Before you buy a walking frame, consider the points below:
- If you need equipment to walk safely indoors or are at risk of falling at home, ask a healthcare professional for advice
- Indoor walking frames give you additional support if your balance, strength or stamina are affected by an illness or a long-term condition
- A therapist can advise if a wheeled or non-wheeled frame is appropriate
- A non-wheeled walking frame has 4 rubber ferrules at the base of the frame for support when walking indoors. A non-wheeled walking frame offers good support if you are only partial or non-weight-bearing while walking
- A wheeled walking frame has 2 small wheels at the front and 2 rubber ferrules at the back and is useful to give support when walking indoors
- Walking frames are height-adjustable and available in small, medium, or large size, and can come in standard width or narrow
- For stability, it is important to walk ‘within’ the wheel base and not push the walker too far ahead of you when walking
- Glides can be fitted to the rear ferrules of wheeled walking frames, to give a smoother movement on carpets. If using glides on smooth surfaces, be aware this can make the frame move more quickly and safety should be considered
- Walking frames have plastic hand grips but specialist frames are also available with forearm supports
- A net bag can be fitted to the walking frame to carry light items around at home
- A clip on ‘caddy’ with a tray can be fitted to WHEELED walking frames to carry everyday items around at home, including food and drinks: a non-slip mat is recommended to prevent items sliding on the caddy tray
- Consider door and corridor widths, door thresholds, steps, loose rugs, and thick carpets which may affect safe use
- Walking frames are NOT designed to take horizontal force so they are not safe to be used for pulling up from a seated position
- Check maximum user weight on the walker
HOW TO MEASURE THE CORRECT HANDLE HEIGHT:
The person being measured should stand looking forward with relaxed shoulders and slight bend in the elbow. As shown in the diagram, the distance between the floor and wrist crease should be measured giving an approximate measurement. Set the handle height of the frame to this measurement. If when walking with the frame, the person is bent over, or their shoulders are hunching, the handle height may need to be slightly adjusted up or down respectively.
