any advice re: new wheelchair/scooter?

[emma06]

Hi everyone - we are going cruisng in March with my mother and disabled father. He uses a companion wheelchair which we took with us for the last cruise. My mom had some difficulty wheeling him around on the boat, but the real problem was once we were off the boat in the Carribean! Even my (strong) husband had difficulty on those cobblestones! I was thinking that there must be an easier way. Everyone is talking about these scooters, but I don't think my dad has the mental capacity and the eye hand coordination to manipulate it or a power wheelchair. Any thoughts?

 

Emma

[travelteam]

My DH uses a scooter. They take lots of visual managment plus the hand coordination to stay the course. I would not recomend them for someone with limited mental capacity. Scooters can and do injure standbyers by poor perception by the driver. I would recommend continuing to use the manual wheelchair and perhaps plan less port trips, or if possible, use hotels and resorts to relax in when in port. Not sure how to handle the ship though, it is hard to push a heavy person on those carpets. I know that first hand. Maybe another poster will have a more useful solution for you.

[emma06]

Thanks travelteam for your input. My DH is insisting on trying the ports again, but I'd rather my parents stay on the boat, at least for a few of the stops. If the Noordam is as great as everyone says it is, they won't mind:)

[leoandhugh]

if, as you say you are using a companion wheelchair as contrasted to a standard manual wheel chair that might be part of the problem. as i recall, a companion wheelchair has four small wheels all the same size; a standard wheelchair has two very large rear wheels and two small front ones. the large wheels are much easier both on carpeting and rough surfaces, although the front wheels do, at times, get stuck in things like cobblestones or uneven surfaces. if you don't think his coordination would allow him to safely handle a scooter, take a look at a light weight manual wheelchair - they weigh about 27 pounds.:)

[molomare]

I just returned from a cruise to the Baltic countries. There were many cobblestone walkways, which were very difficult to even walk on without being disabled. I did notice one guest who had a wheelchair for her mother. Guess waht! She hired a "pusher" to help with the wheelchair. I don't know the details of how she hired the "pusher" but I do know it is possible.

[Splinter]

You can get inexpensive light weight wheelchairs with two large rear wheels. These are much easier to push on carpet, rough surfaces, and over curbs, and are also much more stable that a so-called transport or companion chair. I would not expect your father to be able learn to push one if he can't drive a scooter, but those of you in your party who do push it will be much happier.

 

I can recommend http://www.spinlife.com as a good site to shop for an inexpensive wheelchair. Try to get one with quick-release wheels and removable arm and leg rests. These are much easier to disassemble to get into a cab or car, and also make transferring in/out easier.