
Weak-grip braking for 3-wheel rollators
Many clients lack sufficient grip in at least one hand to operate the brakes on their rollator.
If they have an adequate grip with the other hand, the brake cables can be paired through a ‘monkey face’ balancing plate to allow both brake pads to be operated from a single brake lever – see photo A.
Situations also arise where the client has insufficient grip in either hand. In the case of 3-wheel rollators, this can be solved by cutting one handle and inserting a bicycle gear change twist-grip, with the outer twist-grip component locked to the rollator hand grip and the inner scroll fixed to the portion of the handle that locks into the rollator frame. The cable leading to the balancing plate is attached to the inner scroll. Rotation of the handle by <10° is then sufficient to apply the brakes – see photo B.
It has been found that clients can use their rollators successfully and safely with this adaptation, and are not disconcerted by the relatively small rotary movement of the handle.
Bournemouth & District panel ref. 90/125
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