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News - Central Valley General Hosp, Hanford California USA |
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| Central Valley General Hosp |
| Falls a risk for seniors who use walkers, canes |
| Date : - 01/07/2009 |
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Canes and walkers are wonderful aids when we need them to get around. But older people who use these devices should take steps to prevent falls, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“It’s important to make sure people use these devices safely,” said Judy Stevens, PhD, the study’s lead author. “Walkers are often used by frail and vulnerable older adults. These are people for whom falls, if they occur, can have very serious health consequences.”
The study, published in the July issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, reviewed emergency department medical records from 2001 to 2006. Each year during that time more than 47,000 seniors visited emergency departments for falls that involved walkers and canes.
Researchers found that walkers were especially hazardous. Eighty-seven percent of the injuries occurred while someone was using a walker.
In addition, people were seven times more likely to be injured in a fall with a walker than with a cane.
Those most at risk for injuries were older women and people 85 or older. Older women sustained more than three out of four walker-related injuries and two of three cane-related injuries.
The CDC generally advises everyone 65 and older to head off falls before they happen by addressing problems that can cause falls. Learn more about preventing falls, here.
To use a walking device safely, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers these tips:
* Walkers *
* To begin walking, put the walker about one step
ahead of you, making sure the legs are level to the
ground. With both hands, grip the top of the walker
for support and walk into it. As you walk, don’t
step all the way to the front bar of your walker.
And take small steps when you turn.
* To sit down, back up until your legs touch the
chair. Reach back to feel the seat before you sit.
To get up, push yourself up and grab hold of the
walker’s grips
* Never try to climb stairs or use an escalator with
a walker
* Make sure the rubber tips on the walker’s legs stay
in good shape.
* Canes *
* To start walking, position the cane about one small
stride ahead. If you have a weak or injured leg,
take the first step with that leg. Finish the step
with your good leg.
* To climb stairs, grasp the handrail if possible.
Place the cane in the hand opposite your weak leg.
Step up on your good leg first, then step up on the
weak leg. To come down stairs, put the cane on the
step first, then your weak leg, followed by the
good leg, which carries your body weight.
* If you need to carry something, use a backpack,
fanny pack, apron or briefcase.
People who need to begin using a walker or cane should work with a health care professional to ensure they know how to use the device properly.
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| Reference : - www.hanfordhealth.com |
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