MOBILITY IN THE FINAL YEARS
Donation protected
I am 71, retired, living on a small social security benefit. I live in Italy because I speak Italian and I can afford it here. (My rent when I lived in San Francisco, would have taken all of my social security check and then some, each month.)
I have diabetes and neuropathy in my legs and broken bones in my feet. I have lost the cartilage in my knees so I cannot walk much. We have discussed getting a knee replacement but with my health issues that is not recommended. I have walker to use in the house to go to the bathroom, but to go out and do shopping and medical visits, I have been using an electric scooter that I saved for a year to buy two years ago. It is old, not manufactured any more, and has broken down about 9 times in the past five months. They tell me the motor is about burned out. When it dies I will be confined to my home again.
I need a new scooter, one that is long enough for me (I am 6 foot 6) and one that I can depend on to carry my weight. The orthopedist pointed to the Kometa Titan which is longer so I don't have to ride around with my feet out over the front wheels. My knees do not bend well. Because of my health problems (I am now allergic to most antibiotics), I have to be careful getting around, checking my feet several times a day.
I have been saving to buy the new model which costs 4575€ ($5075). (I am adding to the cost because I would like to buy the attachment that allows me to connect my walker to the scooter, so I can use it when I arrive at a destination.) My banking is done in the US where my son lives in Chico and so far I have saved 1275€ ($1415). I need to come up with the rest. My problem is compounded in that it is getting harder and harder to save any money because the dollar keeps getting weaker compared to the Euro, so I have to learn to live on less and less.
I am seeking help, with a little here and a little there, to reach my goal. The old scooter will not last more than a month or two.
I have diabetes and neuropathy in my legs and broken bones in my feet. I have lost the cartilage in my knees so I cannot walk much. We have discussed getting a knee replacement but with my health issues that is not recommended. I have walker to use in the house to go to the bathroom, but to go out and do shopping and medical visits, I have been using an electric scooter that I saved for a year to buy two years ago. It is old, not manufactured any more, and has broken down about 9 times in the past five months. They tell me the motor is about burned out. When it dies I will be confined to my home again.
I need a new scooter, one that is long enough for me (I am 6 foot 6) and one that I can depend on to carry my weight. The orthopedist pointed to the Kometa Titan which is longer so I don't have to ride around with my feet out over the front wheels. My knees do not bend well. Because of my health problems (I am now allergic to most antibiotics), I have to be careful getting around, checking my feet several times a day.
I have been saving to buy the new model which costs 4575€ ($5075). (I am adding to the cost because I would like to buy the attachment that allows me to connect my walker to the scooter, so I can use it when I arrive at a destination.) My banking is done in the US where my son lives in Chico and so far I have saved 1275€ ($1415). I need to come up with the rest. My problem is compounded in that it is getting harder and harder to save any money because the dollar keeps getting weaker compared to the Euro, so I have to learn to live on less and less.
I am seeking help, with a little here and a little there, to reach my goal. The old scooter will not last more than a month or two.
Organizer
Greg McCombs
Organizer
Chico, CA