Walking Aid Device: Are You Using It Correctly?

As people age, more and more elderly people inevitably experience a decline in physical function, weakened muscle strength, and decreased balance, leading to changes in gait. Walking, a basic daily activity, becomes slow and laborious, and mobility becomes a real problem in their lives. 

Therefore, many elderly people will choose electric wheelchairs, such as the electric reclining wheelchair, and walking aids to help them. Today, we will mainly introduce walking aids. Walking aids can assist the body in supporting weight, maintaining balance, and walking, and are widely used for people with lower limb mobility disorders caused by diseases or weak lower limb muscle strength in the elderly. With the deepening of population aging, the number of people who need to use walking aids will also increase substantially in the next few decades. Although walking aids seem simple and easy to use, using them without training may actually increase the risk of falls. Below, we will share some tips on how to use walking aids.

Preparation before using walking aids

Before walking with walking aids, you must be allowed to walk on the ground by your physician, make sure the ground is dry, spacious, bright and the aisle is unobstructed. Prepare a pair of non-slip shoes, too, and adjust the height of the walking aids – when standing naturally, the handlebar of the walking aids should be at the same height as your hip. With proper adjustment and preparation, walking aids such as a lightweight folding walking frame with seat can provide individuals with greater independence and mobility, making daily activities more manageable and enjoyable.

How to use walking aids to stand up

• Sit on the edge of the bed, and put the walking aids in front of your body.
• Place the healthy side hand on the handlebar of the walking aids, and the affected side hand on the bed surface.
• Move your buttocks to the edge of the bed, bend your legs slightly, and lean forward.
• Hold the walking aid in your hand and stand up.

The sequence of walking with a walking aid is: walking aid → affected limb → healthy limb

• Lift the walking aid first, move forward a distance of one arm, and support the body with both arms straight.
• Move the affected limb forward.
• The healthy limb is at the same level as the affected limb.

Sit with a walking aid

• Ensure that the chair is stable and should not be too short.
• Move back slowly until your heels touch the chair.
• Hold the walking aid with the hand of the healthy side, and sit down slowly while pressing the side of the chair with the hand of the affected side.

Precautions for using walking aids

• Do not lean or pull the walking aid to stand up.
• Walk inside the walking aid, not behind the walking aid.
• The pace should not be too large, it is better to reach half of the walking aid.
• Don’t get too close to the walking aid when walking, and don’t put the walking aid too far, otherwise it will disturb the balance and prevent the center of gravity from falling down.

Walking aids are not suitable for use up and down stairs; the amount of walking activity should be increased step by step; during walking, pay attention to observe the patient’s condition, tolerance level, and deal with emergencies in time. The above is how to use the walking aid, have you learned it, let’s practice it.