Equipment in a home has an owner, and the owner is the person who keeps it working. A walker that was sound when it arrived can go wrong through worn tips, loose height pins, and brakes that stopped catching. Nobody checks it until it slips on a floor. Name the person who keeps it, give them a short list, and do it on a fixed schedule.
Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.
Who owns the walker and its upkeep
Ask whether the walker is yours, Dad's, a loaner from a closet, or a rental. A rented or loaned walker may come with repair terms from the supplier, but the weekly check still falls to whoever keeps it in the house. Write the owner's name on the card you keep with it, so the question is settled before a part wears through.
The weekly check
Look at each tip for flat spots, cracks, missing caps, and grit. Spin each wheel and look for wobble, debris, or a stuck spoke. Press each brake and check that both sides grip about the same. Check the brake pad or cable for wear, and replace any part that no longer grips the way it did when the walker was new.
Height and joints
Check that both sides are set to the same height and that the locking pins are fully seated and not bent. Check every bolt, clip, and fold joint. Tighten what is loose using the tool the manufacturer names, and do not over-tighten plastic parts. Recheck the height after any adjustment, because it changes the reach of the grips.
Replace or retire
Replace tips once the wear reaches the core, and keep a spare set in a drawer rather than waiting for the next failure. Retire any frame that is bent, cracked at a weld, or wobbles when the pins are seated. A damaged frame is not a repair job for the kitchen table. Ask the equipment supplier, or the provider who approved the walker, for a replacement.
Storage and cleaning
Keep the walker where Dad can reach it without clearing a path, not in a closet he has to move things to get to. Wipe the frame and grips, and check the grips for cracks where hands wear them. Keep the area around the walker clear of cords and loose rugs.
Keep a short record
Keep a short log on the walker or on the fridge: the last check, the initials of who did it, and what was replaced. The log is the only way the next person knows what was done and what still needs doing.
Next move: Do the full check tonight with the walker in front of you, write the weekly checker's name on a card taped to the frame, and buy one spare set of tips before you need them.