People for whom walking is tiring or difficult can use a rollator, or rollator, to get around more easily and safely. Rollators thus help to preserve the autonomy and freedom of these people.

Rollators are walking aids that provide stable support to assist elderly or disabled people in their daily or occasional movements. They complement or replace a pair of crutches or a cane when walking becomes difficult due to loss of strength, agility, stability, or when the body weight is too heavy on the joints or lower limbs.

Composition

The rollator is a walker equipped with wheels, of which there are two, three or four depending on the model. Two- or three-wheel models are more suitable for indoor use. Models with three or four wheels have height adjustable grab handles and brakes. Most often, rollators are equipped with other useful accessories: seat, tray, basket, rod holder, folding system, etc.

A walking aid

Rollators on wheels, or rollators, offer people with walking and / or balance difficulties, a point of support allowing them to move relatively easily and while minimizing their risk of falling.

In addition to the satisfaction of being able to continue to move without assistance, these devices also help to slow the process of loss of mobility in the elderly or disabled.

All-terrain rollators

Using the rollator requires less effort than basic walking frames since it is moved by simply rolling it. Depending on the model chosen, it will be perfectly suited to moving indoors, or outdoors in town or in the countryside.

Rollators, however, require a certain skill to be able to adapt to the use of the brakes and downforce, and enough balance not to fall. A period of adaptation, or even learning with a physiotherapist or occupational therapist may be necessary.

There are rollators suitable for every type of user and use. All the combinations are possible according to the use which one wants to make of it.

Indoor rollators

They allow you to move around the house. They are generally equipped with a tray for transporting small items. Their wheels are small in size for greater maneuverability. There are two, three or four:

• Two small fixed wheels at the front and two rubber pads at the rear. The disadvantage of this model is its poor maneuverability in cramped spaces, where the U-turns require lifting the walker, which is not easy for an elderly or weakened person;
• One directional wheel at the front, and two fixed wheels at the rear coupled with brakes. This model is very handy and does not have the disadvantage of the previous one, but its stability is less, which assumes that the user does not suffer from a balance disorder.
• Two swivel wheels at the front and two fixed wheels at the rear with brakes: this is the interior rollator model that offers both maneuverability and stability.

City rollators

They are fitted with four medium-sized wheels suitable for flat surfaces (shops, small sidewalks, door sills). They also have a seat for taking breaks while walking, as well as a basket or a net for shopping.

The rollators walk

Their four wheels are bigger and wider to allow them to overcome small obstacles and move on uneven natural surfaces: garden, countryside. They also have a seat for breaks and a basket for transporting objects.

Brachial support rollators

They are suitable for people who need upper body support to move around. For example, people with hemiplegia who need a support allowing them to rest their forearms at 90 ° on a support. Hunched people must also be able to lean on their forearms.

Bariatric rollators

They are suitable for overweight people. Their structure is reinforced to allow them to support weights of several hundred kilos, and they are wider than the basic models. They allow obese people to move around by relieving their joints.

Precautions to take

• Check the condition of the wheels;
• The rollator handles should be adjusted to the same height as the user’s wrists when standing;
• Avoid slippery floors (wet floors, ice, snow);
• When traveling, watch out for pets and young children who can surprise and cause you to fall.

It is important to consider certain fundamental criteria before acquiring your rollator: width, weight, height (of the points of support and of the seat), brakes, maneuverability. Secondly, it may be necessary to add certain accessories to the model chosen depending on the intended use: basket, ergonomic handles, cushion, cane holder, tray, folding system, etc.

The essential criteria to take into account

• The user’s height and weight: there are models for children, for overweight people, etc. ;
• The user’s “handicap”: difficult and / or tiring walking, infirmity of a lower limb, hemiplegia, Parkinson’s, hunched back, etc. ;
• The width of the rollator is an important criterion for indoor use: it is important to check that it goes through all the doors;
• The height of the support points must be adapted (or adaptable) to that of the user: they must be at hip height;
• The height of the seat must allow it to be seated without assistance;
• The brakes should be simple to operate and the wheels easy to steer.

Questions to ask yourself

• The frequency of use: permanent or occasional;
• The place of use: interior and / or city and / or countryside.

The price of a walker

The average price varies between 100 and 600 € depending on the models and the accessories added.

Often, it is the doctor who prescribes a walker. In this case, its cost is covered by the Health Insurance.