ONE HANDED WHEELED ZIMMER
A one-handed wheeled zimmer for a gentleman with left sided weakness and considerable difficulty walking, due to a stroke.
The Challenge
Our client had suffered a stroke decades earlier which resulted in left sided weakness and considerable difficulty walking. Even tripod walking sticks were insufficient to support him. He had been using a wheeled zimmer but could only use the right handle and his lack of stability meant there was a risk of tipping to the right. Our client’s OT spotted other REMAP conversions of wheeled zimmers and felt this approach might work for the client. A commercial one handed zimmer is available (2113/HEMI from Roma Medical) but it does not have the required wheels and we couldn’t find one which did.
The solution
We debated whether to add wheels to a Roma Medical zimmer, or a handle to the client’s wheeled zimmer – and the latter was chosen because it would potentially provide more holding options. The client was in hospital anyway during this period so another zimmer could be issued whilst we worked on his.
Initially, we tightly lashed together some copper plumbing tube with cable straps to see how the client got on with the approach and this test was successful. We then made the modification permanent by adding a 22mm diameter aluminium cross rail and centre rail, and a motor-cycle handlebar grip. The latter was found to have too deep groves so for cleanliness reasons, it was covered with transparent heat-shrink sleeve to provide a smoother wipe clean surface, whilst retaining improved grip over the original zimmer handles.
The grip was supposedly for 22mm tube, labelled as such, but in reality was nearer 24mm I/D with too much clearance for adhesive so a section of adhesive lined heat-shrink was added to the centre tube first, to get a more appropriate clearance, and the grip then secured over the top with Renthal Grip Glue.
Tubes were joined using M6 tube connector nuts (aka “star nuts”, or “star-fangled nuts”) often found on bikes, but in this case, part number TUI094 from Jet Press to suit the 20.2mm I/D of the tube. Insertion of the connector nuts would have been easier had the tube been cut off straight, and moulded plastic tube T joining inserts used afterwards (which is the approach taken by the manufacturer on the bottom rail where it joins the rear uprights) – but the angle of the joints at each end of the cross rail precluded this approach.
The benefit
The solution offered significant extra stability with the client able to walk behind it, or use it to one side as necessary for extra support.
- Skills involved:
- Issues Addressed:
- Activities Helped:
- Location:
- Solution:
