Wheelchairs,Scooters & Canes- oh my

[kimysbug]

We are going to the world in Sept.
My mom uses nothing in her apartment to get around unless her knee is hurting then her cane.

She uses a walker around when we go to Dinner or Bingo.

She also has a wheel chair we use sometimes if a store does not have a scooter.

Yesterday mom's neihbor gave her a practally brand new "Buzz Around" scooter.(his wife passed away)

So what should I bring with us?
Hey I am willing to drag it all for my mom if she needs it.
Which is better in airports? Will they let mom use her scooter to her seat in plane?
Which is better for the busses?
Parks resorts?

Is it better in the parks to have a wheelchair & not a scooter so people dont think she is cheeting? and just old & lazy?

Thank you all you have been wonderful to us.

 

[Vijoge]

Is it better in the parks to have a wheelchair & not a scooter so people dont think she is cheeting? and just old & lazy?

Please don't waste your time and energy worrying what anyone else thinks.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

OK, please bear in mind that all this is said not knowing your mother personally. If any of my suggestions wouldn't work for her, ignore them.

If she's happy driving the ECV, it'd give her more freedom around the parks, as she'd be able to drive herself everywhere. You can use that almost anywhere around the resorts and parks, as well as on and off buses (see the FAQ for boarding information). She might prefer to take her cane or walker with her so she can get out to look around the shops (some of them are a little tight to maneuver in), and also in case she needs it around the room.

As for aeroplanes, you can gate check the scooter, which means you can drive it with you right up until the boarding gate. At this point they will take the scooter away to load it and your mother can either use a walking aid to get on the plane, or use an aisle chair (a wheelchair for planes). The scooter can't be used on the plane as there wouldn't be room. If you want to gate check, make sure you let the airline know in advance.

As Vijoge said, don't worry about what other people will think. There will always be a few jerks that think they know best, and that everyone else is cheating the system, and it's their job to glare at all the 'fakers' in an attempt to stop their evil ways , but who cares? They're complete randoms that you don't know, and who's opinions really don't matter that much, in the grand scheme of things.

If your mother can walk around the room, and is happy driving the ECV, you probably won't need a wheelchair as well, but as I said, I don't know her. Does she have any feelings on what she thinks she needs? Often your gut can help out, if you listen to it.

Anyway, that's my ramble done! Have a great trip!

 

[kimysbug]

Thank you
I try not to worry but I don't want mom to feel bad about being in a scooter.
She is still trying to deal with everything.
I think I am leaning toward scooter/walker/cane
still not sure
any other advise would be great

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Just a quick thought: have you got a cane holder on the scooter? If not, you might want to look into adding one, so that your mother can have her cane with her (but out of the way) in the parks.

I don't think you need to worry about 'looks' too much. I hate to say this, and I hasten to point out that it is not my opinion at all, but a lot of the glarers seem not to object to those of an older generation using ECVs, they just think that any younger person must be faking. I've probably got looks when I've got up out of a wheelchair to board a ride, but I must say I've never noticed them. Put them out of your mind, if they have nothing better to do with their hard earned vacation than glare at people, I feel sorry for them.

Have a wonderful trip, and do whatever you need to for you and your mother to have a good time !

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Please ask the following questions of your mother, and think of how you would answer them if you had her physical problems. Here are the suggested answers to go with them.

1. Are you disabled (even temporarily)? Yes.

2. Do the people you are travelling with, such as your family, know you are disabled? Yes.

3. Do you expect to meet anyone you know during this trip who may not know you are disabled. Probably No!

4. Do you expect to meet a bunch of people who you will probably never meet again in your life? Probably yes!

5. Is there any reason at all that you should care what these people think about you? Absolutely No!!

6. Will using a wheelchair or ECV make for a better vacation for you and your family? Absolutely YES!

 

[dj2]

i took my cane, walker and scooter with me on my last trip. cane came with me to the parks with my scooter, but walker stayed in resort for in-room use. scooter and walker were gate checked for the flight. i rigged up a bungee cord to attach the walker to the back of the scooter for going through the airport terminal. cane came on board the airplane. none of these items count toward luggage/carry-on limits. have fun!!

 

[tarkus]

Please don't waste your time and energy worrying what anyone else thinks.

Could be spoken.

Go enjoy your vacation.

Be Big,
Alan

 

[GroovyWheeler]

Whatever she feels comfortable with, when it comes to the scooter or wheelchair. In the past, I took both my walker and manual wheelchair to the parks when I went with my mom and my guy, but because my walker is so big lengthwise (it's one of those Kaye reverse walkers, in the adolescent-size models), my mom found it cumbersome to travel with, when we were traveling with my wheelchair too.

Now that I also use a quad cane also, I take that when we take my manual wheelchair too. I use it mostly for my "bad days" around the house, but other than that, I'm like your mom, and don't use my walker/cane at all. Next time we go to Disney, I'm thinking about bringing just my walker, and renting a scooter in the parks, because it can be hard on my mom, trying to put together my manual wheelchair when we gate-check it.

Samantha

 

[kimysbug]

Thank you
You guys ROCK!