Dementia and Mobility scooters

woody2234

Can someone thats been advised by their Doctor not to drive a car anymore because of Dementia be able to drive a mobility scooter.

elsien

Taken from the Disabled Living Foundation:

Dementia and mobility scooters

Dementia can affect a person in many ways, including memory, concentration, judgement, vision, planning or problem-solving. It is a progressive disorder and those affected may not have insight into their illness. They may not be able to make a realistic judgement about their ability to use a scooter safely.

Many people in the early stages of dementia can still travel independently on mobility scooters if they are already familiar with using one. They should use familiar routes and carry relevant identity documents with them when alone, should they get lost. A GPS tracking system can be considered (see Choosing equipment to help with memory and safety for more information). Introducing a scooter as a new item to someone who already has dementia should not be considered.

If already using a scooter, it can be difficult to decide when an individual should stop. Some indicators might be:

becoming less confident or repeatedly confused about the scooter controls;
repeatedly getting lost;
forgetting the purpose of the trip;
becoming less aware of safety precautions.
The guidance on when to give up driving a car can be useful and applied to the use of a scooter. If a person has early dementia, when sufficient skills are retained and progression is slow, driving may still be allowed, but subject to review. When a person displays poor short term memory, disorientation, lack of insight and judgement, they are likely to be considered unfit to drive (Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency, 2016).

LadyDee

I think most of those on mobility scooters in our local shopping centre would say yes you can. Between the cyclists, swegway users, skateboards and mobility scooters you take your life in your hands negotiating round the centre!

Red-Squirrel_2

woody2234 wrote: »

Can someone thats been advised by their Doctor not to drive a car anymore because of Dementia be able to drive a mobility scooter.

I think the answer would obviously be no.

They will have been advised not to drive because their concentration, memory and reactions aren't up to the job anymore. Using a scooter needs a lot of the same parts of the brain and they are still big and heavy and can cause someone a lot of harm if something goes wrong.

woody2234

Thankyou for replys