How to Use a Walker

Posted in Senior Health Care Tips by Pat Tarantino

The ability to safely travel is a key element to maintaining independence for older adults. While there are a wide variety of assistive devices on the market, four-pointed walkers are among the most common – and most commonly misused options. This article discusses the basics of walker selection and provides tips on how to safely use a walker in common scenarios.

Walker Basics

Walkers are typically recommended for individuals with moderate to poor balance due to pain or weakness in legs, feet, or hips. Walkers can support up to 50% of a user’s weight and can be built with static contact points, rolling wheels, or a combination of both. Wheeled walkers with hand brakes are referred to as rollators and require slightly more coordination and maintenance to use safely long-term.

While techniques exist for traversing staircases with a walker, they require quite a bit of coordination, strength, and balance to use safely, as a walker’s footprint is commonly larger than the area of a standard stair.

Fitting a Walker

Walker height can usually be adjusted by 5 to 10 inches to better fit their user and are sold in a variety of sizes to accommodate different body types. A properly adjusted walker will minimize strain on the user’s hands and shoulders, promote better stability and decrease the risk of falls.

When fitting a walker, it is important to wear the same shoes a user plans to wear most frequently, as the thickness of a shoe can change the user’s height and fit.

To determine the proper height for a user, they should stand upright and the device adjusted until the handles are about in line with the user’s hips. This fit should keep the handles level with the user’s wrists when their arms are slightly bent.

Basic Tips for Safer Walker Use

• Minimize your risk of collisions by looking forward, rather than down at your feet, when using a walker. If you are unsure of your footing or instinctively look down, consider practicing in a safe environment with the help of a medical professional until you can move confidently.
• Always keep all four points of a walker on the ground before taking a step.
• Keep a firm grip on the handles of your walker and avoid holding additional items in your hands when moving. Consider adding a storage bag to your walker, or wearing a backpack or fanny pack to store items you would normally hold.
• Wheeled walkers should never be lifted fully off the ground, while walkers without wheels should never be scooted or dragged along the ground.
• Regularly inspect the contact points where your walker touches the ground to ensure they are even and undamaged.
• If your arms, legs, back, wrists, or neck feel sore after using your walker, consider consulting with a medical professional to ensure your device is fitted properly.

How to Use a Walker On Flat Surfaces

Using a walker safely and effectively is a little more complex than it might seem at first glance, but the proper technique can be picked up with just a little practice.

1. Push (for wheeled walkers) or lift (for non-wheeled walkers) the device a short distance in front of you while keeping your posture straight and upright.
2. Ensure all four contact points are firmly on the ground.
3. Step forward with your less stable leg while supporting your weight on the walker and your stronger leg.
4. With your weaker leg firmly on the ground, step forward with your stronger leg, placing it in front of your weaker leg.

Repeat steps 1 through 4 to take your next step. As you become more comfortable with the procedure, you can experiment with how far forward you move the walker in step 1 until you find a good balance of stability in forward progress.

How to Climb or Descend a Curb

When managing a curb or small step, use the phrase “up with the good, down with the bad” to remember how you should approach.

1. Position yourself in front of the curb so that your next natural step will bring you across the change in height.
2. Place all four points of the walker on the curb if ascending, or beneath the curb if descending.
3. To climb a curb, step forward with your stronger leg. Then put your weight on the walker before bringing your weaker leg up and over the curb. To descend, step forward with your weaker leg, support your weight with the walker, and then bring down your stronger leg.

How to Rise from a Chair

You may not have perfect stability the moment you stand up from a chair, so using a slower approach and taking a short pause between each step is recommended.

1. Position the walker with the open side towards you within easy arm’s reach.
2. Make sure all four points of the walker are in contact with the ground and there are no objects either beneath the walker (like area rugs or cords) and you have clear space to position your feet.
3. Lean forward slightly and use your arms to press up on the chair’s hand rests to assist your legs. DO NOT use the walker for support as it may move.
4. Once standing, move one hand at a time onto the handles of the walker.
5. Take a slight step forward if needed to stand fully upright before beginning further movement.

How to Sit from a Standing Position

Moving into a chair should be done slowly to ensure you maintain balance throughout the process.

1. While continuing to use the walker for support, back up to the chair until you contact it with the backs of your legs.
2. Ensure all four points of the walker are in contact with the ground.
3. Reach backwards with one hand at a time and grab the chair’s armrest.
4. Lean slightly forward and position your weaker foot slightly forward of your stronger foot.
5. Slowly lower yourself, using your stronger leg and arms to gradually achieve a seated position, and then slide your body backwards to fully engage with the chair.

Managing Steps with a Walker

Using a walker to climb or descend stairs takes a considerable amount of practice and is a significantly different process depending on the individual’s balance and physical ability. As a result, it is best to discuss the ideal technique with a physical or occupational therapist or other medical expert to determine if and how you should approach stairs.

The ability to safely move at home and in the community is a critical element of maintaining long-term independence for older adults. SelectCare’s team of home health care providers has extensive experience and training on how to assist individuals with limited mobility and have helped New Yorkers live happier, healthier lives in their long-time homes for nearly 40 years.

To learn more about SelectCare and how we can help. Call SelectCare today, read our client testimonials, or request a free in-home care guide today.