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Suggest Better Apparatus For Disabled Passengers

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Posted on Thu, 26 Mar 2015
Question: I hope this is an appropriate question. How can an 85 year old, wobbly woman handle her walker on sidewalks that have been shoveled and salted, but still have dangerous areas of ice and snow? She needs to go to her doctor's office, but we keep having to cancel because we're afraid she'll fall.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Kathy Robinson (3 hours later)
Brief Answer:
She needs some assistance

Detailed Answer:
Hello and thank you for your question.
You are doing the right thing to cancel if you think she may fall on the way to the doctor's office. She definitely does not need to be trying to negotiate using her walker on snow and ice.
If there is any way that someone could assist her that would be helpful. Perhaps someone could borrow a wheelchair and a younger, stronger person could push her to her appointment and bring her back home in the wheelchair.
If some arrangement like that is not possible then I think you must continue to postpone the appointments.
Regards,
Dr. Robinson
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Kathy Robinson (48 minutes later)
I appreciate your help. This lady also has a wheelchair, but her front steps are all different heights and made of cement, so that wouldn't work either. While it's not urgent at this time, she gets weak, cries, sleeps and falls a lot. Her doctors are aware of her health problems (CHF, history of a stroke, ulcer), but she needs blood work and X-rays, in my opinion. Are you aware of any other apparatus that could help us?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Kathy Robinson (10 hours later)
Brief Answer:
a few suggestions

Detailed Answer:
Hello and thank you for your question.
Here's a few things you might try.
Ask the doctor to do a home visit.
Ask if the doctor could have a nurse do a home visit to check on her and draw blood.
See if someone could carry her down her steps to the wheelchair.
Try to see if there are community resources to help her have a ramp built up to her house so that she can avoid the stairs.
Thank you for trying to help her get medical care.
Regards,
Dr. Robinson
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Pradeep Vitta
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Answered by
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Dr. Kathy Robinson

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :1989

Answered : 3535 Questions

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Suggest Better Apparatus For Disabled Passengers

Brief Answer: She needs some assistance Detailed Answer: Hello and thank you for your question. You are doing the right thing to cancel if you think she may fall on the way to the doctor's office. She definitely does not need to be trying to negotiate using her walker on snow and ice. If there is any way that someone could assist her that would be helpful. Perhaps someone could borrow a wheelchair and a younger, stronger person could push her to her appointment and bring her back home in the wheelchair. If some arrangement like that is not possible then I think you must continue to postpone the appointments. Regards, Dr. Robinson