My dad fell yesterday

[DawnM]

ARGH!  

Dad went on one of his outdoor walks, on the sidewalk, with a cane.....alone.

He ended up having a fight with the concrete and the concrete won.   We didn't know he was out there.   My husband heard some yelling, but just thought it was the neighbors outside talking (you know, as in, "Hey, you also need to get milk and cheese!" as someone drives off kind of yelling.).   It was my dad yelling for one of us.

thankfully, my 21 year old went outside to get the mail and found him.   My 21 year old never goes out to get the mail, so it was definitely a very good thing.   

We called 911 and had him transported.   He was bleeding and had a huge gash on his head in the front, but was worried about a brain bleed.

Let me just say that the hospital was CRAZY BUSY.   I got there to the ER waiting area and was told that until my dad was assigned a room, I couldn't go back there and I wouldn't be allowed to wait in the waiting room.   I ended up driving all the way back home for a while.   My dad waited 5 hours to see a doctor and was quite agitated about it, that isn't his normal personality but I think he was anxious to get the CAT SCAN results and make sure there was no brain bleed.

We were in the ER for 9 hours and then they released him because they were filled beyond capacity and had no overnight beds for him.   The hospital had partitions in the hall as make shift rooms and they had 3 mobil units outside.   And they were short staffed.   It was awful.

Final results:

1. No stitches because he tore too much skin off the front of his scalp.

2. He fractured his occipital condyle and the neurosurgeon decided to put him in a neck brace for 4 weeks instead of perform surgery.

3. No brain bleed.

Now for my evil plan:

1. convince him that he needs a caregiver to come in a few hours per week to help with showers, walks, and maybe some light cleaning and feeding to prevent falling.

2. convince him to use his walker and not just a cane OR he needs to use his wheelchair

3. tell him he can either comply with the above or it is Shady Pines!~ (Golden Girls reference in case you don't know what that means)

WHEW!   These parents sure are hard to raise.....and they are stubborn.

[mommyoffive]

Oh no I am so sorry.  Sending him some gentle hugs and easy recovery wishes.

[YaelAldrich]

Wishing your dad a quick and easy recovery and y'all a compliant parent.

[saraha]

Good luck!

[Catwoman]

I’m so sorry to hear about your dad!!! 😢

[elegantlion]

I'm so sorry. I do hope your evil plans work. 

[KSera]

Oh, dear, how scary for everyone! I'm glad he doesn't have a bleed and hope he heals up soon.

[Stacia]

Oh no! I'm glad it's not worse & that he was (eventually) able to be seen. Keeping my fingers crossed that he'll be agreeable to your plans. I hope he's not hurting too much today. Sounds like it will be a painful recovery.

Have you considered getting him something like a medical alert necklace? I know my friend recently set up one for her mom & it was one they bought through Costco. I know it works because I'm on the call list & was called a few weeks ago when my friend didn't answer. You can set up the call list that they contact you &/or other family members first, before alerting emergency services.
https://www.costco.com/medical-alert-systems.html

[crazyforlatin]

I’m so sorry, wishing him speedy recovery. Parents are hard to raise, my mom needs a walker or a cane at the very least, but it means accepting she’s no longer 35 yo in her heart. It’s hard to accept your own frailty when the mind and heart are not the physical age. I’m hoping that medical professionals will continue saying something to her because she won’t be obeying me anytime soon.

[Scarlett]

Oh Dawn how scary,!  And Covid makes everything more difficult.  So glad he is ok.  Ish. 

[fraidycat]

Oh no! I'm sorry he is injured. How scary for him and you. I hope this was the wake-up call he needed to allow you to bring in extra support for him and to get him to use the most appropriate mobility aids for his condition.

[Harriet Vane]

So sorry this happened! And so sorry the hospitals are such a mess. I pray he heals quickly and your evil plan is implemented without incident. 

[melmichigan]

I am so glad he didn't have a bleed.  Being on the reverse end, as the one who falls, I'm so sorry for all of you, bad falls are so scary!  I'm all for a caregiver.  

It may not be relevant because I'm obviously younger but I have a bad history of falls.  I use an apple watch (with fall detection) and an Alinker, which was a game changer for me.  A medical alert would do the same thing, but there was no way PT was going to convince me to use a walker, let along a wheelchair. If applicable (they aren't for everyone), Alinkers are often used on their FB pages when people become too disabled to use them, have a rent to own, and also crowdfund.  I hope to one day see insurance change their viewpoint and cover something like this when people can use their legs to some degree.  I mention it because one of the users that finally convinced me to give it a try is a 75 year old gentleman. 😉

 

Edited August 11, 2021 by melmichigan

[livetoread]

Keep an eye on his neurological symptoms anyway. My father fell and hit his head. He got scanned and was fine. A couple of weeks later he started drifting when he was walking and another scan showed a significant subdural hematoma. They can be slow bleeds.

