I'm looking for information to help get my Mom qualified for a mobility scooter. Any suggestions?
My Mom is 91 and has been diagnosed with Parkinson's for 5 years. She is on Michigan Medicaid Waiver and resides with me. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
Our doctor told us the same about not being able to use it outside. Which to me seems very weird. Since that's where it would seem to be most needed. Why do you need a scooter with many miles of range just to drive it around the house?
It's *extremely* hard to qualify for a scooter now, especially if you have a doctor that is unwilling to fill out the paperwork.
One other thing to keep in mind is that the restrictions on use of the scooter are ridiculous. We were told that if it was even hinted that Mom was going to use the scooter outside or anywhere but inside the house, it would not be approved.
I got so tired of the run-around from Medicare and her doctor (who insisted this 300+ lb woman whose knees kept giving out and causing her to fall could still walk all the way through WalMart with just a shopping cart to lean on) - that I finally just bought the darn thing. Dad had a pension that got tangled in red tape when he passed away, resulting in Mom not getting payments for about 14 months after he died (she had survivor's rights on the pension). When we finally got the payment, it ended up being about $1400, and I was able to buy her a nice 4-wheel scooter.
I've spoken to a doctor about this. He said it's much harder to qualify now then it used to be. Have you thought about buying one used? Look on CL. There are a lot of them where I live and sometimes they are really cheap, like $200. At that price, it's worth not having to deal with the hassle otherwise.
Call a durable equipment store. Ask if they carry scooters and if so does Medicare cover them. Some supplimentals may cover a %. U will need a drs order.
Question, does Mom show signs of dementia? If so, it may be hard to teach her to use a scooter. There r walkers just for Parkinson people.
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One other thing to keep in mind is that the restrictions on use of the scooter are ridiculous. We were told that if it was even hinted that Mom was going to use the scooter outside or anywhere but inside the house, it would not be approved.
I got so tired of the run-around from Medicare and her doctor (who insisted this 300+ lb woman whose knees kept giving out and causing her to fall could still walk all the way through WalMart with just a shopping cart to lean on) - that I finally just bought the darn thing. Dad had a pension that got tangled in red tape when he passed away, resulting in Mom not getting payments for about 14 months after he died (she had survivor's rights on the pension). When we finally got the payment, it ended up being about $1400, and I was able to buy her a nice 4-wheel scooter.
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Question, does Mom show signs of dementia? If so, it may be hard to teach her to use a scooter. There r walkers just for Parkinson people.