walkers, the three wheelers

I might also mention that there ARE walkers that are 3-wheelers. These certainly fold up more nicely and take less room. They are less bulky in stores, for example, so you feel less like a bull in a china shop. They generally have baskets or bags or both fitted on them for convenience and/or shopping; seats, however, are definitely rarer because of the question of stability. I can imagine that these are particularly nice for seniors who can live independently, or for a temporary need.

On the other hand, since people with dementia are easily distracted or confused, they don't necessarily think about what they are doing and can easily push their walker onto an obstacle and tip over. Don't forget that someone who uses a walker is doing it for support and is weighing down on the handles. Tipping is a problem since it is hard to save yourself if you are falling forward and off to one side.

When choosing one, I found it helpful to go on line to read other people's comments. You can't always think of different aspects when you are first starting out, specially if you have to make a decision fairly quickly as was our case. It is helpful to read other caregiver's comments to realize what you SHOULD be thinking about... like how much the silly thing weighs if you are constantly going to have to be folding it and putting it in and taking it out of the car. Again, for convenience sake, to check things out, I simply used Walmart or Amazon. That's where these pictures come from. At least I know I can trust these two companies on pricing and they do give me a general idea of what is available, but there are A LOT of companies out there dealing in these same types of medical supplies, new and secondhand and they are worth looking into!