Asolo, I wish I had seen that walker years ago. I think rolling walkers should serve two customers -- the people who actually use them for walking and also the people who have to fold them up and get them in & out of automobiles. From the description, it sounds like your suggestion fits the bill. I'm going to save that info for the next time my mom needs a new walker. Erica, although I think Asolo's suggested walker is great, you might find a trip to a nearby medical equipment store informative. Look in the Yellow Pages to find a couple. Then you can go see some samples of what's available and give them a test ride. And you could practice folding them up. Maybe even measure some and get their weights to help you understand what you'll be dealing with. You could ask all kinds of questions too and get a lot more information. You'd get a better sense of the kind of products available and what would and would not work in your particular situation. You might even find the walker Asolo referred to. Call around to see if a local store carries it. My mom has had three such walkers. The first one we bought did not have hand brakes because my mom was afraid she would never learn how to use them. It braked when she sat down in it. The benefit was that it never rolled out from under her as she was attempting to sit down. That sometimes can be a problem for some people. The disadvantage was that once she sat down, the walker wouldn't move, so I couldn't wheel her at all nor could she scoot herself with her feet. The second walker she had was similar to the rollator you referred to. She somehow managed to figure out how to use the brakes. The advantage to me was that she could sit down and I could roll her a short distance. I usually did that when we couldn't find a handicapped parking space near the entrance to one of her doctors. I'd roll her from the parked car to the entrance and then she'd use her walker on her own to get to the actual office. That walker eventually developed a weird squeak that wouldn't go away no matter how many times the wheels, bearings, etc. were adjusted. I didn't think it was a big deal, but it really embarrassed my mom, so I got her another rollator about a year ago. The ability to easily fold up a walker is important to the one who does most of the transporting. That's why it might be a good idea to see some of these walkers in person and try them out. If you go to a really helpful store, you should be able to test run folding the walker up and getting it into your trunk. You also need to consider how much it weighs. Combine the walker's awkward shape with too much weight and you're looking at back problems for yourself. For what it's worth, I've also got a transport chair for my mom. These chairs do not have the gigantic front wheels of a traditional wheelchair so they're much lighter in weight. The user cannot propel herself by rotating the front wheels with her hands. It's either someone else pushing the chair or the user just scooting herself along with her feet. I only use the transport chair after a visit to the ER or when I know we're going somewhere that would require extensive walking (like a festival). But the thing to note, is that because of its weight and awkward shape, it's even harder for me to deal with. The lifting up and into the trunk and then up and out of the trunk plus pushing my mom around does me in for several days. I much prefer the rolling walker because it's lighter. By the way, I'd take that advice about working with a PT with a grain of salt. Who's to say a PT has all the information on the latest brands and models of walkers out there? The biggest danger is someone not using them correctly. Like forgetting to set the brakes before trying to sit down. Or just using one hand to hang onto them. Or moving way too fast. Good luck with your search.

Tracie, that's great to hear. I have a close friend that has a 9-year-old boxer who is starting to get weaker and weaker in his back legs. The vet says it might be a brain tumor or degenerative myelopathy - either way, nothing medically can be done. He can barely walk - he constantly falls and trips all over the place. I am having a LOT of trouble convincing her to get a wheelchair, because she thinks he will lose quality of life. The vet she goes to (who is a "boxer specialist") tells her that when he loses all function in his rear legs, which is inevitable, that she needs to euthanize him. I completely disagree. He might be older, but he could have a year or more of life ahead of him. I think she should at least try a wheelchair, and then see if he's happy or not. Why give up without even trying? And it's not a money issue, by the way. Anything I can say to convince her? Thanks.

If you are going to sell the home immediately, put back carpet as it is the cheapest covering, and you will lose the least amount of money. Get a thin pad and low pile, and he will still be able to manage if not stay in other areas of the house with more suitable flooring. Your strategy right now needs to be getting out with as much cash left in your hands as possible. Also, if you are a US resident, your husband should qualify for a couple of months of in-home physical and occupational therapy provided by Medicare if he has qualified for that coverage. The therapists can suggest appropriate techniques and equipment to avoid another such disaster. If he is too young to automatically qualify for Medicare, he should be able to get an exception based on his condition. Check with a social worker at a local home health agency to learn more, and best wishes to you. I hope he was not injured too badly in the accident. I care for my severely disabled, heavy mother-in-law at home and sympathize a lot with your predicament. We use a combination of Bath Buddy, Hoyer lift, and sit-to-stand lift to get her safely transferred.

Make sure you and your contractor understand the difference between a roll-in shower and a transfer shower. Transfer shower means the user has enough upper body strength or ability to stand long enough to move from a wheelchair to a bench. A roll-in shower means there must be enough space to roll in with a wheelchair. My BIL is a paraplegic who must always be in a wheelchair, and we frequently have problems with hotels not understanding what he needs. He used to transfer and use a bench in the shower, but as he ages and his shoulders take more of a beating, he does not want to transfer to take a shower. He is afraid of slipping or losing strength at the wrong time, and then ending up on the shower floor. He brings a separate shower chair with him (actually one of his old chairs with most of the accessory pieces stripped off), transfers to that chair to roll into the shower, and then goes back to his regular wheelchair later on. Kerdi and other manufacturers recommend that if you use a curbless or zero entry shower design, you should plan for the entire bathroom area around it as a wet room. That is relatively easy to do when you prep the floor for tile, since they just use waterproof membrane and sealed seams under the tile. Its not a lot different than the decoupling membrane they use for a standard tile installation. Bruce