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Medical assistive devices have made such a tremendous difference in the lives of their users. And they seem to get better as information emerges that improves existing designs and models. Once upon a time, walkers didn’t have seats, but now many of them do.
A seated walker can be used as a wheelchair but only if someone pushes the occupied walker from behind. Walker users can’t move around in them as they would in traditional wheelchairs as seated walkers don’t have the exact mechanism of a wheelchair. Thus, it’s unsafe to use a walker as a wheelchair.
The advances in technology are closing the gap between walkers and wheelchairs to the extent that modern walkers are becoming very similar to wheelchairs–but not quite. This article explains why seated walkers are not safe to use as wheelchairs. Keep reading until the end to learn more.
How a Seated Walker Works
You could say the seated walker is an amalgamation of the traditional wheelchair and the traditional walker. However, this does not mean one can be used as the other–at least not yet. Still, with the rapid technological advances, who knows? Soon, we may have flying wheelchairs, and walkers would be nothing more than relics of a bygone era.
However, today, seated walkers are essentially only for walking. The seat provides the user with somewhere to rest, especially if they get fatigued from ambulating with their walker. And if accompanied, the walker can serve as a wheeled transporter and only for short distances on smooth, level ground. They can sit while their companion pushes them.
So in this sense, seated walkers can be used like wheelchairs. But this is the extent to which they should be used as wheelchairs. In any other capacity, it is unsafe to use walkers as wheelchairs, especially if the user attempts to do so alone, without a companion present.
Why Seated Walkers Cannot Be Used As Wheelchairs
Using a seated walker like a wheelchair can damage the walker, but most importantly, it could lead to serious injury for the user. Some crucial design differences make it unsafe to use seated walkers as a wheelchair—the most apparent being the wheel design.
Here are the reasons why seated walkers should never be used as wheelchairs:
- Walkers aren’t stable enough. The size difference in the wheels of walkers and wheelchairs means walkers aren’t as steady as wheelchairs. You could tip over if you hit a pebble or uneven pavement while riding your seated walker.
- Walker wheels have a different mechanism. Walker wheels don’t have the manual propulsion mechanism that wheelchair wheels have. You can easily manipulate the wheels of the wheelchair.
- Walker wheels don’t have hand rims. Hand rims let wheelchair users safely manipulate the wheels to propel themselves forward. Walker wheels don’t have hand rims.
- Walker seats don’t provide full support. Walkers aren’t designed to move around while supporting your full weight. The surface area of walker seats is considerably smaller than that of a wheelchair. The latter is designed to support your full weight.
What Could Happen if a Seated Walker Were Used as a Wheelchair
Disclaimers and warnings on the packaging haven’t stopped some people from using wheeled walkers as wheelchairs. Although uncommon with the elderly, young people who are prescribed walkers during periods of physical rehabilitation sometimes get adventurous with their walkers.
Some people think, “What could be the harm?” If you’re not yet convinced that using a seated walker as a wheelchair is a bad idea, the following consequences might convince you. And this could happen to anyone, regardless of the age of the person occupying the walker.
- You could tip over. As already mentioned in a previous section, the smaller wheels of the seated walker mean it has a smaller support base. Coming in contact with a stone or rough pavement could cause you to take a spill onto the ground.
- You could get injured. Since a walker seat has a smaller surface area and offers less support, it’s easier for you to be thrown out of the seat if the walker comes to an abrupt stop.
- Your walker could fall apart. In a best-case scenario, what sustains damage isn’t the user of the walker but the walker itself. They aren’t built to move you around while supporting your full weight, and they could buckle under your mass.
- You could void the warranty. Some seated walkers come with warranties. That warranty can be voided if damage results from it being used irresponsibly or contrary to its intended purpose.
Additional Safety Tips for Walker Use
Care should generally be taken around walkers, especially wheeled or seated walkers. While walkers can be extremely helpful to their users, one should always be cautious when using or supervising the use of these assistive devices.
Here are some additional safety tips to consider:
- Users showing signs of cognitive decline should not be left alone with wheeled or seated walkers. If the onset of the symptoms is recent, consult your doctor as soon as possible. The use of a walker may become contraindicated.
- Any history of seizures or anti-seizure medication prescriptions should be divulged to the physician. Walker use may also become contraindicated.
- Walkers should be properly fitted to the user. They should also meet the sizing criteria of height, weight, and strength.
- If the user appears to have increasing difficulty with their walker, have them reassessed. They may need a different design of a walker, or their condition may be progressing beyond the need for a walker.
- Inspect walker parts regularly. This will help ensure there are no loose bolts or screws.
Final Thoughts
Although some seated walkers can be ridden when there is a companion to push the walker from behind, this should only be done for short distances and over smooth surfaces. Walker users should never attempt to use their walkers as a wheelchair when they are alone or even when accompanied, as this can be dangerous.
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