Purpose of Using Mobility Scooters as Transportation Devices for Community-dwelling Elderly People and Changes in Their Daily Life

Abstract

Elderly people need a means to be able to move at their own will in order to stay socially active. One of the means of transportation is a mobility scooter. The purpose of this study was to find out how community-dwelling elderly people came to use a mobility scooter as a means of transportation and how they use it in their daily lives. We conducted a semi-structured interview with four participants regarding their background and actual experience of using a mobility scooter, and analyzed the data qualitatively and descriptively in three categories: Reason for Using a mobility scooter; Safe Use; and Activity and Participation. The reasons for using a mobility scooter were “Surrendered the driverʼs license”, “Loss of means of mobility due to lower limb disability”, “Interest in mobility scooters and Recommendation from others”, and “Family support”. “Safe use” consisted of four sub-categories: “Simple driving operation and safety assistance equipment”, “Handling in a dangerous situation”, “Current situation of daily use of mobility scooters without danger”, and “Intention to continue using mobility scooters”. In the “Activity and Participation” category, the three subcategories were “Maintain and expand activities”, “Interact with others”, and “Enjoy shopping by myself”. While the use of mobility scooters enhances a personʼs life, it was suggested that efforts to prevent accidents should be made.