Accepting the fact that you require the use of a mobility aid to help with moving about is a life-changing moment in someone’s life, be it for yourself or your elderly member. It is normal for individuals to develop age-related conditions that result in fragility and weakening of motor skills as they grow older.
Hence, PMAs, or Personal Mobility Aids, such as wheelchairs, rollators, and walking aids, are necessary to support and encourage independence. Since they will be used for a considerable amount of time, it is crucial to understand the key differences between them to choose the most effective one for yourself or your elderly member.
In this article, we will be touching on the differences between walking aids and rollators, as well as how using them can help encourage the user to walk more.
Differences between a walking aid and a rollator
Rollators and walkers are among the most common PMAs in the market. Many often mistake one for the other due to its close resemblance and similarities in terms of features and structures. Here is how you can differentiate between the two:
- Walkers: They are usually less complicated and more lightweight. A standard walker consists of a hand-held frame with sturdy legs for support. They are most useful for individuals who are still capable of walking but are not able to support their body weight with their legs.
- Rollators: Rollators are essentially walkers with wheels. Depending on individual designs, they typically come in three or four wheels. They also come with handlebars and a built-in seat should the user gets tired and need their caretaker to help push them.
The importance of daily walking
With PMAs, such as walkers and rollators, moving about independently becomes easier and more manageable for your elderly members, especially those that might have a harder time walking long distances. Rollators and walkers alike provide adequate stability and support, ensuring that the user can carry on about their day with less help from their family, friends, or caregiver.
It is highly recommended that individuals ensure they maintain regular exercise despite being in a wheelchair. What more is it more beneficial to walk daily if they are able to? Many research studies have shown that at least 30 minutes of walking daily can offer many health benefits, such as:
- Being a significant health booster: Incorporating a 30-minute walk daily is great for boosting your overall health. Not only does it help to boost your cardiovascular fitness, but it also helps to strengthen your bones, shed excess body fats, and improve muscular and endurance strength, eventually lowering your risk of developing diabetes, cancer, and heart-related issues.
- Staying in shape: If you want to shed some excess weight or maintain a healthy shape, then you need to incorporate walking into your daily routine. If a single session of 30 minutes is too much for you, then splitting it up into three 10-minute sessions is good too! You may also wish to find new ways and strategies to make your walking sessions more fun and enjoyable by walking with your dog or finding a walking partner.
At the end of the day, a walker and rollator significantly increase your ability and independence to move around easily, allowing you to be able to walk long and far.
Conclusion
Both rollators and walkers are highly suitable for individuals with lesser mobility restrictions. They are also highly suitable for individuals who have undergone hip replacement surgeries or find that regular canes are not able to provide adequate support. Hence, if your elderly member is not able to walk stably without proper support or wishes to walk more, it is wise to get a PMA, such as a walking aid or a rollator.
At Falcon Mobility, we offer a wide range of walker and rollator options on top of our extensive range of electric scooters for the elderly. Independence does not have to come at an exorbitant cost. Get your elderly member the independence solution today at https://www.falconmobility.com.sg/.