Mom has terrible hunched/slouched posture when using her rollator. Does this mean it's time for a wheelchair?

We had to have my dad's rollator adjusted to make him stand up and not crouch over. I'd seen so many seniors doing this on both walkers and rollators and requested his be adjusted up to avoid it when he first got it. He complained that it was "high" but it really wasn't and he soon got used to it and does well with it, as well as possible that is for a man who walks poorly. We've also done the physical therapy a few times but had no real benefit, hard to say if that's due to it not working or him not cooperating.

Ask the doc to prescribe a few sessions with a physical therapist. They can do wonders in ensuring that LOs do things that they won't do if family requests it.

Wow, this is exactly what my mom is doing. I constantly tell her to imagine a string from her waist to the sky to try to get her to walk upright. Otherwise, she's at risk for a fall. I'm with her at all times. It seems 85 is the magic number for deterioration with my parents. Mom doesn't have dementia.

The handles of the Rollator walker must be tall enough to eliminate the stooped posture of the user. The person using it should not have to bend over so far that the posture is in a permanent hunched position. However, there is a possibility that it is already too late to correct the elder's posture from the ill-fitting-for them Rollator.

Mallie - I used a companion chair for Dad - which is so much lighter to lift as I can't lift a regular one - it has 4 wheels same size & the rear wheels are small not those huge ones - seat is canvas like - look around for one

FYI - it is not 'western' medicine but 'american' medicine that is so expensive as it is a 'for profit' business - my daughter & her husband did trip around world for a year & their insurance was double if they were going to go to U.S.A. so they skipped going there at all & left that for a separate trip - DH & I avoid going there also as insurance is so expensive & because there are other more interesting places to go to in the world

You said it all; yesterday she asked me if I wanted to be her medical POA - I was shocked - that was 5 minutes before she went in to the doctors office ALONE. I probably should have insisted on going with her, but you know, I really think western medicine is mostly about the money for many doctors and facilities now, so am suspicious about most of what they do and want to do. Decided I'm not the person to TRY (if she would really let me) to help manage her health, so am going to ignore it and just let her Dr. and RN, and SW do it. My mil and fil and mom are all cash cows for western medicine, if you ask me; I'd hate to enable that whole routine....

I have no plan other than to try to hang on and react to the moment. My mother is a mess who has one goal -- the live forever in her house. Last week I thought she was in her last days and talked about bringing in hospice. She agreed. But it turned out she just didn't want to go to a doctor appointment. After I canceled the appointment she was all well again. Doh. I forget that I'm dealing with a child-like mentality now. It reminded me of when I feigned sickness so I didn't have to go to school.

I don't really have much influence on my mother. She is going to do what she wants. I just make suggestions and provide physical support as best I can.

Jessebelle, Do I get that! My mom, who has a deteriorating spine, leans so far forward with her walker that several people mentioned it to me. The bad news is I had reminded her over and over to straighten up; she has meds related forgetfulness, and can't seem to remember. She tried a rollator lately, but doesn't like it and there really isn't room for it in her little apt. She never uses a wheelchair (tho I can see that coming, God forbid), and I am unable to lift one into a vehicle; walker is hard enough, so if it comes to that she will have to leave her apt - hopefully not her beloved cat - and go to a facility of some kind, especially one with a van to transport those with wheelchairs. What's your plan?

I agree with JoAnn. She needs to be evaluated using the rollator and using a standard walker. My mom fell using her rollator. She never used it again. When I took her to dr appts she used her walker to get to the car and to go in restaurants but when we got to the drs office we used a wheelchair. I never went out without both. Seldom did I need the wheelchair but it reassured me that should anything happen I could protect her better in the wheelchair. All her drs offices had wheelchairs available. She used her wheelchair to sit in at her kitchen table as it was a good height for her. She used her walker otherwise.
A friends aunt blamed her " jazzy" on her aunts loss of mobility because she started using it after a knee surgery and soon became dependent. My mom had therapy for years to keep her strength up for dealing with life in general.

Some people should not use a rollator. See if the doctor will OK her for PT to make sure she is using it correctly.

Caregivingstuff,
I see that your mom has dementia on your profile. I'd discuss her walking situation with someone who regularly addresses the needs of dementia patients. Mobility can be a huge issue and I get it why you want to keep her walking as long as possible. However, with my LO, her walking was extremely precarious. The balance so poor, that she was falling and getting fractures frequently. Surprisingly, her going to a wheelchair was a blessing, as most of the falls stopped and she was able to use her feet to propel herself around in the chair. (Foot rests removed.) She actually wears out her shoes this way. She gained much more mobility and was able to get all around the AL by herself. Each case is different, but, I'd keep in mind that teaching her to use things differently or to walk differently, when she has dementia is not likely, since she may not be able to remember what she is told.

Is she hunched over when sitting or not using the device?

It is so hard to know what the right choices are. My mom lost the ability to walk after a two week respite stay at a nursing home. Looking back now I wish I would have asked for some PT and at least tried to restore her ability. I don't suppose your doc would prescribe some PT? I know that our life became much more difficult when mom finally gave up walking, it progressed to an inability to stand and transfer and this was a big factor in having to place her in a NH.

My mother walks on her rollator like she is pushing it. She bends almost in two when she's walking and looks at the ground around her feet. Her PT instructed her how to walk pushing herself up on the handles and I tried to encourage her to do this. She defaults back to the bent mode, pushing the rollator in front of her. She has walkers that surround her, but she won't use them. I think she finds a bent posture is more comfortable for her. She has severe arthritis along her spine.

My mom had the same issue with a rollator. She had it as opposed to a walker because she tried easily and need to sit down to rest frequently. That is when exercise becomes very limited. She also had difficulty with the brakes and what they were for. Though she rarely needed the brakes, occasionally down the handicap ramps that seem to be everywhere in some facilities.

Mom also had progressive osteoporosis which was also a contributor to the slouching.

I'm not understanding who suggested the adjustment, the shoe salesman? Any changes should be made by someone who is qualified.
Despite the sales pitch and all the bells and whistles of modern rollators many elders have trouble with them, my own mom was able to handle a two wheel walker with more ease when inside, we saved the rollator for trips outdoors.

The rollator should have been adjusted for your mother's height when it was first purchased/delivered. So, yes, adjust it now so she can walk straighter and probably in less discomfort. The aide might be able to use a gait belt so she doesn't have to bend over as well.

I don't know if it's time for a wheelchair, but if your mother can still walk, I'd let her do that as long as possible. Primarily using a wheelchair can increase her sense of disability, of being confined and unable to maintain at least a certain level of independence through walking. And it won't contribute to maintaining muscle strength in her legs, unless she's doing PT. I'd put constant wheelchair reliance off as long as possible, assuming that her orthopedic doctor agrees.

That's one of the issues I've noticed about rollators, as opposed to walkers. Although they're more sturdy, they have less of a "envelope" in which the person can walk, surrounded on 3 sides by support as with a walker.

If I were a rollator designer, I'd create a method by which the handlebars could be slid out backward, to act as an extension to provide more "coverage" around a person's body and avoid leaning over as a person walks. I see that limitation whenever I move my father's rollator around.