[Frances]

1 hour ago, livetoread said:

Keep an eye on his neurological symptoms anyway. My father fell and hit his head. He got scanned and was fine. A couple of weeks later he started drifting when he was walking and another scan showed a significant subdural hematoma. They can be slow bleeds.

Yes. This is exactly what happened to my husband’s grandma, except it took way too long to diagnose the subdural hematoma. Due to her advanced age, it was incorrectly thought to be the start of dementia.

[crazyforlatin]

1 hour ago, melmichigan said:

I am so glad he didn't have a bleed.  Being on the reverse end, as the one who falls, I'm so sorry for all of you, bad falls are so scary!  I'm all for a caregiver.  

It may not be relevant because I'm obviously younger but I have a bad history of falls.  I use an apple watch (with fall detection) and an Alinker, which was a game changer for me.  A medical alert would do the same thing, but there was no way PT was going to convince me to use a walker, let along a wheelchair. If applicable (they aren't for everyone), Alinkers are often used on their FB pages when people become too disabled to use them, have a rent to own, and also crowdfund.  I hope to one day see insurance change their viewpoint and cover something like this when people can use their legs to some degree.  I mention it because one of the users that finally convinced me to give it a try is a 75 year old gentleman. 😉

 

The Alinker looks like it would be perfect for my mom. Do shops/businesses allow these inside? 

[Melissa in Australia]

hugs  I am sure you are feeling very rattled

 I second or third an alert necklace. those oldies can be so stubborn and they are more likely to not use a walker when they know nobody is around.

[Laura Corin]

4 hours ago, DawnM said:

ARGH!  

Dad went on one of his outdoor walks, on the sidewalk, with a cane.....alone.

He ended up having a fight with the concrete and the concrete won.   We didn't know he was out there.   My husband heard some yelling, but just thought it was the neighbors outside talking (you know, as in, "Hey, you also need to get milk and cheese!" as someone drives off kind of yelling.).   It was my dad yelling for one of us.

thankfully, my 21 year old went outside to get the mail and found him.   My 21 year old never goes out to get the mail, so it was definitely a very good thing.   

We called 911 and had him transported.   He was bleeding and had a huge gash on his head in the front, but was worried about a brain bleed.

Let me just say that the hospital was CRAZY BUSY.   I got there to the ER waiting area and was told that until my dad was assigned a room, I couldn't go back there and I wouldn't be allowed to wait in the waiting room.   I ended up driving all the way back home for a while.   My dad waited 5 hours to see a doctor and was quite agitated about it, that isn't his normal personality but I think he was anxious to get the CAT SCAN results and make sure there was no brain bleed.

We were in the ER for 9 hours and then they released him because they were filled beyond capacity and had no overnight beds for him.   The hospital had partitions in the hall as make shift rooms and they had 3 mobil units outside.   And they were short staffed.   It was awful.

Final results:

1. No stitches because he tore too much skin off the front of his scalp.

2. He fractured his occipital condyle and the neurosurgeon decided to put him in a neck brace for 4 weeks instead of perform surgery.

3. No brain bleed.

Now for my evil plan:

1. convince him that he needs a caregiver to come in a few hours per week to help with showers, walks, and maybe some light cleaning and feeding to prevent falling.

2. convince him to use his walker and not just a cane OR he needs to use his wheelchair

3. tell him he can either comply with the above or it is Shady Pines!~ (Golden Girls reference in case you don't know what that means)

WHEW!   These parents sure are hard to raise.....and they are stubborn.

I'm sorry to hear about your dad. Is there a medical person who could help with the persuasion? It was the nurse at the minor injuries unit who persuaded Mum to use a stick. She wouldn't listen to me.

[mlktwins]

I'm so sorry about your dad's fall and I get all the worry associated with his fall and care for you and your family.

My dad wouldn't use a cane or a walker, but had really poor balance. The PT's encouraged him to use a walker, but he decided he was just going to use a cane (which he didn't use properly).  As I was his only caregiver from Sept 2018 until 3 weeks ago, I finally told him I wasn't taking him anywhere anymore unless he used a walker (grocery store, hair cuts, out to eat, etc).  I was just done because he was so wobbly and it totally stressed me out taking him anywhere.  He finally started using it and then used it in his apartment full time after that.  He is a fall risk for sure.

