A removable tray for a walking frame
Our client uses his walker with one hand in the middle of the cross bar, rather than the two handles. He reached out to REMAP because he wanted to be able to carry some items around his flat and to also be able to hook a bag onto the frame.
The Challenge
Most people using a walker will do so with two hands, but this was not possible for this gentleman – he can use one hand only to propel the walker. He was keen to be able to move things such as his dinner plate, glasses etc around within the home.
He is unable to carry the bag as this would be attached to the front crossbar, where he needs to put his hand.
The solution had to be quite lightweight in order that the tray could be lifted and attached safely with one hand and in one movement by the gentleman.
The solution
Materials that could be washed without rusting were used throughout. A non-slip mat was also placed on the tray to prevent slippage of plate etc. and sharp edges were smoothed to prevent scratches/injury. The gentleman was made aware that it would not be suitable for use with liquids, especially hot ones.
The walker was not drilled or modified in any way which would affect it’s integrity- the crossbar for attaching the tray was attached to the walker using jubilee clips.
The tray and non-slip map were from a large supermarket. The aluminium extrusion and hook were the engineer’s own.
The benefit
From speaking with the client, it seems as if the solution fully solved the problem he was having in moving things from place to place in his house.
A follow up from the client’s Occupational Therapist said that he was delighted with the modifications made to his walker and he had lots of ideas as to how it would be used.
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