Whether you or your child has mobility issues, a scooter can give you back your independence.
Gone are the days when mobility scooters were considered to be the prerogative of the elderly. Today, many younger people with mobility issues, including single parents and kids, see the benefits of this convenient method of transport. Whether you want to go shopping, visit the local park, or go on a on holiday, a mobility scooter will give you much-needed independence and mobility. There are many benefits to using a mobility scooter:
Travelling and holidays
If you love travelling, but are increasingly, or temporarily, struggling with your mobility, taking a mobility scooter along on holiday will give you or your child a new lease of life. Whether you and your family enjoy going to countryside or the beach, with a scooter at hand, you will never feel fatigued or left out on single parent holidays. Most models can be dismantled or folded to fit into a car boot as small as a hatchback, so transport should not be an issue.
If you are planning to fly, all you need to do is notify the airline that you will be taking your scooter along. Naturally, make sure to check whether your model fits into the hold as there may be weight and size restrictions. You can also inform the airline if you or your child need special assistance to improve your holiday experience. It’s no different to flying with a wheelchair, just slightly cooler!
Comfort and confidence
Life can be hard enough when you suffer from a condition that impacts on your mobility. You surely don’t want to add to that by unnecessarily straining joints or muscles, especially if this causes you pain or discomfort. Exercise is a great way to improve mobility, but it has to be specific to an individual’s abilities.
A mobility scooter will not only bring new physical relief and comfort to your life, it will also increase your confidence. Where you might have been worried that you could not keep up with your kids, you can now rest assured that you can keep up with their skipping or even running to school – you can even carry their bags now. Best of all, you won’t be exhausted after a short trip out, and can be there for your kids when you return home.
Speed and all-terrain
Conventional mobility scooters can travel between 4 and 8 miles per hour depending on battery life. This is perfect for parents and older kids who aren’t able to move freely or walk unassisted. If your kids are very active, and you want to be able to keep up with them, a mobility scooter that performs at the upper end of that range, is a pretty cool way to travel. Families who enjoy long walks, can now do so together. Some scooters even master off-road terrain, so a day out in the countryside or at the beach with your kids is no longer off the cards for single parents with mobility issues.
Affordability
Contrary to what you have might have heard, mobility scooters are very much affordable. In fact, they are generally cheaper than electric wheelchairs. And it is such a worthwhile investment if you, or your child, struggle to get around on foot: A scooter will improve your quality of life, and give you or your kid flexibility and independence, which is a necessity when you are a single parent.
Having said that, if you don’t want to or cannot afford to buy, you can hire one for a reasonably monthly fee. Hiring a mobility scooter also means that you are covered for maintenance and repairs, so you do not have to worry about unexpected fees should it break down.
Mobility scooters for kids
Nothing is worse than seeing your kids suffer, be it because they are in pain or because they cannot join in any of their friends’ or family’s activities. If you have assessed that your child would benefit from owning a mobility scooter, you need to check the rules. If you are buying a class 3 scooter, for example, your child needs to be 14 or over. The purpose of class 2 and class 3 scooters is very different. Generally speaking, class 3 scooters are larger and more robust, and for outdoor use on pavements and roads, whilst class 2 scooters are lightweight, indoor scooters with more basic controls. Naturally, the age limit is there to ensure that the people driving are safe and responsible when out on the roads or pavement.
Ease of use
If you think, using a mobility scooter is tough, you’re wrong! Thanks to advances in technology and research, using a mobility scooter is as easy as playing with your child’s remote-control car. They are easy to operate and don’t require a driving license nor the upper body strength needed for a manual wheelchair. With a bike-style steering wheel and simple controls, they are really easy to operate for adults and kids alike. All you need to remember is to keep your scooter charged, so you don’t run out of battery halfway to your destination!
There are many benefits in using a mobility scooter. One thing is certain – they improve life quality of both adults and children who might otherwise be housebound, or at least very restricted in their movements.