Unfortunately, his fall a few weeks ago badly injured his dominant hand and we now have 24/7 care in there.  Very expensive 😱!  His walker was next to him when we found him on the floor.  With his short term memory issues, he couldn't really tell us what happened.  He also had a glass plate, fork, and steak knife on the floor next to him and his kitchen chair was knocked over.

Caregiving might be a little harder to get for just a few hours a week.  Here, they all require a minimum of 4 hours per day (so $100+ per day) and a few times a week.  I would like to say it has been less stressful for me having care in, but the caregivers need guidance too and my dad isn't always pleasant.  But...they are keeping him clean, doing light house keeping, cooking his meals, having him take his meds, etc. All the stuff I've been doing on my own.  I'm hoping that things settle down into a nice routine this week and I can have some time to regroup and recover from the past 3 years.  We are keeping 24/7 care until his hand is healed, but I don't think we can go without regular caregiving of some sort going forward.  I had wanted to get someone in regularly for those 4 hours a day for the past 2 years, but he didn't want to spend the money.  He said, "Why do that when you are free?" (LOL)  Well, $25/hour for 24/7 care is what he is paying at the moment.  And...we are having to sign a year's lease to keep his apartment.  So...he has 1 year to improve and work hard to keep his independence.  This is not necessarily an easy thing because he says he doesn't want to work; he wants to be entertained 🙄.  Well...he may be "entertained" in a nursing home :-(.

Hang in there.  I know there are several of us going through this same thing.  I want to start a social group for those doing elder care while homeschooling, but need to figure out how to do that.  I'm hoping they are truly private so we can vent when needed -- LOL.

 

[Carrie12345]

Oh, I’m so sorry! I hope he has a smooth recovery!

[Eos]

7 hours ago, DawnM said:

Now for my evil plan

Not evil, just smart.  

Agree with the emergency button recommendation upthread, but sometimes my mom won't wear hers if she's just going out in the yard or in the house.  And sure enough, a few weeks ago she fell while pruning something in the yard, impaled herself on a sharp branch, and didn't have her button on.  Hollering to the neighbors didn't help so she figured out how to dis-impale herself and crawled out and back into the house.  We were all  pretty cranky she didn't have the button with her.

[mlktwins]

8 minutes ago, Harpymom said:

Not evil, just smart.  

Agree with the emergency button recommendation upthread, but sometimes my mom won't wear hers if she's just going out in the yard or in the house.  And sure enough, a few weeks ago she fell while pruning something in the yard, impaled herself on a sharp branch, and didn't have her button on.  Hollering to the neighbors didn't help so she figured out how to dis-impale herself and crawled out and back into the house.  We were all  pretty cranky she didn't have the button with her.

I just want to add that I’ve been told, by the owner of the caregiving company we are using (she is also a friend), that often times they don’t use the button when they are in distress.  She also said that it isn’t unusual for an elderly person, who is laying in distress for hours without help, to die from the stress on their body while laying there rather than their actual injuries from the fall.  I had just talked with my dad an hour before his fall and wouldn’t have talked to him again for probably 24 hours.  We are lucky the neighbor below dad’s apartment called me when she heard him fall.  We were there in 20 minutes!

[itsheresomewhere]

I wish you lots of luck trying to convince him.   Ours is currently being too stubborn to listen right now.  
 

And the emergency alert is never in her. It is nicely placed on the shelf as she doesn’t need it.  That is for old people.  Apple Watch-  nope, too ugly for her🙄. Although she admires her friend’s one.  The only thing working for her right now is the Alexa in each room.  She likes it to tell the cat jokes and to call people. 

[DawnM]

I don't think I can get him to wear a life alert or an Apple Watch.   That is why I didn't even mention it.   He won't be able to figure out the Apple Watch and will most likely take it off when he sleeps anyway, and will fall on his way to the bathroom.   But I did think of bringing up the life alert thing.

However, he doesn't go anywhere unless we take him.   thankfully he gave up the car about 6 weeks ago.   

I think we will tell him he can't walk without letting someone know (already told him no walks for 4 weeks and only after we get the ok from the neurosurgeon).

Thanks for the comments about continuing to monitor and slow bleeds.  I have thought that could happen but dad didn't seem that concerned about it and so I kind of put it way back in my mind.

