Chapter 13 Assisting with Mobility 389 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. tips on the bottoms of the legs, which provide a wider base of support. This type of walker is used when the patient is able to pick up the walker while ambulating. A rolling walker, or rollator, has wheels or casters on the end of each of the four legs so the walker rolls during ambulation. To provide stability, some rolling walkers have two wheels on the front two legs and no wheels on the back two legs. Some also have four wheels and hand brakes, along with platforms and pouches to carry personal items. Rolling walkers let the patient push the walker rather than lift it while ambulating. The patient will still need enough strength to lift the walker when needed. Once a walker that best suits the patient’s needs has been selected, it must be properly fi tted (Figure 13.24). The handles or top of the walker should be at a height even with the patient’s wrist when she is standing in an upright position with arms relaxed at her sides. When holding on to the walker, the patient’s elbows should be bent in a comfortable and natural position. The patient should never be stooped over while using the walker. trekandshoot/Shutterstock.com Figure 13.23 The three types of walkers include the pickup walker (A), the rolling walker (B), and a rolling walker with hand brakes and a platform (C). CatbirdHill/Shutterstock.com Vereshchagin Dmitry/Shutterstock.com A B C Wards Forest Media, LLC Figure 13.24 Ensure the walker fits the patient appropriately before she uses it to ambulate.