Walker & Rollator Safety Tips

Written by Christina Weber, Director of Home Care Services

Article adapted from
“How do I use my walker (rollator)? at www.walkerfacts.com

More and more older adults are using wheeled walkers or rollators to get around. And whether you are a hired caregiver or a family caregiver providing support for your loved one in the comfort of their own home, you can help minimize their risk of injury by encouraging walker and rollator safety. There are four main activities that users need to perform safely when using their walkers. These are: standing up, walking, turning, and sitting down.

Common mistakes made while using walkers, wheeled walkers or rollators are made during these activities and include, but are not limited to:

• Not engaging the brakes when using a sitting walker or standing walker.
• Starting to sit while still turning in front of the chair/bed/toilet/car.
• Taking uneven steps.
• Holding the walker too close/too far away from you while taking steps.
• Forgetting to use the walker – walking away from the walker.
• Holding the walker with both hands while standing up and sitting down.
• Leaning too far away from the base of support provided by the walker.
• Twisting away from the walker while turning.
• Sitting on the wheeled walker or rollator while someone pushes it. (Note: Some walkers are made with this capability, but you should conform the device is designed to do this.)
• If the user needs assistance, help them by guiding their body forward and keeping their weight over their feet. Do not pull them through by their arms or shoulders. Also they should not hold onto you, they should hold on to the furniture and walker while you support them.

These sitting walkers and standing walkers for adults were created to assist and support their users, but not used properly they can potentially create more danger and increase the chance of injury. For safe and efficient use of a walker, rollator or other ambulatory devices, please consult your therapist or physician. If you need additional information, please visit www.walkerfacts.com.