I think I need to add showering only with one of us standing right outside the bathroom so he can yell for us or we can hear if he falls.   

One of the things I have wondered is if he blacked out first when he fell.   He doesn't remember the fall and that makes me wonder if he blacked out.   He has fallen and blacked out before.   I worry about a concussion and forgot to ask when we were at the hospital.   Maybe I will make an appt with his reg. doc. for next week.

I have interviewed for a few new jobs and been frustrated that I have gotten no offers.   Maybe it is a blessing.  I have a feeling I may be out more this year taking care of him.   Being at a known job may be a good thing even thought it isn't an ideal situation.

 

[Scarlett]

10 minutes ago, DawnM said:

I don't think I can get him to wear a life alert or an Apple Watch.   That is why I didn't even mention it.   He won't be able to figure out the Apple Watch and will most likely take it off when he sleeps anyway, and will fall on his way to the bathroom.   But I did think of bringing up the life alert thing.

However, he doesn't go anywhere unless we take him.   thankfully he gave up the car about 6 weeks ago.   

I think we will tell him he can't walk without letting someone know (already told him no walks for 4 weeks and only after we get the ok from the neurosurgeon).

Thanks for the comments about continuing to monitor and slow bleeds.  I have thought that could happen but dad didn't seem that concerned about it and so I kind of put it way back in my mind.

I think I need to add showering only with one of us standing right outside the bathroom so he can yell for us or we can hear if he falls.   

One of the things I have wondered is if he blacked out first when he fell.   He doesn't remember the fall and that makes me wonder if he blacked out.   He has fallen and blacked out before.   I worry about a concussion and forgot to ask when we were at the hospital.   Maybe I will make an appt with his reg. doc. for next week.

I have interviewed for a few new jobs and been frustrated that I have gotten no offers.   Maybe it is a blessing.  I have a feeling I may be out more this year taking care of him.   Being at a known job may be a good thing even thought it isn't an ideal situation.

 

Yes Dawn, the stress on you of having a new job is probably something I would not add to your plate right now.  

[historically accurate]

Oh, Dawn, I'm so sorry to hear this. 

[DawnM]

He is not military.

I am frustrated with his primary doc.  He allowed my dad to come see him as a new patient even though he knew he was retiring.   So now we get to start all over again.

If you remember, my dad just moved here last year from AZ when my mom died, so this area and all docs are new to him.

But I am going to see if I can get an appt for next week and that is a great question to ask.   Hopefully he can write it up.

[Faith-manor]

Dawn, I am so sorry! I hope he heals well. And yes, I totally get it, raising stubborn, elderly parents is WAY harder than raising children! My elders exhaust the tar right out of me.

[DawnM]

Ok, I just looked at a script for home health care and that probably isn't what we are looking for.

I would like someone to come and just sit with him a bit, take him on a walk if he wants (just up and down the sidewalk and drive way right in front of our house, not down the street), clean a little, and maybe make a meal or two.

I guess that would be out of pocket and not doctor prescribed.

[PeterPan]

52 minutes ago, DawnM said:

I don't think I can get him to wear a life alert

Assisted living *requires* residents to wear a button, and that's the level your dad functions at right now. My dad was 65 when I moved him in, very mobile, so I apologized and said sorry it's the rule. He got over it pretty quickly. He's had to use it a few times over the years and in those moments he's glad. 

[PeterPan]

9 hours ago, DawnM said:

convince him to use his walker and not just a cane OR he needs to use his wheelchair

When they moved my dad from rehab into his new AL they sent OT for a month to make sure he was transitioning well and that everything was safe for his needs. Your doctor would probably be HAPPY to write a scrip for brief OT to get him on track with how he should be using his space. They can walk with him through each surface (house, bathroom, yard/sidewalk, etc.) and help him realize what his best plan is for each thing. Fall prevention is huge. It's possible he also needs a different kind of walker for his situation, depending on what kind he has. Some have 2 wheels vs. 4, etc.

[PeterPan]

18 minutes ago, DawnM said:

I would like someone to come and just sit with him a bit, take him on a walk if he wants (just up and down the sidewalk and drive way right in front of our house, not down the street), clean a little, and maybe make a meal or two.

I guess that would be out of pocket and not doctor prescribed.

Your county aging services can tell you what is available for free. Some places have "meals on wheels" kinds of programs. I saw a county adjacent to my dad's that has volunteers they will set you up with for social visits. 

