Ins and Outs of Walkers
/My mother has been using a walker off and on for several years…all the time for the past year or so. Over that time – she has used 3 different walkers and learned some lessons.
Tennis balls. One of the most common mods made to walkers is adding tennis balls to the feet. On the one she has now they prolong the life of the rear push locks.
Fold down seat. The first walker she used was like the current one but didn’t have a seat. It worked about the same for walking. The seat adds a place for her to sit anywhere she needs too (the kitchen is a place she uses the seat a lot…or as a perch to cut a flower outdoors) and can be used as a platform to take things along with her – a basket of clothes to/from the laundry, the newspapers out to the recycle, etc.
Move 2 wheels to the inside of the walker frame to minimize width – increase maneuverability. The walker she is using now came with the wheels on the outside of the walker as had the first one she used. We moved them to the inside so that going through narrow places (doorways, hallways) was a bit easier. It’s surprising the difference that little bit of reduced width can make!
Folded size. Since the walker goes with her everywhere – the folded size and the ease of getting it folded/unfolded is important. The seat on the walker she is using now folds up and the sides fold inward. It fits easily into all the family vehicles.
Overall – the walker she is using now is honed to her needs….and she is making the most of every aspect of it!