Walker Check-Up Provides Insight into Care Technology Needs

Together with network partner SOL, nineteen second-year students from Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences held a special event in May at the Huis van de Wijk IJsselmonde: a walker check-up day for local residents. The pilot project provided a great opportunity to ask residents about their relationship with healthcare technology.

At the same time, the event provided valuable input for the further development of the Medical Delta Living Lab ‘Supportive Technology for Home Care.’ This living lab investigates how supportive technology can be optimally used to assist people with health issues or functional limitations in their daily lives, helping them live independently in their own environment for as long as possible.

Young People Meet Older Adults

Students from six different healthcare and social work programs collaborated for ten weeks in four transdisciplinary teams. They had the opportunity to connect with a target group they rarely encounter during their studies. For many older adults, this contact proved just as valuable. The combination of meeting, practical support, and conversation led to mutual understanding and new insights.

The collaboration with SOL was a key to success. Not only did the organization reach residents who were previously overlooked, but the Huis van de Wijk also played an important role in building trust.

During the event, students conducted interviews, provided information about care technology, offered a cleaning service for walkers, and performed a full walker check-up. Residents also received a booklet with tips, and if needed, walkers were adjusted on the spot.

Valuable Information About Older Adults and Their Self-Reliance

The need for walker maintenance quickly became clear: while eight residents had registered beforehand, more than twenty showed up in the end. Only three had ever had a check-up before. Most walkers were second-hand and over three years old. Problems with brakes and wear were common. Nine out of ten people did not know how to properly adjust their walker. The check-up literally gave them a sense of safety.

A striking observation came from a resident with a new walker: the narrow wheels proved unsuitable for tram tracks, leading to dangerous situations. Creative solutions were also noted, such as shopping bags tied on with string and duct tape. This not only highlights the need for maintenance but also the resourcefulness of older adults who do not always have access to suitable provisions.

Besides information about walker use, conversations with residents provided other valuable insights. Older adults over 75 face many obstacles living independently: from physical decline to limited access to transportation and home adaptations. Simple technologies, such as automatic lighting, motion sensors, or fall alarms, are appreciated but often unknown or difficult to use. The threshold to try new technology is high unless someone offers personal support.

The “walker event” supported older adults in their mobility and provided valuable information about their self-reliance, participation, and the role of technology.

Walker Check Expanded

“The event answered many questions and led to new ones. It has proven to be a wonderful start for the living lab,” says Dr. Lottie Kuijt-Evers (Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences), one of the program leaders at the Medical Delta Living Lab ‘Supportive Technology for Home Care.’

Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences is collaborating with the digital community Scouters and the Healthcare Technology minor on a decision aid for walkers. In addition, concrete requests have been received for similar events at other locations in Rotterdam. The pilot started in Rotterdam and is now gaining broader support from the program consortium. Similar events are already planned with partners in Leiden and The Hague, where the research will continue.

“The walker event shows how students, professionals, and residents can be brought together with relatively simple means. Besides valuable knowledge, connections were also formed. It is an example of transdisciplinary collaboration in practice, with visible community impact, and a model for demand-driven research and innovation.”