Who can help with this thorny problem?

Hi, folks!

My mother has fallen and broken her hip. She is in her eighties.

The problem that we have is that she is finding great difficulty in mobilizing because she only has the use of one hand. Her right hand cannot grip at all.

She obviously needs to be able to grab onto a zimmer, or walking frame in the early days,and she has tried a "pulpit" with the full arm rests, but she cannot make progress with only one hand.

The total uselessness of this hand is hard to describe. It is her right hand, and if it turns palm up, she has to take her left hand to turn it back down again. So it is not just muscle weakness. Does anyone know of a walking frame designed for those with only one hand?

Linda

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Permalink Reply by Ana Cristina Carvalho Mota on January 15, 2014 at 22:24

Hello Linda,

This is Cristina. Im not entirely sure if I understood correctly, but can your mother grip with any of her hands? I dont know of any existing walking frame designed for use with one hand only, however I dont see why it cannot be done. If she can grip with at least one of the hands perhaps, I may have a solution for her, using an existing walking frame.

I will try to sketch something for you. Ive enclosed a pdf with a photo of a walking frame (top right) with what I am trying to explain that could work. If the two arm rests were positioned so that when the user rested both arms on them s/he would join her hands, then there should only be one grip-like piece in the centre. She will position her right hand first (the one she cannot grip) then using the other hand that she CAN grip over the right one, this should allow her to use the walking frame....I think, and I hope. The height of the frame will have to be adjusted, obviously, and the arm rests welded firmly onto the frame etc.

Let me know if this helps...

Attachments:

one hand walking frame.pdf, 114 KB

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Permalink Reply by Linda Jane McLean on January 16, 2014 at 0:25

Hi,Cristina,

Great to see you here!

Thank you for your input. Yes. my mother can grip with one hand - but she has severe nerve damage to her right arm, so it is completely useless. At the moment,she is using something similar to your attachment - the problem comes as she tries to use a lower frame, or two sticks.

I have looked at Rich@handihelp's blog on this,and even considered the special gloves which allow people with very little power to hand cycle.