[ktgrok]

I didn't read all the responses, but would he wear an Apple Watch? The new ones have a fall alert feature, where it will start counting down if it senses a fall and if you don't turn it off it will call/text/etc the people designated ahead of time, including 911 if so configured.  And since it is a very cool watch, maybe more likely to wear it vs an emergency button that feels "old". Heck, you don't even have to tell him about the fall feature, if that matters, and just say it is so he can call you easily if need be. 

[DawnM]

6 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

I didn't read all the responses, but would he wear an Apple Watch? The new ones have a fall alert feature, where it will start counting down if it senses a fall and if you don't turn it off it will call/text/etc the people designated ahead of time, including 911 if so configured.  And since it is a very cool watch, maybe more likely to wear it vs an emergency button that feels "old". Heck, you don't even have to tell him about the fall feature, if that matters, and just say it is so he can call you easily if need be. 

No, he would not.   He doesn't even know how to use a smart phone.

[mlktwins]

28 minutes ago, DawnM said:

Ok, I just looked at a script for home health care and that probably isn't what we are looking for.

I would like someone to come and just sit with him a bit, take him on a walk if he wants (just up and down the sidewalk and drive way right in front of our house, not down the street), clean a little, and maybe make a meal or two.

I guess that would be out of pocket and not doctor prescribed.

Yes, this is what we are doing.  It is not home health - just caregiving.  They do this with my dad, plus shower and shave him, do his laundry, make meals, etc.  Of course they are 24/7 at the moment to that is expected.  Depending on how many hours a day/week you want, you can have them do what is most important to help you.  I can tell you after DH and I had to get dad's urine sample at the urgent care a few weeks ago (no, the nurse did not do it), Dh had to hold him up standing and I had to take care of the rest (I will spare you the details).  I will not be responsible for showering him after that.  That is just not my thing.  So...if we decrease caregiving hours at some point, they will still be responsible for getting him clean and shaved.  

[mlktwins]

1 minute ago, DawnM said:

No, he would not.   He doesn't even know how to use a smart phone.

Same with my dad.  He will wear his hearing aid transmitter that lets him hear the tv well, but would not wear a watch or probably any other type of device for fall alert.

[DawnM]

15 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

Your county aging services can tell you what is available for free. Some places have "meals on wheels" kinds of programs. I saw a county adjacent to my dad's that has volunteers they will set you up with for social visits. 

I have looked into that a bit.   He doesn't qualify for meals on wheels, so I am thinking he may not qualify for other services.

[ktgrok]

3 minutes ago, DawnM said:

No, he would not.   He doesn't even know how to use a smart phone.

Ugh. That sucks. my 70 yr old mom LOVES her apple watch, ipad, etc, lol. But it helps that my dad sets it all up for her. For easy use it can be as simple as saying, "hey siri, call Dawn" and it will call you. But if he won't wear it, well..that won't work. 

For in the house, would he use an Alexa? Won't work if he's unconscious, but if he can speak, he can ask Alexa to call you. The Dots are not that expensive, and you could put them in the house so that wherever he is, he could call out to one. Won't work outside though. 

[DawnM]

4 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

Ugh. That sucks. my 70 yr old mom LOVES her apple watch, ipad, etc, lol. But it helps that my dad sets it all up for her. For easy use it can be as simple as saying, "hey siri, call Dawn" and it will call you. But if he won't wear it, well..that won't work. 

For in the house, would he use an Alexa? Won't work if he's unconscious, but if he can speak, he can ask Alexa to call you. The Dots are not that expensive, and you could put them in the house so that wherever he is, he could call out to one. Won't work outside though. 

I don't know, his mind is going a bit and he can't figure out new stuff like that at all.   

[Jenny in Florida]

I'm so sorry he fell, and glad he is (mostly) okay. As a person who tends to fall down and has acquired my own list of fall-related injuries and scars, I can say that his experience is one of my nightmares. I'm sure it's hard to raise your parents, but I do think it's important to remember that it's hard to be the parent who finds himself/herself in need of raising, too. It's pretty devastating to find your autonomy slipping away.

I do hope he is open to your evil plan and that it helps keep him safer and you less anxious.

[mlktwins]

13 minutes ago, Jenny in Florida said:

I'm so sorry he fell, and glad he is (mostly) okay. As a person who tends to fall down and has acquired my own list of fall-related injuries and scars, I can say that his experience is one of my nightmares. I'm sure it's hard to raise your parents, but I do think it's important to remember that it's hard to be the parent who finds himself/herself in need of raising, too. It's pretty devastating to find your autonomy slipping away.

I do hope he is open to your evil plan and that it helps keep him safer and you less anxious.

