Tennessee Valley Post Polio Support Group Motorized Wheelchairs and Scooters 15 September 2005 The following comments regarding wheeled mobility are provided by the Tennessee Valley Post Polio Support Group member James Webb and are provided as his opinion on the subject. If you have any comments or questions, they may be provided under FEEDBACK. Many Post Polio patients eventually come to the point where they can not function on their own even with various aids such as canes, crutches, braces and mates or other assistance. The alternative is to turn reclusive or get a motorized wheel chair or scooter and soldier on. It is suggested that this document be read and then talk with various users of a scooter/wheel chair. After these talks, you are ready to visit sellers of mobility aids. At the same time, you can be researching Medicare and your insurance policy concerning your situation. Ask the aid sellers to help with claims. Some are very good at it. Insurance companies and Medicare have historically been reluctant to provide anything other than the traditional wheel chair. A wheel chair is good for mobility but usually requires a helper to get the thing in and out of the vehicle and eventually push a person around. A person utilizing a conventional wheelchair for mobility is limited in distance and ability to tote things. A motorized vehicle opens up a new world. Medicare and insurance companies are now more attuned to the seriously handicapped persons needs and will now, in many cases, provide them motorized scooters,wheelchairs and carts. The usual vehicle seems to be the motorized wheel chair. Seemingly due to the seriousness of the handicap and the easiness of controlling the chair. Some insurance companys will provide related needs such as vehicle lifts. Some will not. Even so, this is certainly an improvement in providing for handicap persons needs.  One site with Medicare requirement criteria for provision of these devices is www.wheelcare-inc.com/med.html. There are others. When the time comes to give up some personal mobility, it is time for some real soul searching regarding giving up some personal abilities which is certain to happen when the motorized machine is acquired and utilized. This is a personal decision and most hang on without this mobility aid as long as possible. Providers should let them alone. They know when their time has come. Once the motorized chair/scooter is chosen, it will at that time be necessary to be able to transport you and the scooter/chair. This introduces an equally important consideration which is the ability to get the person and chair/scooter in and out of the car/van. There are two basic motorized vehicles which will be categorized as wheelchairs and scooters. Chairs are characterized with the usual chair layout and are the best for maneuvering in close places, especially in the home. They are well advertised and are more and more visible in malls, recreational facilities and many other places. A few remarks about the abilities of the scooter and chair. First, they open up the ability to shop, go to grandchildren's ball games, movies and numerous other places. Even doctors appointments. They are battery operated and require periodic recharging. I have had companies advise topping up every night and some say to let the batteries run down more before recharging. There are various approaches to these devices. There are the smaller, lighter ones that have one battery and go slower and the range is usually stated to be in the ten mile range. Others are stronger with two  batteries and can go up to 25 miles. This is for level concrete or asphalt use and not used on grass, mud, hills etc. which they can do but which reduces the range considerably. However, 10 to 25 miles reduced considerably does not keep a person from most days activities. Let there be no misunderstanding about these devices. Either kind is powerful and should be approached and used as such. Many go as fast as 8 miles per hour which is not an inconsequential speed. All seem to have two controls for speed. One sets the maximum speed and the other is like a car accelerator in that it varies the speed up to the maximum set. Slow is advised. At the very least, until much experience is obtained in the operation. Read the manual thoroughly. The first basic decision is which type to obtain and from there, there are many more choices to make. First, almost all promote the fact that their device can be broken down into about 26 pound units and transported in a van/auto.  If a person can bend over, disassemble it and lift the parts into the auto/van, this person does not need the device in the first place. Breaking down capability perhaps can be useful in some cases such as cruises, and other traveling with a helper to do the breakdown.  