[rehab] Suggestions for Using a Walker Along with a Cane

[Christopher Tabb]

Mary,
Depending on the type of walker you have, and the type of terrain you are traveling across, such as thick carpet compared to tile, the strategies may vary a bit. With a rollator type walker, the kind with wheels on the front and back and often with handbrakes, you can basically use one hand on the walker and the other on the long cane. If necessary to minimize veering, you can also keep the side of your cane hand on the handle or grip of the walker to keep it more aligned with your direction of travel. 

The style of walker that is on sliders, tennis balls, or other non-rolling type of ground contact, you will need to change to more of a sweep then walk pattern. This is quite tedious at first but becomes more fluid with use.

Hope that helps for starters!

--
Chris Tabb

christabb at me.com <mailto:christabb at me.com>
Mobile:  512.660.2750

> On Sep 8, 2017, at 12:50 PM, Mary Donahue via rehab <rehab at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Good afternoon everyone,
> 
> 
> 
>                I am mainly calling on cane travel teachers to answer this
> question, but anyone who has suggestions can respond.
> 
> 
> 
>                Last month, I fell in our bedroom when I was getting dressed
> to go to work and bumped my right side on the end of the bed frame. It might
> have knocked my balance out a little bit. At any rate, I have been out a
> couple of weeks from work to make sure my balance did not interfere with my
> work as a braille proofreader.
> 
> 
> 
>                Last weekend, when one of my co-workers came to visit with
> us, she found my old walker in the closet. I had to use a walker in 2011 for
> a couple of days after I had surgery on my right knee. Currently, I am using
> the walker to cross open spaces, such as from the couch to the entertainment
> center and from our built-in bar to my armchair, as well as to the front
> door going outside. . Yesterday, I used the walker and a cane to go to my
> physical therapy evaluation and to the doctor's office. However, I have
> never used a cane and a walker at the same time, and I start back to work on
> Monday.
> 
> 
> 
>                If any of you have some suggestions on techniques to use a
> cane and a walker, please bring them on. Any suggestion you may have will be
> very much appreciated. I do not want to ggo through the Division of Blind
> Services, as it will take too long to get a case opened, and I do not want
> them involved. If I use a cane travel instructor, I would rather pay him or
> her with the resources I have. That way, I can interview the instructor
> beforehand, and I can work with someone I can trust. I have had too many bad
> experiences in the past with DBS and cane travel instructors that I would
> rather not go that route.
> 
> 
> 
>                Thank you for your suggestions in advance.
> 
> 
> 
>                Before I forget, the walker I have has two rails on either
> side of it. This is just something added in case the question comes up
> later.
> 
> 
> 
> Mary Donahue
> 
> 
> 
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