Looking for suggestions - table for someone with walker

[Dave Macy]

Looking for some ideas. My mom is really sick and will use a walker for the rest of her life. I need to make some kind of table on wheels for her. I want her to be able to put her coffee on it or a plate from the microwave, then wheel it over to the kitchen table which is about 8' away. It doesn't need to be big and it they have rug in their kitchen. I'm new to finding plans online but I was thinking something like a small basic table maybe 3' high. Problem is since I want it small, like 1' square top, how do I make it so that it doesn't tip over? I'm going to put a piece of rope or something so she can walk with that, then when she sits, just reel it in. Sounds stupid?

[Frederick Skelly]

Dave,
Im sorry to hear about your Mom. Suggest that you google "walkers with tables". Several options come up that you could either copy/build or buy. Here's one example

[Chris Parks]

I can't help thinking your table idea is not the best way to go about this problem. I had to deal with similar issues for my mum and it usually requires a bit of lateral thinking as the obvious does not always work. Maybe move the microwave to the table, or the table closer to to microwave. I have no idea how to make coffee as I don't drink it, is it always made in a microwave, are there better alternatives?

[Bill McDermott]

Dave, It seems like all the women at my Mom's place use the seat on their walker as a way to carry things around. I always think they are on the cusp of spilling or dropping things, but alas, things arrive. I have found that my ideas for a better way are rarely successful. The walker goes everywhere. It becomes and extension your Mom's arms. These (below) are by far the most popular. Not a lick of woodworking to be found. However, keeping the brake cables adjusted is something you can do.

[Wayne Lomman]

Dave, your idea of 1 ft square is not too practical as you say. The usual size is a little larger, say 30 x 18 inches. To search for plans, google either a serving trolley, English tea trolley or tray mobile. They used to be common in every home in places with English heritage. I am planning to build something similar for my wife in her lab. Cheers.

[Robert Engel]

Falling is the #1 thing with elderly, so pushing a rolling cart is definitely not a good idea.

You can buy or build a tray that drops over the walker handles. This is your best option IMO.

[Dave Macy]

Ended up making this. Doesn't look like much because my skills are horrible and I'm still learning. The thought is that she will use her walker to get around, but from the microwave to the table it's about 8'. Will have a hook with cord on this so she can take a plate out, use her walked to get to the table, then pull it over. The cool thing is that the wood is from a tree they took down when they built their house 45 years ago. My dad had some of the wood milled into boards that he was using as shelves. It was walnut.
20161226_145224.jpg

[Frederick Skelly]

I think it looks nice Dave. Thanks for following up with us. Love the re-purposing of your Dad's wood too.

About your "hook with cord". Do you think the table is stable enough to be dragged 8 feet without toppling? If you haven't already, you should experiment with that a couple times - maybe with a bowl full of soup on top or something. Just to be sure. (I'm concerned that if it topples or if something spills, she might fall trying to clean it up.)

[Ted Calver]

Dave,
Kudos to you for trying to make your mom's life easier. There are lots of issues for folks with limited mobility and they affect just about every aspect of living. Eating, bathing, dressing etc....it doesn't get any easier. I think adding some weights to the bottom shelf and keeping the 'tow' attachment point low will alleviate any tipping worries. Good on you for tackling this problem.

[Dave Macy]

She cried when I gave it to her, and it works great. The bottom was 8/4 while the top was 3/4. I think that combined with the high quality casters helps it move easily across the floor. The cord is attached to a hook in the bottom. She loves it though and it seems to work great.