Assistive devices
In addition to making your home safer, you might consider assistive devices
that can reduce the risk of falling and help you to carry out activities of
daily living in a safer manner
- Canes and walkers will provide stability; walkers provide more stability
and support than canes because they spread your body weight over a wide area.
These devices can increase independence and minimize your fear of falling.
Canes and walkers come in many forms and will need to be fitted to you;
therefore, they should be chosen in consultation with a physiotherapist, who
can also provide instruction on how to use them properly.
- A seat lift is a device you put under you while sitting in a chair that
helps push you up when you need to get up.
- Hip protectors have been shown to substantially reduce the number of hip
fractures, particularly in the frail elderly. The protectors are designed to
act as shock absorbers and/or to disperse any shock from impact away from that
point where the thigh bone meets the pelvis. Hip protectors come in a variety
of designs and are made of many different materials. The softer padded ones
can be comfortable and quite discreet, but both the softer ones and the hard
caps are effective.
- Reaching aids come in different lengths - an occupational therapist can
help figure out the best aids for you to use.
Most large communities have falls prevention programs to help raise awareness
of the factors that increase one’s chances of falling. Call your local community
information centre to access falls prevention resources.
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