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Do Canes or Walkers Make Any Difference? NonUse and Fall Injuries.
Clare Luz1, Tamara Bush2, Xiaoxi Shen3
1Department of Family Medicine, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing.
The Gerontologist
|July 26, 2015
Summary
Many older adults who fall at home are not using their canes or walkers, leading to more severe injuries. Increased emphasis on device use, training, and accessibility is crucial for fall injury prevention.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Biomechanics
- Public Health
Background:
- Assistive devices like canes and walkers are commonly used by older adults to prevent falls.
- However, adherence to using these devices, especially during a fall event, remains a concern.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the patterns of cane and walker use among older adults in relation to falls and fall-related injuries.
- To understand the reasons for nonuse of assistive devices during falls.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 262 community-dwelling older adults (aged 60+) with a history of falls.
- Data collected via self-administered surveys on device use patterns, reasons for nonuse, and fall-related injuries.
Main Results:
- 75% of fallers were not using their assistive device at the time of the fall.
- Reasons for nonuse included perceived low risk, forgetfulness, and device inaccessibility.
- Nonuse of devices was associated with a significantly higher proportion of falls requiring surgery.
Conclusions:
- Patient education emphasizing the importance of cane/walker use for injury prevention is vital.
- Improved strategies are needed to enhance device acceptability, accessibility, and proper training for older adults.
