Father In-Law with COPD wants to use an electric wheelchair in WDW

[aesalsa]

We invited my Father in-law to come with us to WDW this May. We are very excited that he's coming and want him to be as comfortable and as worry-free as possible as this is his first trip back in over 20 years .

He has COPD, and we will have to rent an oxygen concentrator and buy oxygen. He will bring his nebulizer on the plane for his breathing treatments.

He can walk fine at home, but he can't take the distances required when walking in WDW: he would get too exhausted.

I know Care Medical Equipment rents electric wheelchairs (thanks to the FAQs tread ): that is what my FIL wants to use since that's how he drives his lawnmower. However, he does not own an electric wheelchair.

Will the company rent it to us even though he does not own an electric wheelchair? Has anyone had any problems with this?

Sorry if this sounds so ignorant

 

[fanningIII]

we are going in april with dd who also has copd. Shouldn't be a problem renting power chair. Also, I noticed you were going to rent oxygen, Have you checked with his oxygen provider to see if they offer any kind of travel oxygen concentrator. My dd is getting a portable concentrator from his company and we are flying with it.

 

[aesalsa]

He told me that he just wants the portable oxygen tank. He only needs the O2 and breathing treatments "as needed", as I understand it--which usually means when he gets in a terrible coughing fit. He hasn't needed either in over a week.

He is a very sweet but stubborn man, and I did suggest the portable O2 concentrator. It was a firm "No" . He also does NOT want to use a scooter (very stubborn man ).

 

[SueM in MN]

They may or may not allow him to rent a power wheelchair.
My DD uses a power wheelchair at home and we did not want to travel with it, so we did call Care to ask about renting one. The first question they asked was whether or not she owned/used a power wheelchair on a regular basis. Then, they asked us for some of the settings on her power wheelchair (how fast it accelerates, turning speed, etc.). We ended not being able to rent one because her wheelchair seat is only 14 inches wide and their smallest was 16 inches wide (plus she would not have been able to use her gel seat on their wheelchair).
Their website says very clearly that they only rent power wheelchairs to people who own power wheelchairs, but don't want to travel with them. He may be able to explain/convince them that he has (I guess you could say) somewhat equivilent experience with his lawn mower.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Whatever he rents (and as Sue said it will probably have to be an ECV) ask to be sure that a tank holder is included for the oxygen tank.

And if you are flying make sure the airline is aware that he may need oxygen with him.

But I would also strongly suggest that his current supplier handle linking him up with a company in Orlando to provide oxygen so you don't have to haul tanks all over the country.

 

[SueM in MN]

But I would also strongly suggest that his current supplier handle linking him up with a company in Orlando to provide oxygen so you don't have to haul tanks all over the country.

That reminds me, on post #3 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread, there are some links about travel with oxygen.

 

[ireland_nicole]

As Sue mentioned, power wheelchairs are much more complicated to use than they would appear to be, and are very difficult to maneuver w/o experience. They look like his lawnmower, but are actually a completely different animal. Hopefully he will rethink the ECV. Those rented offiste (esp. 3 wheel versions) are much smaller and easier to use than you might think.
Have a magical trip!
Nicole

 

[Andrew Bichard]

I know Care Medical Equipment rents electric wheelchairs (thanks to the FAQs tread ): that is what my FIL wants to use since that's how he drives his lawnmower. However, he does not own an electric wheelchair.

I suspect that you actually meant to say 'electric scooter' aka 'electric convenience vehicle' aka 'ECV', not 'electric wheelchair'. Many people here on the disabilities forums are longterm wheelchair users and are not always aware that others might not know the fine difference between a scooter and a wheelchair.

Scooters are the ones with bicycle style handlebars to steer and a lever on the handlebar to control speed, whereas power wheelchairs have no handlebars with both speed & direction controlled by a joystick.

I am certain you meant the former. Both Disney and Care Medical rent out scooters to most anyone. As others have said, the offsite companies only rent power wheelchairs to people who have their own at home and can show they are used to driving them.

Many scooters have a basket on the handlebars which might be useful for carrying oxygen bottles. Check with Care Medical.

Andrew

ps. joystick controlled wheelchairs are nowhere near as difficult to drive as you might think reading this thead... I was out and about on mine within an hour of taking delivery of mine with almost no training whatsoever. I suspect that the rental companies need to know that you have perfect control over your 'joystick hand'. Many wheelchair users will have muscle control problems which would necessitate setting up the joystic specially. I have no such problems.

 

[aesalsa]

Thank you all for your replies

FIL said he wanted the power wheel chair with the joystick--but he probably doesn't completely know about how the scooter works. DH says we would just rent the scooter for him, and he'll just have to work with that.

Today, FIL came over and said that he was too worried about his breathing to come with us to WDW . We really want him to come. . .I told him that all of his medical necessities would be provided once there. He hasn't been on a vacation in almost 10 years.

We plan on having him over for dinner tonight and showing him the WDW planning DVD and maps. I hope that he changes his mind.