✨✨General Discussions

Does any communtiy provide training for EMV usage and care for owners of EMVs (mobility scooters) either by the community staff or community residents?

Charlie Butler

Wind Crest- Erickson community in Highlands Rnach, CO

I am at GHBC in Virginia. Our rehab department does a driver training program with residents prior to a resident being allowed to use a scooter or other electronic vehicle in public spaces. I've been here for six years and to the best of my knowledge this has been the policy for a long time.

At Pennswood Village residents wishing to use a motorized mobility device are required to be checked out on their device by staff in the PT/OT department. Regrettably there is no requirement that they consult BEFORE buying. A pre-purchase meeting would allow a discussion of the advantages of motorized chairs that require no transfer to a chair to sit at table, that turn easily in confined space, and don't have to be parked outside of crowded venues.

Many seniors don't appreciate the danger to others posed by blind corners in hallways, backin without looking, and charging equipment left where other my trip over wires.

Richmond Shreve

NaCCRA Board Member

Forum Moderator

Another possible problem with mobility scooters or motorized wheelchairs is illustrated by an aunt of mine, who spent her last years in an assisted living facility. 

She was afflicted with dementia, and would go zipping through the corridors, trying to run down whomever she encountered there. I do not remember how this played out.

Here is a draft of a document I'm working on as an aid to communities working to make the use of mobility devices safe. I'd appreciate comments and input. (See attachments below)

Richmond Shreve

NaCCRA Board Member

Forum Moderator

My recommendation for your policy would be to include a section on transport. Here's why:

Our CCRC just came out with an edict related to transport on our vehicles (buses) with lifts. It came in a letter only directed those those on campus currently using motorized devices (chairs and scooters). When I found out about this new policy from a neighbor, I encouraged management to inform EVERYONE, because some might be "shopping" for or contemplating their someday need. Thankfully, management did so.

The new policy says that residents who had been remaining seated in their device for the bus ride (strapped down by the driver) could only remain seated in their device if it had the "appropriate" securements for the strap-down. Our Exec Dir googled several makes/designs of scooters and didn't find ANY had with the required securements. She informed us of all this in a Town Hall meeting. In her research she found that (not all) motorized chairs had the required securements.

The requirement now ..... if one has a scooter/chair WITHOUT the specific securements, they must use a manual wheelchair (needing a pusher if one doesn't have the strength to self-propel, which means taking a family member or a health aide along) or has to transfer from their scooter to a bus seat once they loaded via the lift. Many can't transfer easily. I'm supposing (although that's not the thing to do) that an empty motorized device can be strapped down any way the driver sees fit, so that the residents can use their motorized device at the destination.

Hi Jennifer,

I live at a CCRC in Medford, New Jersey and use a power wheelchair. Medford Leas’ Transportation takes me to medical appointments with me in my wheelchair because my wheelchair has a lockdown option that cost me $300. Unfortunately, I cannot use most Medford Leas vehicles because they do not allow wheelchairs. I hate this since many residents cannot go. I have my own vehicle and 4 drivers that take me anywhere me and my friends want to go.

I just heard a news story about another risk of mobility scooters and the like. There was a serious fire in a residential building caused by the lithium battery of a mobility scooter.

Philippa,

I would very much appreciate knowing the source of the news of the lithium battery fire. Our Safety Advisory Committee has spotlighted that issue for management. They determined that none of the scooters in use here have Lithium batteries. The electric bicycles do use them, but they aren't stored inside of apartments.

The danger of these batteries is the speed with which the battery self-immolates disgorging copious amounts of toxic smoke. The large amount electrical energy stored in the battery is converted to heat that melts and vaporizes the battery materials. It's a meltdown and fire that can spread to nearby flammables.

Residents should not attempt to fight the fire. Extinguishers won't work until the battery energy is spent. The toxic smoke damages lungs and is particularly dangerous for frail elderly people. Evacuate and sound the alarm from a safe location.

Some Lion batteries are UL approved, many are not. Although there are promising designs that make these batteries less of a fire risk, I don't know if any have reached the market yet.

