Using a walker the first few times is not an easy task. Your elderly family member might even find it so irritating that she tries to avoid using the walker. Avoiding the walker only makes using it more difficult.
Her Walker Might Need Adjusting
Walkers are a simple assistive device, but there’s more to them than it appears at first. One of the surprising facts you’ll encounter might be just how adjustable walkers are. There are brakes, wheels, tips, and other parts of the walker that can be added, removed, or adjusted. Then there’s the height of the walker itself that can be raised or lowered. Ideally, the height of the walker should allow your senior to comfortably reach the handles. If you need help figuring out the right height for your senior’s walker, talk to her doctor.
She Needs to Learn the Rhythm of Using a Walker
There’s a rhythm to using a walker on a regular basis, but from the outside you might not have realized that. The walker needs to start out slightly in front of your senior. When she’s ready to walk, she needs to slide the walker forward just a small amount. Using her weaker leg, she needs to step forward closer to the walker itself. Leaning very slightly down on the walker, your senior needs to balance carefully and step forward with her good leg. She shouldn’t ever be fully inside the frame of the walker, because that can cause her to get tangled up and possibly fall.
She Needs to Use Her Walker to Get Better with It
The reason it’s so frustrating at first to use a walker is that it can take a little bit of practice to get used to walking in this new way. Your elderly family member is used to being able to get up and walk whenever and wherever she wants, and this walker is slowing her down. The good news for her is that the more she uses her walker, the more she’ll get used to it and the easier it will be for her to use it.
This Isn’t a Tool to Support Her Full Weight
As much as a walker can do for your senior, it can’t and should never support her full weight. It’s also not a tool she can rely on to stand up safely. Walkers are a tool for balance while your senior is walking, but they’re not stable enough for her to keep her balance when doing other things. There are other tools that are far better suited for those needs, including the chair itself.
When your senior is still learning how to use her walker she might be uncomfortable and even forget to rely on it as much as she should. Senior care providers can help her to remember to use her walker and ensure she’s using it properly.
If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in Big Timber, MT, please contact the caring staff at SYNERGY HomeCare Billings today at 406-839-2390.
