Driving myself with rollator/wheelchair?

[Simba's Mom]

How does anyone who uses a rollator or a wheelchair get around (driving in a car) themselves? I can drive, but my biggest issue is, when I get to where I'm going, will I be able to get the rollator out and set up myself? I'm currently in a wheelchair (recovering from a fractured pelvis, but I'm also dealing with spastic paraplegia, so I can't walk well), waiting for Medicare approval for my rollator. Will the rollator fold up and stow in the back seat or my Toyota Camry? Then, can I get it out and set up myself? I really don't want to be a passenger for the rest of my life, looking forward to the independence of driving alone again. Any tips? Could I handle a scooter that breaks down myself?

 

[SueM in MN]

How does anyone who uses a rollator or a wheelchair get around (driving in a car) themselves? I can drive, but my biggest issue is, when I get to where I'm going, will I be able to get the rollator out and set up myself? I'm currently in a wheelchair (recovering from a fractured pelvis, but I'm also dealing with spastic paraplegia, so I can't walk well), waiting for Medicare approval for my rollator. Will the rollator fold up and stow in the back seat or my Toyota Camry? Then, can I get it out and set up myself?

I know people who are paraplegic and are able to get their car then swing the wheelchair into the back seat. They worked out just how to do it with an Occupational Therapist. You might want to see if you can get a referral from your doctor to work on some independent living skills like that.

I really don't want to be a passenger for the rest of my life, looking forward to the independence of driving alone again. Any tips? Could I handle a scooter that breaks down myself?

the scooters that break down separate into several pieces that will likely be awkwardly shaped. The heaviest piece usually about 30-40 pounds.
So, unless you can stand to take it apart and lift it, getting it into your vehicle might not be possible.
If you remember Cheshire Figment, who used to be a Moderator here, he had a trailer with either a fold down ramp or a hoist that lifted his ECV in one piece onto the trailer.
That might be a possibility for you if you could walk from the trailer to get into and out of the car.
I’ve also seen lifts that can lift an ECV into the back of a van. Most of the car companies have accessibility programs to provide some monetary assistance for adding accessibility features to new vehicles.

 

[mamabunny]

How does anyone who uses a rollator or a wheelchair get around (driving in a car) themselves? I can drive, but my biggest issue is, when I get to where I'm going, will I be able to get the rollator out and set up myself? I'm currently in a wheelchair (recovering from a fractured pelvis, but I'm also dealing with spastic paraplegia, so I can't walk well), waiting for Medicare approval for my rollator. Will the rollator fold up and stow in the back seat or my Toyota Camry? Then, can I get it out and set up myself? I really don't want to be a passenger for the rest of my life, looking forward to the independence of driving alone again. Any tips? Could I handle a scooter that breaks down myself?

Most rollators kind of fold up - to about the size of a wheelchair, but they fold in a different fashion. Unfolding them is pretty simple; you will want both hands free, but once it is unfolded, you will have it to hold on to.

Regardless, you should be able to fold it, and place it in the back seat of your car. (You may be able to set it behind the front seat with the wheels in the floor well, or you may need to stand it up in the seat behind.) That means you would need to be able to take however many steps from the driver's seat to the back door to remove it, and open it. So... many a half-dozen at the most? If it stores better standing on the seat, you can use the seatbelt (or even a bungee cord) to hold it in place; you don't want it flopping about in the back in the event of a emergency stop or accident.

My mom used a travel chair in her final years, but I was always the one to load/unload it from the back of the minivan we had at the time, so I'm not much help with that... Our daughter has an ultra-light TiLite wheelchair that she just rolls into the back seat, and pulls the seat belt around. She can move from the back door to the drivers seat on her own, so again, I'm not much help there.

You could possibly handle a scooter that breaks down, or folds. What you will need to do is work towards being able to reliably lift the amount that the scooter (or it's heaviest component) weighs without damaging yourself. That was one of my early PT goals; to be able to lift my scooter (total weight 35 pounds) either folded *or* unfolded. The weird thing is, folded and in it's travel bag, it *feels* like it weighs twice as much - but unfolded, I can lift it easily in and out of the back of my Kia Soul. :::shrugging::: since 95% of the time, I travel with it unfolded and ready to go, it's not a big deal, except when we drive to WDW, and I have to fold it to have space for our luggage + our daughter's chair + + + (because we are girls, we always take way too much stuff with us LOL

You will also need to think about what kind of scooter you want, and that will fit into your existing car (unless you are planning on buying a vehicle to specifically haul your scooter in).

My hubby has said that when I reach a time where I can't lift Angus in and out of the car on my own, he will either build or buy some lightweight folding ramps so that I can push him up into the car, and roll him out without much effort. That will mean that I lose some more cargo space, but it's a small price for me to have that independence.

 

[Tiggerish]

I used to throw my rollator into the back seat of my Toyota Corolla with no problem and it is a smaller car than the Camary. It was a four door. I needed two hands to get it into the car but could pull it out and set it up with one hand while leaning on the car for support. It will take some practice but you can make it work. You will have to decide how you want to put it into the car. You have two choices. One, you fold it up and put it upright, wheel side down and it stands up in the foot well and is as tall as the seat back. Else, you fold it up and put it in side ways, usually with the wheels facing the door. The second way takes up more room in the back seat but for some unknown reason was easier for me get it back out.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Great, thanks for the info!

 

[SteveMouse]

I regularly use a rollator and put in the back of our Jeep (and take it out). The rollator weighs a bit over 15 pounds-it’s a Hugo Explore, so it folds a bit differently than some, but is pretty durable.

 

[arminnie]

Simba I finally got Medicare approved for a rollator when I fell down in the doctor's office (blood everywhere) and had to have 7 stitches in my lip. Don't know how I did not knock out teeth or break my jaw.

But within months I upgraded to this https://www.amazon.com/Drive-Medical-Nitro-Rollator-Walker/dp/B009SOC9PI?th=1. It was $183 when I bought it, but is now $161. It has been worth every penny for the upgrade.

The front wheels are much bigger so it is easier to go over grass, gravel, rough services. It weighs 17 pounds. But the best part is how it folds up. You just pull a tab on the seat with one hand. If you need to go thru an area that is too narrow you can fold this up a little and pass on thru. When it is folded up it stands up on it's own so it is easy to store.

I find it much easier to sort of roll it into the back seat of a car (unless you have a tiny, tiny car or the backseat is full back. And it sort of rolls out without a huge effort to remove it. There is a zip up basket on the front (mesh) so things do not fall out when you fold it up. Unlike the conventional rollators that store things under the seat - but dump everything out when folded.

It is also much more comfortable to sit in. My non disabled husband likes it so much that he is always using it to watch TV. I have to kick him out when I need it.

And then there is the snazzy look. I get comments all the time. I tell people I have the Corvette of rollators.

We are getting a new van in a few months (ours is 12+ years old). I'm going to have a Joey lift installed as I cannot lift the ECV pieces by myself. I could a decade ago - but not now. Like you I want to be independent. My DH is great about taking me places. But I know how much he hates to shop. So I don't ask him to take me very often.

I can drive myself now with the rollator. I only have my DH take me now if I think parking is going to be an issue.