I am reviewing the arrangements for a Day Room in a Care setting. Several residents have walking frames. The chairs are relatively close together as you would expect as people chat to each other and the transit route in front of the chairs is wide enough for people to move freely - including wheelchairs. There is a tripping issue when people are moving to and from their chairs, depending on where the sitting residents have left their frames - which is generally in front of them or to the side of them. I am really interested in how this is managed in different places, if frames are put into a storage area after the person is seated then it removes the ability for people to move independently or they might try to move without their walking aid which is also a risk. The area is supervised by staff.

Steve has given good advice, but I would add that you should not consider taking people's walking aids off them unless there is absolutely no alternative. It could be considered a form of restraint (and indeed is used as such by the unscrupulous). If walking aids are removed this needs to be risk assessed and documented,

John