Richmond Shreve

NaCCRA Board Member

Forum Moderator

Richmond,

I heard it on the CBS radio station here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Two people went to the hospital with burns. They were sleeping while their scooter was recharging nearby.

https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/fire-at-boyd-hotel-in-san-francisco-caused-by-lithium-ion-battery-2-injured/

Philippa

Hi Phillipa and Richmond,

I use a Quickie model Q700M power wheelchair (not a scooter) at home but do not take it on airplanes because planes are famous for damaging them thus leaving wheelchair users screwed. I use a Pride Jazzy Ultralight with a removable lithium battery as my travel wheelchair. It folds like a stroller after the battery is removed and taken on the plane. This power wheelchair weighs 26 pounds and I have used it on many trips with American Airlines.’

Since the topic of fires came up, I am sharing information about lithium battery safety from Neal Grolnic, Chair, Seabrook RAC Safety Committee in NJ. He has been working on this for some time. He shared it with with the Erickson Senior Living Resident Communication Zoom Group. I have his permission to share. The bottom line is ONLY replace with manufacturer authorized parts.

Large Lithium-ion Battery Safety

Large batteries, the type used to power Electric Mobility Vehicles, can be dangerous if not treated correctly. There is ample evidence that cheaply made, inexpensive lithium-ion batteries, or lithium-ion batteries used with incompatible chargers or electronics can cause catastrophic fires.

To avoid overcharging, and causing a fire, battery chargers must be compatible with the type of battery being charged: e.g., lead acid or lithium-ion. 

If you must replace the battery and/or charger in an EMV, ONLY replace with manufacturer authorized parts.

Lithium-ion batteries are not commonly compatible with the electrical and electronic components of older EMVs. Use of non-compatible batteries are likely to result is a potentially life-threatening fire.

Lead acid battery chargers are not compatible for charging lithium-ion batteries. Using an incompatible charger is likely to result in a life-threatening fire.

Dos and Don’ts

Do not leave devices unattended when charging

Do not charge your EMV in a space that blocks or restricts your exit from your apartment in case of a battery fire.

Do use only factory/manufacturer authorized replacement batteries and/or chargers when replacement is necessary.

Ann MacKay, Charlestown

One of the other NaCCRA board members provided a copy of the policy their community uses.

This policy contains factual errors that should be corrected if you use it as a model. The speed at which most seniors walk is less than three mph, more like two mph. The speed of "3 to 5 mph" is a very brisk walk; a jogger does 7 mph, and a bicycle, 10 mph for touring, 20-25 mph for racing. The sealed Gel-cells used in these devices are actually lead-acid batteries with the electrolyte in a gel form to control leakage should the seal be broken. Today, lithium-ion batteries pose a fire risk due to their avalanche breakdown property. When one cell in the battery shorts, the heat causes neighboring cells to fail, cascading into a rapid release of heat and toxic gas. Although the technology has been invented to prevent this, it is not yet incorporated in commercially available products. 

One resident in my community complained to me that "people must keep right" for safety. It seems that she rounded a blind corner at walking speed and nearly collided with a group of residents who had stopped to talk. As the chair of the Safety Advisory Committee, I was obliged to remind her that no matter what they are doing or where they are, they have the right of way over her motorchair. She is obliged to drive slowly enough to come to a safe stop in such situations.

Please use this and other documents offered in the NaCCRA forums as informational examples. Scrutinize and verify before you rely upon such information. (Click the word "Attachment" in the fine print below to see the document.)

Richmond Shreve

NaCCRA Board Member

Forum Moderator

The 8 page policy guide for power scooters is thorough and and clearly written. One additional change to consider is that operator training by Occupational Trainers should be mandatory for all new cart owners as part of licensing process.

If this and other changes suggested by Richmond are included this is a good Model Policy.

Another reason for the training is to help new owners master the cart controls and get comfortable on safe comfortabl training environment. I have seen residents purchase a cart then are scared to use it.

Dan Ancona

NaCCRA Board Member

Hi Daniel,

I have used a power wheelchair for 25 years and have used a service dog and all kinds of canes and walkers. Keep in mind that power wheelchairs are different from scooters. They are all steered by a joystick which scooters are not. Wheelchairs can go inside restaurants. I am 74 but live with scooter users that cannot use a joystick.