We purchased this chair for my husband who has Parkinson's. He has trouble with balance, rising from a seated position and walking. He also has some dementia and memory problems so he has a problem finding the brake lever and remembering how to find the buttons to raise the chair. Perhaps if the brake leaver were more visible (he has trouble turning his body in the chair) or better located in his spacial view he would be able to find it more often. We have been able to use this chair as a walker and it is more stable than other walkers. It is also quite heavy. Therefore, when he "seat walks" in the chair the back wheels spin and swing the rear end around to the side causing him to bump into things. Maybe if the back wheels could be locked into a straight line he could maneuver straight down the hallway. We have found uses for the chair that are a little unorthodox. I added a deeper (14") mattress to his hospital bed which eliminated the use of the standard bed rails. So I use the chair backed up to the bed to serve as a bed rail at night which also gives him a stable rail to use getting out of the bed and a stable place to sit upon rising. This chair also is handy to help him get out of a seated position. As we raise it, he can move forward to a standing position without very much assistance. I think the chair is largely overpriced but the benefits for us have been very good and I continue to find easier methods to care for him using it.