Walking on Toes

[Folliott]

Does anyone walk on toes with a walker and look like they are going to fall flat on their face. It is getting worse but sometimes when on a straight run it is flat fool.

[abirke]

My husband looks like he is mowing with a push mower up hill! he has the walker way too far out in front of him then he shuffles so his feet are going slower than his body which naturally leads to falls- through walls, windows, chairs etc . It has helped to say, Hands to hip and you won't slip" i think I need to just put a bag of cement on the front wheels to make it heavier! We also do walking exercises being very conscious where foot placement is . PT gave him some good exercises. he told B to say: 1 ready heal (lift foot, put heal down) 2 Ready toe (put toe down) 3 switch foot do 1 and 2. it creates a step. B does it slowly saying, "Ready heal; ready toe"

Executive functions are diminished so the need to make a conscious effort to do things that once came naturally Hopes this helps.

AVB

[LindanTerry]

My husband walks on his toes,he had to give up his walker , he like your husband had it far to forward for his body so after a few falls and a lot of stress he gave it up.He now goes out in his wheelchair.I am less stressed and he is a lot safer. my husband is averaging 5 falls a week at present. Like AVB I give him instruction Heel toe, after a few steps he forgets. CRUEL DISEASE.

love and strength to you all

Linda x

[Yvonneandgeorge in reply to LindanTerry]

My husband also has the walker to far in fro t of him, but he also wants to hold on to the furniture as well as the walker. It is a cruel disease, the last two days he seems different, went to our granddaughters birthday party yesterday, he was sitting on a chair kept asking to be pushed in, when we pushed him in, he would push him self away from the table, then ask again to be pushed in, very stressful afternoon. Let's hope today the weather is better, for fathers day, we are having a bbq at our house, let's hope the weather and the day is better than yesterday. Yvonne xxxxx

[jillannf6]

HI I TOO TENDED 2 WALK WIHT THE WALKER TOO FAR OUT IN FORNT OF ME AND I EKPT FALLGIN .OVER WITH THE WALKER (MY BRAIN IS GOING FASTER GHAN MY BODYH I KNWO THA T BUT IT IS V DIFFIUCLT TO STOP AND START AGIAN)

NOW I DO NTO USE IT AND USE THE WHEELCHAIR INSIDE AND OUT AND WEHN NOT STRESSED I DO NTO FALL OUTSIDE BTU ONLHY INSDIE 10 TIMES DAILY BUT IF STRESSED IT CNA EB MORE HTAN 2 0 TIME S DAILY LIKE WHEN THE PHONE GOES AND I CNANOT EVER GET OT IT IN TIME OR WHEN I GO TO THE BATHROOM OR BEDROOM ADN START FALLIGN I CNANOT STOP DESPTITEIE TRYIGN OT COUTN 1 ..2 AND KEEPIGN

MHY HEAD UP FEET FWD ETCETFC NONE OF IT WORKS WHEN I AM ON MY OWN

MY EVEIVNINVG CARER IS V GOOD IN THIS AND I STAMP MY FEET RAHTER THAN SHUFFLE WITH THEM

;LOL JILL

[Auntiemary]

My husband only uses his walker indoors, as it was just too unsafe outside if he approached an incline in any way. bizarrely the walker works best on our laminate floor if the brakes are on ! It can't runaway with him that way. The most regular falls he had was in the kitchen, trying to get up off our dining room chairs. He pushed the chair away from the table, lost his balance & fell backwards. I spoke to the OT people & suggested if he had something on the seat to help him swivel, he could then steady himself holding on to the table. She came up with something normally used in a car, and it works a treat. It's just two circles, one stays still & the other turns, and touch wood, although he needs a lot more help now, it has almost eliminated that kind of a fall. The most dangerous place I find is the bathroom, he has managed to lose his balance a few times while standing at the sink to brush his teeth, although there's support bar, and has fallen into our bath ! I need to get a barrier rigged up when I figure out the best way to do it. There's always another challenge around the corner, isn't there !

[abirke in reply to Auntiemary]

Amen! I am always trying to solve a new problem! right now it's trying to get him to put the walker with handles facing the outside door. This way he only needs to make a 45* turn instead of a 180*. At any rate the way he parks his scooter now, causes him to get off balance and through an object!

H'es learning. So am I cuz I forget to tell him...etc

The bathroom is a NEMESIS period!!!!!!!!!

AVB

[Patriciapmr]

Hi Folliott,

It's really strange how sufferers show the same odd habits, Keith also pushes his walker far away from him and ends up on his tiptoes trying to keep up with it, usually ending up in a big heap on the floor! He also tries to stretch his arms to an impossible length when reaching for a grab rail that is at least two feet away from him, I think he thinks he's an orangutan or even Mr.Tickle from the children's Mr.Men books (he can stretch his arms downstairs to get a biscuit from the kitchen!)

He's really pushed my patience to the limit today, I've nearly lost it but have bitten my tongue almost in two to try and keep calm! I know he isn't doing it on purpose but it's so frustrating for both of us. He's had me up and down like a yo yo, wanting this and that, wanting to go to the loo, he even went upstairs and started trying to get ready for bed even though he knew the carer was due any minute!

Feeling like a good rant today, hope tomorrow is a bit better!

Love to you all....Pat xx

[Folliott in reply to Patriciapmr]

Wow!! Maybe they are brothers!!! So far he hasn't fallen with his walker yet. He is better without me around. Hmmmmm.

[abirke in reply to Patriciapmr]

Just as I sit down....DEAR Can you get me this that and the other? Or since he has command of the tv remote, he will change the d...show just as Im getting into it....now I have switched to this site and a rousing game of solitaire.....when not in fetch mode, that is. ahhah!

AVB