Mr & Mrs Bowering - Chesterfield

It’s really easy to use and has made a lot of difference to us both. Better still, it’s taken all Mary’s worries away about me lifting and dismantling her scooter – we’re happier all round!

On a sunny day I’d suggest to my wife that we took the scooter out to get some fresh air and I’d be surprised when she’d say no. It was months before I realised she was protecting me from lifting it into the car. 

Rod and Mary Bowering from Chesterfield have spent the last few years feeling increasingly confined to their home. Mary (81) suffers from rheumatoid arthritis which, in more than a decade, has gradually impacted on her ability to walk. A mobility scooter was the answer, until Rod’s difficulties dismantling it to lift it into the car became a very real concern.

"The scooter was great, but I’d have to take it apart just to get it into the back of the car,” Rod (79) explained. It was a struggle but I’d try and do it just so that Mary could get out of the house.”

The couple heard about Autochair and enquired about a suitable hoist to lift their Go-Go scooter into the back of their Renault Twingo Expression.

"The team were fantastic and Richard, the fitter, was an incredibly nice man and didn’t mind me watching him throughout the installation. I like to do things myself you see, so I found it really interesting to see him fitting the hoist.”

Rod and Mary opted for the Autochair Smart Lifter which is designed to lift scooters and wheelchairs weighing less than 80kg. Straightforward to fit and compact in design, it is suitable for a wide range of vehicles and is easily detachable when not in use.

"It’s really easy to use and has made a lot of difference to us both. The scooter is in the back of the car in a matter of minutes and one again, we’re starting to go out for pleasure, rather than necessity. Better still, it’s taken all Mary’s worries away about me lifting and dismantling her scooter – we’re happier all round!”