A four wheel walker with the ability to increase stability, enhance mobility, and includes seating, explore the benefits of a rollator walker.
It's a natural, almost unavoidable, reaction to tell a person feeling down that the solution to their issue is to 'get out there'. That's how intrinsic the connection we make between mobility and wellbeing is. Mobility devices can include walkers, rollators, canes and wheelchairs and scooters. To make the best mobility decision
- Know your mobility device options.
- Learn 10 Types of Mobility Aids for Seniors
- How to Choose the Right Mobility Aid for You
- Refer to a Rollator Walker Buyer's Guide
For the elderly and those with mobility issues, getting out there is a source of fear and concern. The use of a rollator helps alleviate these issues and improve mobility in multiple ways.
Assistance in the form of a device and/or rehabilitation exercise is crucial. Fear of falling leads to further impairment in gait and balance which becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Read on to learn more about what a rollator is and how it helps make independence and getting out there possible.
Rollator Advantages
As a hybrid device, the rollator offers more than one advantage. Also as a hybrid device, it offers the features of several mobility assistance options in a compact package.
The ability to get a rollator into and out of a vehicle greatly improves the range a person can travel and stay confident they can handle things solo.
Consider the following three integrated advantages.
Walking
The most obvious benefit of a rollator is the ability to walk with confidence and support. A rollator, after all, is a type of wheeled walker offering benefits of a walker with some additional niceties.
Rollators are more stable than a typical walker because it offers more contacts with the ground. Brakes enable the wheels ed contacts to lock and stay stable when changing position and standing.
Once disengaged, the wheels also afford a more streamlined walking experience. Typical walkers have to be scooted along, against heavy friction, which tires out the walker. That, or they are lifted and placed, which again takes effort and offers critical moments where balance is put into question.
Resting
Mobility isn't just about moving around, it is the ability to stay and make use of time in an off-site location without stress and fear.
A rollator's wheels are stable enough (especially when locked) to allow a person to sit and rest at any time along their journey. As the rollator is its own seat, it also makes for a more familiar and comfortable option for enjoying an outing in a public space. No fighting with chairs of unfamiliar height or sitting on rough stadium or park seating that agitates joints.
Storage
The rollator compartment under the seat offers a contained area for the storage of many useful items. For those that need to travel with breathing assistance or breathing treatment device, it makes for an easy option.
Traveling with all the essentials tucked away also gives a boost to confidence when away from familiar spaces.
Adjustability
Rollators come in a variety of sizes but they also are manufactured to be adjustable. The width and height of many models are changeable to keep a person at their optimal posture or easy traveling instead of reaching up or stooping low.
Transportation
The final obvious advantage of the rollator is that it doesn't have to be completely powered by one person. Once you hit a limit on travel, the rollator can be quickly converted into a transportation unit.
Simply sit back and let someone else get you back to home or the car. Best yet, if you feel up for more walking somewhere along the way, it's as easy as taking the reigns and continuing under your own power without the need to drag any extraneous along with you.
Mobility is Health
The most important advantage of a rollator is the mobility it provides. it doesn't matter exactly how it improves independence.
Mobility is essential to keeping mental health strong. Strong mental health is important in maintaining social connections and physical health.
Once a person feels like they are a burden when they leave their home or care center, they start to withdraw and even being outside is more an exercise in frustration and embarrassment.
Understanding the link between the physical ability to travel at will, and the mental comfort to do so is the subject of numerous studies.
The human body also is built to be on the move. The longer a person stays sedentary, the more their overall health suffers. Once a person starts to feel unable to move or get out into public with confidence, they quickly degenerate to a point where they cannot get out.
A rollator, through its compact size and multiple mobility features, provides a bulwark of confidence to get people going. Since it is possible to rest at any time, and in the case of total exhaustion, to get back to the start without any extra gear, a person can regain lost confidence.
Rollator Concerns
Rollators are not always the best solution. for limited mobility use around a care facility, medical walkers are cheaper and offer what's necessary for limited travel.
It's also important to carefully consider the terrain a rollator will be used in. Because of their design, large curbs and bumps can cause problems with the front wheels.
Rollators have a different center of gravity over something like a wheelchair or transport chair. They can tip forward if the assistant pushing doesn't keep a firm grip and an eye for obstructions.
The benefit of confidence can be a double-edged sword with a rollator. If a person has been diagnosed with balance or endurance issues, it's best to limit their travel to a transportation chair.
It's good to keep them involved in rehabilitation exercises, but until the medical issue is cleared, a rollator may prove to be more of a setback than a step forward.
Your Equipment Source
Now you have an idea of how these well-crafted tools are offering benefits to so many. The rollator takes the guesswork out of transportation and independent mobility for your loved ones.
Contact us if you have questions about sizing, ordering, or anything else concerning our offering of medical equipment.