I am not the OP, but I hear what you are saying.  I battle with this while caring for my dad.  He is like, "Don't I have any say anymore?"  He cannot make good decisions for himself anymore.  And...I am battling between his physical well-being and keeping my mental health in good shape.  It's hard!

[elegantlion]

My SO's mom has Alzheimers and won't wear her medic alert device. She fell in the apartment last week, ended up in the ER with a concussion. Thankfully we're literally right next door and SO found her within a few minutes as he's over there for much of the day. She put on the device for few days and now won't wear it. *sigh* It's hard for SO.

[BlsdMama]

Skip the Walker and look for a Nitro rollator.  Trust me. In black, it’s rather sleek. More importantly, due to the size of the wheels, it’s more stable for outdoors, drives better, and has a seat to stop and rest. The brakes are a great feature too. 

[freesia]

2 minutes ago, BlsdMama said:

Skip the Walker and look for a Nitro rollator.  Trust me. In black, it’s rather sleek. More importantly, due to the size of the wheels, it’s more stable for outdoors, drives better, and has a seat to stop and rest. The brakes are a great feature too. 

Yes, my mom loves hers. 

[BlsdMama]

And I’ll add - mobility issues are hard for independent people. My “graduation gifts” are the results of falls - two falls/cane, one fall/arm braces, a couple falls/rollator, head injury - wheelchair. Don’t underestimate how incredibly hard it is to accept and make sure he feels your empathy. This is hella hard. 

[mlktwins]

1 hour ago, BlsdMama said:

And I’ll add - mobility issues are hard for independent people. My “graduation gifts” are the results of falls - two falls/cane, one fall/arm braces, a couple falls/rollator, head injury - wheelchair. Don’t underestimate how incredibly hard it is to accept and make sure he feels your empathy. This is hella hard. 

I totally get this.  But…in your case it isn’t a lack of effort causing the falls.  With my elder, I was taking him to PT 3 times a week for months.  He had exercises to do at home that he was capable of doing.  He didn’t want to.  He was released from PT because insurance companies want periodic assessments by the PT to see if there is improvement.  They will only pay for so long with no improvement after several months. He did sit and watch a lot of tv. So…here he is 2.5 years later declining.  For him…it was use it or lose it and it is mostly lost now.  He says he doesn’t care.  Hard to find the empathy sometimes.

Edited August 11, 2021 by mlktwins
Fixing errors from typing on my phone :-)

[Wildcat]

49 minutes ago, BlsdMama said:

Skip the Walker and look for a Nitro rollator.  Trust me. In black, it’s rather sleek. More importantly, due to the size of the wheels, it’s more stable for outdoors, drives better, and has a seat to stop and rest. The brakes are a great feature too. 

May I ask how the Nitro Rollator one compares to a cheaper version (different brand)? I have a loved one that will be getting a rollator soon and am wondering how they compare. From the photos, I see that the Nitro looks heavier, but I'm curious as to comparisons in stability or whatever.

Edited August 11, 2021 by Wildcat

[Wildcat]

Dawn, I'm sorry to hear about your dad's fall.

My parents are up in age and I am reading all of these "elder issues" threads to help me learn as I expect to 'join the eldercare club' at any time now.

I really feel for all of you who are in the throngs of elder care. I know my day is coming (looming?!) and I'm not looking forward to it. Hugs to you all.

As an aside, apparently, a very high % of falls happen when using a traditional walker. It sounds like the walker "gets away" from the person and they sort of hang on to it while it moves away and then they fall.  I can't confirm that, but It makes sense in a way.

[BlsdMama]

8 minutes ago, Wildcat said:

May I ask how the Nitro Rollator one compares to a cheaper version (different brand)? I have a loved one that will be getting a rollator soon and am wondering how they compare. From the photos, I see that the Nitro looks heavier, but I'm curious as to comparisons in stability or whatever.

The wheel size changes how smoothly you can navigate bumps or uneven terrain like sidewalks, etc. The wider base/seat keeps it more balanced. Those among us with balance issues can top over a rollator, even the Nitro, but it makes it less likely. LOVE that it folds - not just for travel but you would be surprised how often I’ve had to half fold it to go down an aisle. Truly, lol, they should hire me as their marketing spokesman. 😉 

[freesia]

My mother uses her rollator when she leaves her apartment, but prefers the regular walker within her apartment.  Getting a rollator was key to getting her more mobile.(She is terrified of falling and the anxiety was keeping her very sedentary.)