Mary insisted we give her a tripod walking frame – here’s why we didn’t

For fairly obvious reasons we get a lot of ageing customers visit us at the Aged Care Store. Because we care about making sure customers get the right products to suit their needs. We aren’t always able to give them what they ask for.

That’s what happened with Mary when she asked us for a tripod walking frame. It wasn’t that we didn’t want to give her one, it was that we couldn’t, because such a product doesn’t exist. There simply isn’t any reason for a manufacturer to make one, and if they did, it would fail as a product because it wouldn’t be safe to use.

Walking frames need to have four legs

If you’ve ever seen a dog or cat with only three legs, you’ll know what a difficult time they have getting around. That’s because they need four legs for proper stability and balance.

Designing a walking frame to have four legs was a natural choice. This kind of walking frame will effectively give the user four extra legs. This means when you need to lean on it, you’ll be safely supported. Plus the design of the frame also means you can attach accessories such as small baskets or trays to hold frequently needed items such as sunglasses or a purse.

An extra option – conversion from walker to shuffler

Walking frames are excellent for most people with limited mobility, but there is one small problem that needs to be overcome. This problem is that some people lack the upper body strength to lift the frame off the floor. A clever engineering trick solved this problem.

Originally walking frames were always made to be perfectly rigid. This was considered to be the safest way to make them. When this problem of people not being able to lift the frame became apparent, the engineers added locking pins to the frame that would enable it to be rigid most of the time, but also flexible if the locking pins were removed.

By adding the option for the frame to be flexible, those who weren’t strong enough to lift the frame could still make forward progress by shuffling across the floor, advancing each side of the frame alternately. It’s a very simple solution that solved a serious problem.

An even better innovation for improved mobility

Although it’s not suitable for everyone due to the extra cost, the Rollator also makes it easier for most people to use a walking frame, and the four-wheeled version entirely removes the need for lifting. A Rollator looks like a standard walking frame, but it has wheels and a hand brake system added.

Mary loves the extra freedom her walking frame provides

We were able to help Mary get the correct walking frame to suit her needs. It wasn’t the product she asked us for, but we were able to give her the right advice and she was thrilled with the quality of the product we did supply her with.

Now Mary is able to continue living in her own home, has the freedom to enjoy her garden, can visit the local shops without assistance, and even manages to occasionally babysit her grandchildren. None of these things would be possible without her walking frame, and we are so pleased we were able to help.

We’d love to help you with whatever products could make your life easier, too. So give us a call or send an email and we’ll be able to make suggestions as to which products you might like to consider.

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