Roll Mobility Blog
Rolling Walker Buying Guide
A 4-wheeled walker provides seating, storage, and stability.
Need a little help getting around the house? A rolling walker helps you keep your balance and your independence. Here are some tips on choosing a rolling walker.
Choosing a Style
Rolling walkers are available in 2-wheel, 3-wheel, and 4-wheel styles. The two-wheeled walker is the cheapest, with two small wheels on the front and glider caps or tennis balls on the other two legs.
Rollators come with 3 or 4 wheels. Three-wheeled rollators are smaller and lighter. They turn easily and can handle sharp corners. Four-wheeled rollators are sturdier and come with a built-in seat for rest breaks.
Wheel Size
Bigger wheels roll more easily over terrain, so if you plan to use your rolling walker outdoors, we recommend oversized wheels. Smaller wheels are good for use indoors and on smooth surfaces.
Accessories
One of the biggest advantages of a 4-wheeled rollator is the built-in padded seat. Whenever you need a breather, you can just stop walking, lock the hand brakes, and sit down on the padded seat to rest. The locked hand brakes keep the walked from rolling away, and the seat lifts up to access the under-seat storage bag or basket. Keep your hands free to maneuver the walker by storing your things in the bag.
Finding Joy and Support as a Caregiver
Caring for a spouse is easier with support.
Thanks to Terri Corcoran, a full-time caregiver and public relations chair for Well Spouse™ Association, for these tips on finding joy and support in the stresses of caring for a loved one.
How do you find the support that you need as a caregiver?
I find the support I need primarily from God Whom I have learned to depend on, by virtue of being in this very difficult caregiving situation. I also get support from the Well Spouse Assn., which provides emotional support and resources for spousal caregivers; I am very active in this wonderful, unique organization.
What brings you joy in caregiving?
What brings me joy is any step my ill husband can take or any word he can say (he is very disabled physically and cognitively by FXTAS, a genetic neurodegenerative condition which he has had for practically our whole 12 year marriage thus far – still going).
I am also very happy that I have cared for him at home, where he is happy and comfortable and very peaceful. I have kept him in as good general health as possible. As I look back over the very difficult years, I feel great that I have been able to give him so much love and care – and he still loves me too!
What are the biggest obstacles that you face in caring for your husband?
The biggest obstacles are of course my husband’s extreme disabilities – he needs help with all activities of daily living. I have home health aides 10-11 hours each day to help get him around, feed him, shower him, and stay with him when I go out.
Having to depend on aides who need lots of training and who come in all different levels of competence is probably the most difficult part of my job.
What is the most helpful caregiving tip that you could share with another caregiver?
- Find support groups of others going through what you are going through.
- Pace yourself. Full-time caregiving is like running a marathon; you have to find your comfort level of how much you can handle; never forget yourself, and listen to your body; find time EVERY day to do things you enjoy, even if it’s as simple as sitting quietly and reading.
- Exercise – essential for your own health as a caregiver and a wonderful way to ease stress.
Using a Finger Oximeter for Asthma
A finger pulse oximeter can help you manage your asthma.
Do you struggle with asthma? Thanks to the advance in technology, now there is one more tool that can make your asthma easier to manage. A finger pulse oximeter is a medical device that measures the amount of oxygen in your blood and monitors your pulse.
Can I afford a finger oximeter?
In the past, pulse oximeters were large, expensive, and only available in doctor’s offices and hospitals. Now, a finger pulse oximeter is small enough to fit in your purse or pocket and costs less than $100 for entry-level models. The best part about a finger oximeter is that you can take it wherever you go.
How will a finger oximeter help me manage my asthma?
By using a finger pulse oximeter regularly, you may be able to prevent or lessen the severity of an asthma attack. When the oximeter indicates that your numbers are below normal, you can take action by using supplemental oxygen, reducing your activity level, or take other measures recommended by your doctor to prevent an asthma attack.
Regular monitoring of your blood oxygen level and pulse gives you more control over your asthma and may help you pinpoint underlying causes and patterns related to your asthma.
How reliable is a finger oximeter?
While a finger oximeter is a helpful tool for managing your asthma, think of it as just one more tool to help you know what’s going on with your body. Always be aware of your symptoms and how you feel. If the oximeter numbers are within normal range but you still feel symptoms, respond to how you feel and not to what the oximeter tells you.
7 Tips for Senior Bath Safety
A bath chair makes bathing safer.
Bathing should be enjoyable for the elderly, but because of the fear of falling, they may avoid baths. Here are 7 things you can do to make bathing safer for your loved one.
- Install grab bars near the toilet and bath tub or shower. This helps the elderly person keep their balance when sitting down, standing up, or stepping into the bath tub. Replace towel bars with safety grab bars. If the elderly person begins to fall, they will grab on to anything nearby to stop the fall. A towel bar could rip away from the wall, so make sure there are grab bars near the tub, toilet, and sink.
- Replace glass shower doors with a shower curtain to prevent the door from coming out of its tracks or shattering. A glass shower door could come out of the tracks if the elderly person grabs on to it to keep from falling.
- Provide a bath bench or shower stool so that the elderly person can sit while bathing. You can place a colored towel on the seat to prevent slipping and make it easier to see the chair before sitting down.
- To give the elderly person more independence, install a hand-held shower head to make it easier for them to wash different areas of the body while seated on a bath bench.
- Use non-slip mats on the bathroom floor and on the bottom of the tub or shower. Wipe up any water on the bathroom floor immediately to prevent slipping.
- Get everything ready for the bath or shower in advance: towels, wash cloths, soap, bath mat, shower chair, and any other grooming aids. Make sure they are within easy reach.
- Adjust the water heater to low (about 120 degrees) to prevent scalding. If you are helping the elderly person bathe, always check the water temperature before helping them wash. Wait long enough after turning on the water to let it reach the set temperature.
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