Did you know that walkers weren’t invented until the
1950s? I shudder to think how mobility-challenged people managed to get around,
or didn’t, before that time. And it wasn’t until 1978, when a woman in Sweden
(who had polio) added four wheels onto her walker, creating what is now known
as a rollator.
Most of us who use rollators don’t really care about its
history; we are just happy they exist and that they help us walk with balance
and confidence. But, in the beginning, I’ll admit I wasn’t happy at all about
having to use one.
Oh, I had many friends who used a walker following their
knee or hip surgeries, but those aluminum-framed, hospital-issued devices were
temporary, representing recovery and a return to normal active life.
For me, having ALS and being told I needed a rollator
represented acknowledgment that I wasn’t in recovery. My condition was
permanent and for me, a new normal.
Changing my perceptions
At first, I noticed all the negatives. For instance, it
was intrusive; it was (I believed) the first thing people noticed when I
entered a room. It showed up in photographs, and when hugging a friend my
rollator became a third party in the entanglement.
But when out and about I learned my rollator was actually
a helpful visual “alert” to others not to bump into me. It also acted as a
safety barrier, saving me from wayward children running past.
Multiple uses
I soon discovered several alternate uses. For example, at
the bathroom sink, I swing my rollator directly behind me and lock the brakes.
This transforms it into an emergency landing pad I should happen to teeter
backward.
Besides helping me walk, it has become part of my daily
exercise routine. I stand directly in front of a sturdy chair with my rollator
parked in front of me, with its wheels locked in place. I can perform any
number of simple calisthenic movements, knowing that if I should lose balance
the chair is behind me and my rollator is an easy grab in front.
It’s even become my ever-present silent buddy. Whether
I’m at the computer, eating a meal, or by my bedside at night, it’s never more
than an arm’s length away. I’ll even feel twinges of separation anxiety
whenever restaurant staff stow it in a far-off corner away from my line of
sight. I imagine the scenario of it being stolen and having to either crawl out
of the place on my hands and knees or, be hoisted overhead and carried out like
the Queen of Sheba!
My new attitude
OK, OK, if we’re being honest here, I’ll fully confess
that after living with a rollator for the past six years, I now cannot imagine
my life without one. In fact, I’m the proud owner of three. One is designated
for indoor use only, another sits on the back porch, and the third is stowed in
our van for use on-the-go. The whole set-up makes for seamless travel from one
end of the house to the other — my own “pony express of rollators!”
But I haven’t found the ideal rollator, yet.
Knowing that rollators were invented nearly 40 years ago
and the few design modifications made since then were mainly for the elderly
market, I think it’s time for a system-wide update. How about a “Smart
Rollator?”
Here are a few suggestions I think should be included:
·
Wi-fi accessibility. A simple push of a button
on the handle would turn answering a cell phone while walking into an easy
maneuver.
·
Rather than squeezing the hand brakes, let the
brakes be controlled by an on-off button accessed via the handles. Plus add a
dial for easy braking down an incline.
·
Offer more color choices beyond black, red and
white (or the gratuitous pink).
·
The existence of hoverboards, Segways and classy
compact luggage shows me that someone could design a stylish rollator.
Looking back, I realize that the evolution of my mindset
from initially disliking rollators to now thinking of ways to improve them, has
come a long way. It’s all part of learning to “live well while living with
ALS.”
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| Dagmar Munn ALS Wellness Blogger |
"One step at a time,
is good walking"
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