How Senior Citizens Get Around

| Tuesday, July 3, 2012
By Allison James


Nowadays, many senior citizens find it difficult to walk as their age advances. This may be due to an ailment which hampers physical movement, such as arthritis, or one that hampers mental stability, such as Alzheimer's, or it may be a combination of both. Whatever the reason, the movement of these people should be made easier.

Many older people use a walker to help them be more mobile. A walker is a lightweight device with handles on each side that the person puts in front of them as a stabilizer so they feel safe walking. There is now a very popular walker that has wheels called a rollator that makes using the walker even more smooth and easy.

A majority of these types of devices come with certain features. They may have a pocket for carrying things the person needs and a seat that pulls down when the person wants to stop. The rollator has a hand brake, and both of these will usually be foldable so they can easily be folded up and taken into a car for travel.

The walkers maybe one of the best and most cost effective mobility aids today, and may be used without assistance, but they are sometimes difficult for seniors to handle. This is one of the reasons mobility scooters have recently come into use.

These scooters were originated in 1960's and were well-known by the 1980's. In order to carry a senior person without applying extra energy, these scooters needed electric power supply; just pressing one button and that is all the only action one must take to travel anywhere. Once charged they can travel from between 5 miles to 20 miles, depending on the type of scooter being used.

Regardless of the low capacity of 5 miles per charge, the elder person can easily go to a nearby grocery store, shopping malls, amusement parks which would also ensure that they walk in their possible scope.

Thus, mobility scooters are an effective way for the elderly to commute without having to depend on others for travel. Quick and easy, they are in some ways similar to wheelchairs. Wheelchairs can be manual or electric, and the electric ones are usually a good choice for seniors, as the manual one usually needs someone to push it as it can be tiring to use it continuously by hand. But the mobility scooter is the best choice in terms of cost.

If the senior citizen in your life is having problems walking around for any length of time, then you have some choices to make. You can choose from a wheelchair, a mobility scooter, or a walker and maybe you will even find some other kinds that are around also. Do your research and you will be sure to come up with a solution that works for your family and your loved one.




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