Walkers and Canes Are Themselves Causes of Falls

Many older folk need a cane or even a walker to get around without falling. However, their use isn’t certain to fulfill this function, especially if not being used correctly. This was made clear by an article from the Centers of Disease Control, posted online in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Data from falls seen in 66 representative hospital emergency departments were analyzed. There were close to 4,000 non-fatal, unintentional falls in people over 65over a 5-year period for which records showed a cane or a walker was involved. Extrapolating from this, it was estimated that over 47,000 such fall injuries are treated each year in older Americans – 2.6% of all fall injuries in this age group.

Walkers were involved 7 times more often than canes, probably because they were used more by the frail and weak. Women had these falls more often than men, and were more likely to be injured below the waist, while men had more head and neck injuries. The authors of the study conclude that “the results suggest that more research is needed to improve the design of walking aids”. I guess, too, that patients may need more training in how to use these aids, and to be made aware that their use isn’t foolproof.