappointment.
Thx for ideas about used scooters! And the story about going too far—I can see dad making runs to McD’s for fries & ice cream. Hah.
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anonymous1732518 Nov 13, 2023
Used Pride Maxima 3 wheeler. Looks great, has very good maybe excellent leg room.

3 wheeler mobility scooters are recommended for people over 6' because of the better legroom over the 4 wheel model.
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I did not read the replies. You may want to check with the AL to see if the scooter is allowed. One OP said the AL her parent was in wanted a $3500 deposit for having a scooter.

If your Dad has to hunch over to use a walker, its not adjusted correctly. And people tend to push it ahead of them. What you do is push it forward a little and walk into it. Maybe getting PT in to make sure he uses the walker correctly.
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See what the Doctor says, but I'd have a Physiotherapist assess Dad. See what his pain, strength, mobility is like. Maybe his walker can be adjusted as others have said? Or maybe an assessment for different equipment can be arranged with an Occupational Therapist
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