A walker that stands by the bed looks finished, but its parts wear without anyone noticing. Your job is to keep the feet grippy, the brakes holding, and the height right, and to make sure one named person owns the check.
Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.
What wears
Look at the feet or wheels first. Rubber tips and glides flatten and split on hard floors, and a worn tip skids on bathroom tile. Squeeze and release each brake, then push the walker forward to see whether it stops where you want it to. Look for cracked welds, loose bolts at the height pins, and any sag in the seat or hand grips. If a part fails or feels unsafe, stop using the walker and call the supplier or the clinician who ordered it.
Check the height against her hands
Have her stand at the walker in her night clothes and slippers, with her arms relaxed at her sides. Her wrists should rest on the grips without bending her elbows or raising her shoulders. Height that was right at setup can drift after a change in her posture or her shoes, so check the adjustment pins and reset them with the clinician or the supplier if you are unsure.
Keep it where her hand lands
Store the walker where her hand reaches from the bed edge, but not across the route. Keep the feet clear of cords and rug edges, and return it to the same spot every night so she never reaches for an empty space in the dark.
Name the owner
Write down who checks the tips, brakes, bolts, and height, how often they check, and who makes the call to the supplier or clinician when something fails. Keep that note with the night log. A walker nobody owns is a walker nobody notices until the brake does not catch.