Canes are safety equipment

In my last column I talked about how some people resist the things that will prevent falls by calling to mind the people that we’ve all watched as they lurch from chair to chair to support themselves walking across a room.  I also shared some pretty scary stats on falls and older adults.

Instead of railing against using a cane think of the cane as safety equipment.  You wouldn’t ride a motorcycle without a helmet.  If you’re unsteady why try to walk without a cane?  A person with a cane is certainly less obvious than the senior who totters from chair to chair.  I looked up the word “totter” and it means “to stand or walk unsteadily or feebly”.  Certainly not a description any senior would want applied to them.  While the Oxford Dictionary was out on the desk I also looked up “dodder” and it means “to totter, esp. from age.”  Another descriptive word to stay away from.

You can get fabulous looking canes nowadays.  Colour, style and function all in one.  If you take the plunge and buy one, make sure it’s fitted properly.  If you’re already a client of home care just ask your care coordinator if they will arrange an assessment.  Or, you can go to a drug store that sells canes and ask them to help fit you for one.  Don’t just take Grandmother’s cane out of the closet and use that unless you fit it first.  There is a great resource on how to adjust and use a cane by York Region Public Health at www.york.ca/healthyaging .

If you’re tottering or doddering, clutching your wife or husband when you walk, or lunging from chair to chair, give a cane some thought.  If you buy one and the weather stays icy and snowy, get one of those cool flip down picks for the end of it, too.

There are some resources on fall prevention for seniors to be found on the Public Health website at this link:  https://www.hpepublichealth.ca/falls-prevention-older-adults/

Exercise is another great way to prevent falls and Community Care offers many options for seniors both in-person and online.  Call 613-476-7493 or www.communitycareforseniors.org  Stay safe out there.

Debbie MacDonald Moynes is Executive Director of The Prince Edward County Community Care for Seniors Association.