Let's talk wheelchairs and mobility scooters

Sorry, Jenny, about the leg raise thing: presumably you wouldn't be moving it around with the legs raised (that would be hard indoors unless you've got very big rooms and no tight corners?), so would a lightweight camping table with a cushion on be an option? Sorry if that's a daft suggestion, though!

It's not often you see leg risers on indoor chairs, as most people prefer not to sit in wheelchairs for long periods anyway. They'll transfer to a comfy armchair when they need their legs up. I can't recall ever seeing a very convincing leg riser on a transportable chair, as these are usually only used for very short periods to get people from a car to wherever they're going. Users then transfer to something more comfortable, which is why the manufacturers don't worry too much about providing lots of cushioning and so on.

There are excellent legs risers on outdoor powerchairs that are compact enough to use indoors, but secondhand these often come in around the £1800 to £2000 mark (they're often in excess of £6000 brand new). They also have tilt-in-space seats. This type of chair can often be retrofitted with hydraulic leg extenders—but you would need a taxi with a ramp or a service bus to transport it anywhere.

https://www.solutionsmobility.co.uk...ctric-wheelchair-powerchair-mobility-riser-2/

 

A related question: insurance. Can you get specialist insurance for mobility scooters, probably including 3rd-party liability and suchlike? If so, what steps are you required to take to secure the scooter when it's left unattended? If my caree buys one, she'll have to leave it on the drive, in full view of everyone, and hopefully chained to a metal loop embedded in the ground or wall.

 

I use this company:

https://www.eta.co.uk/mobility-scooter-insurance/

My chairs are actually insured for replacement on my house contents policy, as ETA's offer wouldn't cover the £7.5k replacement value of one of them. I just have their rescue policy in case I get stranded somewhere.

I've never had to test my theft cover by making a claim (I've read the small print, of course, but it's impossible to predict every possible situation). When I have to leave one of my powerchairs unattended, e.g. when I go swimming, I disable the controls in a way that wouldn't be obvious to someone who wasn't familiar with the chair, or release one of the clutch levers to disconnect that motor—it's enough to deter a casual thief or a curious child who wanted to play with it. It is locked inside the Changing Spaces room, but anyone with a RADAR key can unlock the door.

I've never left one out overnight, or unattended outside a building for more than half an hour. The best thing would be to ask the insurer. You might be okay with theft insurance with a good quality bike lock, but I wonder if they'd cover it against vandalism or fire if it weren't locked up in a scooter shed?

 

Thanks, Kitty. I see exclusions include:

"5. Theft where your mobility scooter/powered chair has been left for more than one hour, where public access could be achieved.

6. Theft or attempted theft of the mobility scooter/powered chair whilst left unattended for more than one hour unless:

a) It is secured to an immoveable object, or;

b) It is in a locked private building where all external doors and windows are locked and theft is occasioned by a forcible and/or violent entry, or;

c) It is locked in a vehicle and stored out of sight where theft is occasioned by a forcible and/or violent entry.

7. Claims where the mobility scooter/powered chair has been left unattended whilst secured to an immoveable object, for more than 12 hours at any one time, where public access could be achieved."

I guess "public access" would include a driveway.

 

My late mum had something like this at the caravan—we had to leave her scooter there all winter, minus its battery pack, as neither of us had an accessible vehicle at the time to bring it home:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303951674045

Her shed was coloured, so it looked a bit more attractive, but it stood up well to attempts by bored kids to access it whilst the van was unoccupied (Nov – Mar). She got it secondhand from an elderly couple who were giving up their van, I think she paid about £250 for it.

 

Are you insured if you were to accidentally damage a third party @Kitty. No aspersions on your drivingbut since I am out in my chair more often, it is something I should think about. Also damage to goods in shops.

 

No, I don't think I have any particular insurance cover. I did used to go shopping in my chair when I was working, but I never damaged or crashed into anything. I collided with a couple of people in town, but only because they literally ran into me!

If I had to do something more hazardous like using a crowded railway station every day to get to work, I probably would get third party insurance. I might also mount a little CCTV camera on my chair like the one I have in my car, as they're so cheap nowadays and it would be helpful if some chump did walk into me and tried to make it my fault.

I don't, though. I use my wheelies on nature reserves, where there's almost no collision risk, or to go swimming at the leisure centre, which has big wide corridors. I occasionally visit the supermarket in it, which again is very spacious; I'm no more of a collision risk than someone with a trolley. If I needed to go into a small shop such as a pharmacy or a newsagent, I'd leave it outside.

 

Thanks @Kitty. I'll have a think.

 

Yowza! Does it cost more than the scooter? I'd say that was daylight robbery. But thanks, anyway.

 

Any more thoughts about (UK) mobility scooter insurance, please? The matter has become quite pressing.

 

@Wits_End

i use Fish insurance, which was recommended to me by the wheelchair company

I had a look at their standard insurance policy document and it says

Exclusions:

“Theft - loss caused by or arising from:
i. Any person obtaining any Item(s) by
deception.
ii. Theft by the Insured, spouse, partner or family member.
iii. Theft of the Insured Item(s) by any User.
iv. Theft of the Insured Item(s) whilst left unattended for more than 1 hour unless secured to an immovable object by a padlock and chain or whilst in a locked and secure building. Theft must be forcible.
Any amount recovered from a third party”

https://www.fishinsurance.co.uk/downloads/

This one doesn’t seem to say you shouldn’t have public access, only that you need to fix it with an immovable object. But I haven’t read all the small print, so worth double checking.

 

Thanks, Luna - sounds hopeful.

 

Let’s talk lithium batteries for wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

What impact does it have on battery life for a battery to be continuously plugged into the charger?

I use my scooter so rarely that the battery would normally have run down if it wasn’t charged in advance, so the chief scooter-wrangling officer keeps the battery permanently on charge. I am not sure how the convenience gains should be offset against the risk of fires and explosions, and the more-probable less-impactful risk of battery degradation.

Does the hive mind - scooterists or physicists alike - have any advice?

 

I'd never leave mine plugged in, but I do have the chair with lead brick batteries on a timer if I'm not using it much. Lead batteries can degrade quite quickly if you don't use them; mine get topped up every 14 days if the chair hasn't been used, but that's probably more frequent than is really needed. Timers are cheap and reliable; if you're too concerned about fire to trust them, you could always set reminders on your phone instead and do it manually.

It's said that lithium batteries shouldn't degrade as quickly, but like any battery they can't be left uncharged long term. I wouldn't let mine stand at lower than about 50% capacity, although in the case of my big power chair, that could take months. The battery management system should tell you the state of charge of each cell, and most of them seem to come with Bluetooth apps these days so you can check remotely. (Infuriatingly, my phone's Bluetooth doesn't quite reach the van from the sofa, but at least I can check it from the kitchen without having to go outside!)

 

I find the whole concept of a battery being on permanent charge distinctly worrying, I must say. Can't it just be switched on and off at the mains every couple of weeks?

 

Merged thread
I thought this might be interesting, maybe even helpful, for some here:


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-66133646

 

Wow what a good idea. There's more beach access coming too with the adapted beach rollers

 

The Peak District National Park also has Trampers at some of its cycle hire centres.

 

https://www.tramper.co.uk/press/561247bea00324f026e278d3

List above of all public parks and gardens and nature reserves which hire or lend Trampers.

Has anyone used one and if so, what was the suspension and comfort like on uneven paths?

Edit - I have booked a Tramper for a two-mile circumnavigation of a waterfowl infested lake near Tring on Tuesday. Will report back on joltiness.