One characteristic available on most devices is the ability to lower and raise the seat maybe 6 to 8 inches or more with a small motor located under the seat. To me, that beats lowering the home counters and being unable to reach various shelves in the home and stores. Transport of the chair/scooter is a critical one and numerous devices are available to provide this service. If a person is unable to get out of the vehicle and walk a few steps to the side or back of the car/van, then a customized van is necessary to allow a chair to run up on a lift or ramp into the driving or passenger position. This article is about those with limited mobility yet can use the motorized devices available to provide personal mobility and also to cover the lifts and vehicles used to transport the device and person. There are many lifts to position the scooter/chair in or on the car/van/truck. One type of lift is a hoist with a strap that attaches to the cart/chair,lifts it up and then it requires manual swinging around into the trunk of a car or into a van. This is probably the cheapest way to do it but the least desirable in that the hoist has to be attached to the seat or other place on the wheel chair/scooter, then motorized lifting up to entrance level and then manually pushing the device into the car trunk of into the van. These are not inconsequential efforts. There has to be some mechanical way to fasten the swinging arm so that it does not break a window or otherwise do damage while in motion. Also, attached lift devices seem less secure than other things in the van perhaps allowing a chair/scooter to rattle around in the event of a crash. In the event of a car use of this device, some disassembly is usually necessary making this means even less desirable. Another means of loading/unloading and transporting the scooter/chair is a lift/platform that is powered by electrical energy provided by the vehicle battery. A decision is necessary concerning locating the lift. Some are located inside the carrying vehicle and some are located outside the carrying vehicle. An outside mounted lift platform is located on the rear of the vehicle. The mounting seems to be always to a trailer hitch. This is an extra expense and the location adversely affects vehicle handling. The projection out from the vehicle also is a possible source of hitting or being hit causing damage to the lift and scooter/chair. Also, most home garages will not accept the added extension of about 3 feet. The scooter/chair must be unloaded in order to get in the vehicle in the garage and close the door. This outside location  of the lift is not as bad as it would first seem. A great means of protecting the scooter/chair is to buy a cover that most companies seem to have. The seat can be folded down if it is not already covered. This can protect the seat. My opinion is that inside a van transport is best for those with enough limited mobility to get the chair/scooter on the lift and press a button to get the lift and chair/scooter into the vehicle. This machinery must then be securely fastened to the transporter to keep it from coming loose during a crash with a disastrous, even fatal event. Use removed vehicle seat attaching points for lift attachments if possible. Sheet metal is not the way to go. It is thin and flexible resulting in bending which results in a change in position of the lift which changes clearances. Someone can park too close to your vehicle making it impossible to lower the lift and load or unload. Make sure that any lift has a mechanical override in case of a battery failure. One available is that the lift motor has a protruding shaft and a ratchet wrench that will allow getting the cart in or out of the van to allow getting to a shop to fix the battery, broken wire etc.  Inside positioning of a lift is limited to a rear or side mounting. Operationally, they amount to the same in that the vehicle must have up to 4 feet clearance on the side or back to allow the scooter/chair to be driven on or off of the lift platform. Also, ramps used on lowered vans seem to need more clearance. In the past, I have received $1,000 from Chrysler to modify my van for handicap equipment. Other manufacturers were doing this also. My dealer had no real interest in this rebate because it required filling out some papers and I had to return the van to allow inspection to insure that the equipment was in fact installed. Ask before buying. My insurer allowed me to insure the value of my scooter and lift as customization of the van. If you are interested in this coverage, simply ask your insurance company. Medical Equipment Dealers--There are numerous ones listed in the phone book. Here are two: Handicap Van and Driving Systems which is located out on Jordan Lane( Highway 53) Phone 256 533-4448; Southern Mobility     116 Castle  Madison   256 830-6976 There are perhaps another 10 in the phone book. This industry is not that old as businesses go. I do not always encounter finesse, competence and sometimes interest in their customers. Check around with users and then make a selection. A break down of this equipment can in some cases disable the vehicle and the situation can get urgent.  Ask about service and emergency service and see what is in store if one of their units leaves you stranded. LIfe of equipment. Much of this industry is not as mature as a person would want. However, my experience with handicap medical equipment has been about what a person would expect. I still have a scooter that I bought in 1993 and I favor it over 3 others that I have. Probably not spent over $500 to $600 for maintenance in 15 years of scooters use. That includes several that I have had simultaneously for 7 or 8 years. Accessories: There are various accessories for chairs/scooters such as:   horns, baskets, automatic shutdown if unused after some minutes of being idled, lights, foam tires, built in battery charger, seat lifting device and even an umbrella. I strongly recommend foam tires, on board battery charger, seat lifter and a cane or crutch holder. Danger--wet tires are slippery on tile and other slick materials. I believe that the government is set up to provide a $6,000 chair and not allow shopping for overstocked, used equipment,and demonstrators.  A person without insurance seems able to find scooters, chairs and customized vans advertised in the paper. Patience is required since  this is a relatively new market and not that many come on the market. Best of luck to you.