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My mom uses a walker. When she enters the bathroom it stays out, she turns to go in she never pushes it far enough pass doorway and foot hits leg and she fell bad once. I need help to remind her to push it out of her way, she is stubborn to think she knows what she is doing but forgets the bad fall she had. I get up during night where she goes many times, I don't make it on time a lot. I am afraid it will happen again. She has dementia and mid stage Alzheimer's but is independent in many ways. So either ideas to remind her easily or a different walker or device assist that doesn't make her back up to turn away a bit from walker where she still holds onto the edge before grabbing the safety bar in bathroom. Not sure if a cane is stable at night for her where she walks 10 or so feet to come out of her room. Please any help I'll try to do so we help her not confuse her and I don't have to jump to make sure she's ok or to try and prevent another fall cause if she falls again I'm afraid she won't be back home which would kill her sooner. And me cause I could prevent it again. Thank you.

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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.
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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.
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DILKimba Jan 2021
That was going to be my suggestion!
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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!
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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.
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Ysamom, I take care of my 98 year old mother. She uses depends day and night, At night we turn and change her, we used to get her up to the commode but found it unsafe. I would keep her in bed for the night, use depends or briefs. Your mother is endanger of falling and fracturing her hip. Better to be safe.
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Is the area lit in the entrance way before the bathroom? Maybe try to put a night light on the outside of the bathroom with a side saying "Leave Walker here" Taping the area of the floor or wall where it should be placed may help too!
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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 😲!
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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.
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Beatty Jan 2021
Visual cue - LOVE this.
Yellow tape (firmly stuck down) or similar.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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?
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