How can I remind my mom to push her walker past the doorway so she doesn't fall?

I'm going outside the box here, but how about taping a "parking spot" outline on the floor where she should put the walker? She may be trainable that way just because she might unconsciously put it in the obvious spot marked on the floor rather than having to remember to push it to a certain point.

At 96 and with cognitive decline, it is very unlikely you can "teach" her anything different than what she's been doing. My 98-yr old Aunt keeps standing up and trying to walk without her walker and she just can't remember to grab it, no matter how many times she is reminded, even if we put it right in front of her.

I like Cwillie's idea of a bedside commode...you may have to lock the bathroom door to get her to adopt it. I hope you can find a solution!

My mom started using a bedside commode at night and she loves it. Your mom having to walk 10 feet half asleep is probably too far. You can get commode liners from Amazon or Walmart that makes clean up a lot easier. Not a pleasant solution but a safer one. I doubt a cane would give her enough support like the walker does.

Advanced age + poor mobility + memory problems = falls ☹️☹️☹️😖

* Make the bathroom as safe as you can with grab rails, good lighting, no floor mats.
* Try an alternative like nighttime commode.
* Consider a baby alarm so you can hear when Mom gets up.

The goal to minimise risk & falls is a worthy one but to eliminate all risk & falls is probably not possible. Old people can fall. Even when you are standing right there beside them. It has happened to many of us. We feel awful but cannot prevent everything! They let go of wheelers to turn, to pull up pants, to grab a rail, knees buckle, topple backwards or sideways. Mine lept up from her wheelchair & decided to show me she could now walk 😲!

You might want to try a hemi-walker. It's a half of a walker, that she will use with one hand instead of two. My husband who had had a stroke, and had only use of his left arm, ended up using one of those later in his life, and it worked great as it gave much more stability than any type of cane ever did. You can order those online, or get at any medical supply store.

Or of course like others have suggested, having a bedside commode next to her bed, would help also. Good luck.

Some wonderful suggestions here particularly the bedside commode. The problem is that with dementia short term memory takes a hit and so "learning" anything new is sometimes impossible because they just can't remember the "new" procedure. You will have to experiment and use the trial and error method to see if anything works. Good Luck!

I suppose a smaller walker or a bathroom modification so she could take it inside with her could help but she might revert to her familiar pattern anyway, especially at night when she is half awake. You may have to supervise all her bathroom trips, this can be easier if you try to establish a schedule of bathroom breaks so she is less apt to go when you aren't near by.... "mom, lunch is almost ready, use the toilet and wash up while I set the table". What about trying a bedside commode for her to use at night?

For indoor use we found an "old fashioned" 2 wheel walker (with front skis because we had carpet) was much easier to manoeuvre and fit through narrow spaces, the rollator was only used when we went out.

My mom does the same thing. Luckily, she has quit getting up to go to the bathroom at night due to having and internal catheter AND wearing a depends with 2 thick pads in it. Everything is soaked in the am, but she doesn't put herself at risk for falling during the night.

Also, YB has put grab bars all over the apartment, she is literally a hand's reach away from a grab bar in like 80% of her space--she even when she forgets her walker, she does have something to grab on to.

She still falls, but is so slumped over, it's really more of a 'sliding' to the floor and she's never hurt.

My MIL, on the other hand, wants DH to install grab bars all over her house, b/c walking with her walker makes her look 'old'. DH has refused, b/c it honestly would not help her at all. She's still in her home and the kitchen where she spends most of her day is big and if/when she falls, she's 10-15' from the nearest wall where a grab bar would be. She has grab bars in the bathroom only. I guess she walks around the house hanging on to the walls somehow---only SIL is allowed in her home, so why she's being such a princess about this aspect of aging is a total puzzlement to all of us.

Frankly, we're just waiting for that call that's telling us she has fallen AGAIN. She knows one more bad fall like last years will be the last--she will then be placed in an ALF (completely against her will).

So sad when people outlive their ability to make any changes to their pattern of life--esp when it's for their own good.

Without seeing the set up I don’t know. Is the bathroom too small for her to take it in with her? My mother takes hers in & turns it so she can back up to the toilet. It’s not a big bathroom but most doorways are wide enough & the walker will usually fit right in front of the toilet.