These days one of the most challenging parts of losing your mobility may be selecting the best product to help you. From basic canes to sophisticated rollators with seats and grocery baskets, the choice can be daunting. Consider carefully which would work best, given your condition and lifestyle. And consult closely with your health professional to ensure you get the right aid in the right size for you, with dimensions compatible with your living and working space.
Walking sticks
These come in wood or in metal, which tends to be stronger and has the advantage of being height-adjustable. They’re available in different diameters and strengths to take different loads. Rubber tips are essential, and look for a comfortable hand-grip. Walking sticks that have three or four legs give a broader base of support and are more stable.
Crutches
You need good arm and shoulder strength to use these, and good co-ordination. Elbow crutches are the most common kind, with adjustable floor-to-handgrip height, and distance between cuff and handgrip. You can also get forearm crutches, if you need to bear your weight through the length of your forearm, and not in your hand or wrist. “They’re called gutter crutches, and are useful for arthritic patients,” says Durban occupational therapist Marta Malecki of CE Mobility.
Walking frames
These have more contact points with the ground than canes or crutches, and are a better choice if you have balance problems or your legs are very weak. In a US study, it was found that while a walking stick can off-load 25% of a user’s weight, a frame can off-load 64%, through their arms.
Non-wheeled pulpit walkers (Zimmer frames) provide good support, but don’t allow you to walk forward smoothly: you have to stop and pick up the frame and reposition it for every step. This can be difficult if you tire quickly or struggle with starting movements – often the case with Parkinson’s disease.“Wider frames are available for bariatric clients,” says Malecki.
Wheeled frames
Wheeled frames allow you to move forward more smoothly than Zimmer frames, and to use a natural walking motion. The trouble is, the frame may move forward unintentionally if you push down on it. This can be especially risky if you move like someone with Parkinson’s, and take short, shuffling steps that speed up. Ask your health professional for advice.
Rollators are wheeled frames with bigger wheels, and are most useful outdoors. You can choose between three-wheeled rollators (Delta frames), with one front swivel wheel and two one-dimensional back wheels, and four-wheeled rollators, which are even more stable but take more space. “Four wheels offer more stability than three; three wheels are more maneuverable,” Malecki says.
Rollators move so fluidly that you need to ensure they have good brakes, and engage these whenever you stop – particularly if you have one with a seat and are going to sit down. It’s safest to park against a wall before putting on the brakes and sitting. If you need to lean on a frame, or to push on it for support, a rollator may be too mobile for you: check with your health professional.
“It’s best to be assessed by an occupational therapist or physiotherapist, and to view the product and try out the different options available,” says Malecki. “Consider terrain, space, carpets, slippery tiles, pebbled walkways, etc. Large wheels are better for rougher and sandier terrains.”
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Also read: Handy home adjustments as you age
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