Rollator safety in autumn and winter
Winter - as beautiful as it is, with its contemplative time, the snow that bathes everything in white cotton candy - to compensate, it also sends us many inconveniences. Especially for rollator users, darkness, ice and snow bring many challenges. Below, we provide tips on how to continue to walk safely with your rollator during the dark and cold season.
This is the ideal way to prepare for your walks in winter
Maintenance of the rollator
Make sure your rollator is serviced. Many medical supply stores offer regular free maintenance for your rollator. Make sure your brakes are working reliably.
The right clothes
Your clothing is key when you go outside in the winter. Wear shoes that provide support. Winter shoes with a rough tread and a higher shaft provide better grip, reducing the risk of slipping and falling.
Wear warm, light-colored, contrasting clothing. People wearing dark clothing "blur" in the dark and are poorly recognized by motorists. Joachim Tabath, senior citizen advisor at the Düsseldorf police, explains: "In the dark, a person wearing dark clothing can only be seen up to a distance of about 25 metres. With high-contrast clothing, that's about 40 metres. But if reflectors are attached to the clothing and the rollator, you can be seen up to 150 m away. Car drivers can then even brake in time at a speed of 100 km/h."
Put on warm gloves if you get cold hands quickly or your fingers freeze. You need your hands to apply the rollator brakes.
Take your cell phone with you. It is best to inform a trusted person about your walk beforehand. Even if we all hope that no emergency situation occurs: This way you are best prepared.
Assess yourself: Do I trust myself with the cold weather and icy roads today?
You have nothing to prove to yourself. Snowy or icy roads are a danger to any pedestrian. Before each walk, ask yourself: How do you assess your strengthtoday? Do I have the confidence to walk in icy or slushy conditions? Do I have the strengthand coordination to keep from falling?
Ask for help
If you feel unsafe moving out into the cold on your own, ask for help. Is there someone who would like toaccompany you? Callrelatives or acquaintances and ask if they would like to accompany you. Simply go for a winter walk together.
If in doubt, stay at home
Feeling overwhelmed by the adverse winter conditions? That's totally fine. It's good that you have such a good sense of yourself. It is good that you have the courage to accept this situation. You are not putting your health at risk. Ask relatives or friends if they can help you. Perhaps someone canpick youup by caror bring you errands? Callinga taxi is also an option so you can still do your errands. Several supermarkets now offer delivery services.
The optimal winter equipment for your rollator
Reflectors
Winter also means that the nights are getting longer again. It gets light later and darker earlier. Ideally, you shouldleave the house when it is light out. Then it is not only a little warmer, but you will also be seen better by motorists. Nevertheless, it can happen at any time that you get into the twilight. Use reflectorson your walker and clothing. Reflectors are perceived much better than light-coloured clothing. They should beplaced aslow as possible, then they will be seen better. Bright and reflective elements on the rollator wheelsor shoes are particularly good.
Lighting
Light your way. Those with poor eyesight will benefit from a lamp toilluminate the path. Attached to the rollator, it not only shows the way, but also provides better visibility intraffic . If you already have a rollator at home, retrofit it with a lamp.
Umbrella
Autumn and winter are also particularly treacherous because of the rain and snow. Not only do the drops get your glasseswet, they willalso cool you downfaster if you don'tattach an adequate rain shield to yourrollator. A rollator umbrella prevents the worst here. It can be easily and quickly stretched and easily folded again.
Wheels with profile
Use rollator wheelswith a coarser profile. Treaded rollator wheels provide better grip on muddyor snowy paths and help prevent falls. With the Carbon Rollator 's All Terrain tires, you will be safe on the road even in adverse conditions.
How to behave on the road
Be careful when crossing the road
Only cross roads at well-litplaces, traffic lights and zebra crossings. Allow plenty of time to watch for traffic and wait for the appropriate moment to cross the street.
Allow extra time when crossing: Not only may they need a little more time to walk in snowy and icy conditions - cars and bicycles also have a longer stopping distance when in doubt.
Use a cleared kerb to cross the road, rather than hoisting the walker over the pile of snow that forms when the roads are cleared of snow. Again, if in doubt, you can quickly lose your balance. Cities and towns usually make sure that the curb for crossing the street is cleared at regular intervals.
Pay attention to the paths
Walk only on well-cleared paths. Try to avoid icy or slippery sidewalks completely. In this case, change sides of the street if possible or use another path. Remember to support yourself safely on your rollator at all times. On a sheet of ice, the wheels of the rollator can quickly slip off. Your likelihood of falling increases as a result.
Penguins know exactly how tomove safely on ice when it is slippery. That is why the so-called "penguin walk" is recommended in slippery conditions. Shift your body's center of gravityforward, over your treading leg. The foot touches down with the whole sole and points slightly outwards. The slightly forward leaning posture provides stability. The practical thing: By walking on the rollator you are automatically slightly bent forward - like a penguin :-)
Ensure that the tyres have the right grip
How to walk properly on the rollator: Hold the rollator as close to your body as possible so that you can lean on it from above. In this way, you can ensure that the rollator does not slip forward when you lean on it, even in winter. In the street you often see rollator users pushing their rollator in front of them with their legs stretched out wide. A safe support effect is no longer given. Especially in winter, the rollator can quickly slide forward - and you behind it! Try to avoid this by leaning on the rollator from above. This also improves the grip of the tread of the All Terrain tires.
SALJOL's carbon rollator is optimized for safety
"The safety and comfort of our customers is very important to us," explains SALJOL Managing Director Thomas Appel. "That's why we always develop our assistive devices with special attention to this."
SALJOL's carbon rollator has been equipped with five spoke reflectors on each wheel as well as four red reflectors on the back of the rollator. Additional reflective strips on the sides also ensure better visibility. A total of 31 reflection points are integrated into the 50s rollator design.
There is also an optional LED lamp that can be attached to the rollator bag. Special soft profiled tires give the rollator grip on slippery surfaces, while at the same time absorbing shocks when driving over cobblestones.
