Weight measurement for impulsive clients

[KyleC]

Hi again everyone,

I have a clinical question for you!

I have some clients who do not like to stand on a scale long enough to have their weight measured; no amount of encouragement can yield a usable weight reading.

Chair scales help in some settings, but other settings do not have this option.

Does anyone know a solution for a scale that might work on someone who does not stand still on a scale when asked?

If there happens to be a scale that serves this function and is portable, that would be a life-saver, but all ideas are welcome!

Thank you

[amoLucia]

As one who has difficulty standing on scales, I find it's a balancing problem. It's very scarey feeling like you might fall. I found having something stable to hang on to works - I just "let go" for the few seconds it takes to register my weight. But I feel safe because I can super quickly grab something to balance/support myself if I teeter-totter.

To achieve this, I suggest putting a walker over the scale base. The pt can step up, while holding on to the walker handbars, and then just 'let go' to get the weight. But the bars are reassuringly right there to grab quickly.

An alternative may be to align the scale next to an unmovable countertop, piece of furniture. etc. Something is needed to stabilize the pt's balance.

Hope it helps.