Mom has terrible hunched/slouched posture when using her rollator. Does this mean it's time for a wheelchair?
On some days, usually when her back or legs hurt or feel very weak my mom walks in a terribly hunched / slouched way with her 4 wheeled rollator. (It appears as if the walker is too far from her body when this happens.) On these days it is difficult for the aide to help support her when walking. We took her to get fitted for a good pair of quality walking shoes. The salesman suggested that we lower the back legs of the rollator one notch so that it would "force" her to walk straighter. Has anyone heard of this approach? It is straining the aide's back to assist her. The primary care doctor suggested putting off the wheelchair until it is completely necessary. (Now we only use it for occasional doc appts.) Does this mean it is time for the wheelchair?
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
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.
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.
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?
Mom also had progressive osteoporosis which was also a contributor to the slouching.
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.
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.