After his recent fall and fracturing of his femur, my father was allowed to walk around isnide the house with the help of a walker. He is an independent man he is, and dislikes calling for help. He decided that he would fetch and carry his own food, snacks etc but the walker was coming in the way of his wishes.
He innovated. He sent for a carpenter and added a couple of boards to the walker which now enables him to store things on the top and move about.
He was very happy. I was not. I tried to tell him that the walker is designed to allow his weight to be carried effectively, but he would not listen. Precisely what happens because of the addition can be seen in this photograph taken without his knowledge.
You can see how the board prevents him from entering the designed well in the walker.
What I had anticipated happened and he lost his balance while trying to turn off an electric switch, put his foot down hard and was in agony all night without telling me anything about it. No doubt fearing a blast from the resident Mussolini. He has been sent back to bed by the doctor and the surgeon. Luckily there has only been a severe sprain and no fracture.
On my suggesting that I get the boards removed, he has gone into a sulk. The doctors say, let the boards be there till he himself asks for them to be removed, which they are sure he will, soon enough.
It is not easy taking care of cantankerous old tough guys.