Mom is okay inside the house..but if ever we go out, mom will hold my hand for support and I walk at her pace, right next to her. This was how she walked in summer in a nearby park. But the way she struggled to walk outside scared me and I thought maybe a walker will help
She has private insurance, no medicare/medicaid yet since she just came to America and has not worked here. So the cost of the walker will be an issue, I guess? ?Do I ask her Dr for walker recommendations?
She's 85, has moderate dementia and will not know how to use brakes/features on a walker. It should be very simple..as simple as a walking stick....so then what should I look for?
Anyway, now with colder weather, we are not going out unless visiting family members houses which has no steps or has elevators.
Talk to her doctor for recommendations, but I'd suggest just a basic walker -- the kind with the tennis balls on the feet to keep from scratching floors. They aren't all that expensive -- Amazon has one for $28.99, and for $32 you can get one with wheels on just the front so she doesn't have to pick up the whole walker to move forward.
What I did was walk with my mom so that I could control her speed and direction (she was visually impaired) and apply the brakes as well as help her to turn and sit if she needed to. For outside I think I would opt for a rollator with wheels that are big enough to handle rough terrain and a sturdy seat - some are designed to function as a makeshift wheelchair too and that could come in handy if she tires easily.
For indoor use we preferred using a smaller, "old fashioned" light weight walker with only two wheels, it was much more manoeuvrable and fit into smaller spaces. (rather than the tennis balls I bought skis for the back legs so she could glide over carpet)
Try to make sure Mom uses it correctly. I know this will be hard but I see people using them wrong. Hunched over with the walker in front of them. It should be at the right height for standing straight. You push it ahead and walk into it. I agree, see if Moms insurance covers a therapist to show her how do use. Also, see if her insurance covers durable equipment.
I actually rarely see someone who ISN'T 'pushing' their walker, and it leads to back problems, hip problems, etc. AND can actually CAUSE falls rather than prevent them. 80% of mom's 'bad falls'--her walker was right there!
Mother has both the aluminum frame one and the rollator, which has a seat and IMHO a much better option for everything, except trying to stand to cook. But when the person suddenly gets lightheaded or too tired to stand, they can simply sit down. Also they often have a little basket under the seat and all their 'stuff' can be stowed there. Mother doesn't like the rollator, so she uses the aluminum one and hangs her heavy purse on one side and an equally large 'catchall' bag on the other side, PLUS a
front pack on the front rails. The whole thing weighs about 10 lbs with all this junk. Plus, if it's not 'loaded' properly, the weight of either bag will tip the walker over.
Aluminum frame ones are really cheap. Rollators are more, but still not expensive.
But really, using whatever device you settle on--she needs to learn how to walk with it. Mom was taught, but never uses hers properly.
Your Mom might have it for years. She wants it to fit & suit her needs well. Your needs too as you will also be moving it into car I presume?
Well meaning folk I have come across;
Supermarket walker purchased for tall elderly man who had started to fall. Was too short, caused him back pain & delayed investigation for falls (dx: BP, not balance).
2nd hand model purchased online. Faulty brakes = near miss accident.
Standard walker bought, not enough consideration for use - needing to be lifted into car frequently. Too heavy for carer to manage. Lighter weight 3 wheeler may be suited better.
Just some examples.. if no OT professional near you (or too costly) try a shop that specialises in mobility aides (but beware of sales pitches skewed towards high spec $$ models you don't need etc).
Good Luck!
You have to ask at the front desk, they keep them in the back storeroom.
I got one for my 86 year old father when he was having a hard time getting around.
Also, dad lives in an older home. The doorway to the bathroom is more narrow than the bedroom doorways.
I measured the bathroom doorway and even a narrow walker was still too wide to fit thru. So, I turned the back wheels on the walker to the INSIDE of the walker and now it fits thru perfect.
He also has a wide walker for when he is outside for a little extra stability.
I had no idea that there were so many types of walkers, but we get by with a simple narrow walker inside the house. 2 wheels and 2 tennis balls.
Also buy the tennis ball that are not precut and cut them yourself, it saves a couple of dollars.
Best wishes to you.
My Dad has dementia and he uses the walker with wheels as you only need a brake if they are going downhill or start to fall. His walker also has a seat to sit in case you need to take a break.
A regular light weight walker with no wheels, no seat is not very expensive. She just picks it up an inch,, takes a step and puts it back down or I'd walking on a tile floor, she just scoots it along.
You can punch a hole in 4 tennis balls to put one on each walker leg so it won't slip on slippery tile and it makes it where it will slide over tile easier and she doesn't have to pick it up a little
About $99 .
I tried to paste photo.
The other big benefit is they will properly fit one for your size. I highly advise against going to a large box store and buying one off the shelf. Remember that getting properly fitted is the key for your safety.
we got one for a family member and just cleaned it with Lysol. Big difference in price .
I have had LOs who lived into their 90s and never needed a walker or wheelchair or even a cane. But the right tool for the job is always a good thing.
My DH aunt, 95, with dementia has lost her core strength and can no longer walk more than a step or two to transition.
She ran the whole spectrum from shopping cart to cane to simple walker to rollator. She used a cane so long she wore through the rubber end. When I asked if she should transition to a walker I was told no by a physical therapist. She was very accustomed to it and very active with it. Canes work well for those who are at a certain age and stage. She never fell with it in all the years she used it. When she started holding onto everyone and everything in reach she transitioned to the walker.
Whether it’s a cane, walker or rollator it needs to be adjusted for the height and arm length of the user.
I also think someone who was always fairly athletic is going to find it easier to manage a device than someone less naturally coordinated. Aunt had no problem with learning how to use the brakes on the rollator but by the time she got one she was never walking w/o someone by her side. I often think she was operating it like her last self-propelling lawn mower which she used in her 80s to mow her own lawn.
My mom with no dementia, fell while using a rollator and felt safer with her aluminum walker. She never used a cane and primarily used a walker because she was fatigued with CHF.
when doing her daily routine she would stop and rest a minute with the support of the walker.
For your mom, I would suggest she not walk on uneven terrain at all. Unless it is a routine and well known path, I would put her in a transport wheelchair. She and you will arrive less frazzled and safer. A fall often precedes the most accelerated decline and once the falls begin they seem to continue. Look at YouTube videos for tips. Also, make sure her toenails are cared for and that her shoes fit properly.