Walking Aids Enhance Mobility, But Learn to Use Them Safely

From 2001 to 2006, an average of 129 Americans ages 65 and older were treated in emergency departments each day—a total of more than 47,000 each year—for injuries from falls that involved walkers and canes, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study published recently in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. The study points out how important it is that seniors learn to use assistive devices safely.

The study, which examined six years of emergency department medical records, found that most of the injuries involved walkers (87 percent). People were seven times more likely to be injured in a fall with a walker than with a cane. Older women sustained more than three-quarters of the walker-related injuries (78 percent) and two-thirds of the cane-related injuries (66 percent).

"Walking aids are very important in helping many older adults maintain their mobility. However, it's important to make sure people use these devices safely," said Judy Stevens, Ph.D., the study's lead author. "Walkers are often used by frail and vulnerable older adults—people for whom falls, if they occur, can have very serious health consequences."

Other key findings include:

• For men and women who used walkers or canes, the chances of sustaining a fall increased with age, with the highest injury rates among those ages 85 and older.
• Fractures were the most common type of fall injury associated with walkers and canes, and about a third of all injuries were to the lower trunk, such as the hip or pelvis.
• More than half of fall injuries associated with walkers and canes occurred at home.
• One in three people whose fall involved a walker and more than one in four whose fall involved a cane had to be hospitalized.
  

The study points out the importance of preventing falls related to walking aids. Some prevention strategies include:

• Encouraging professionals to spend more time with clients (or patients) fitting walking aids.
• Educating people how to use walkers and canes safely, for example, by having physical therapists provide instruction.

Additional studies are being planned to help better understand the risk factors for seniors who use walking aids, and to identify design improvements for canes and walkers.

Falls are the leading cause of nonfatal injury in the United States, and falls among older adults can have especially serious consequences. To help reduce the risk of falling, CDC's Injury Center recommends that adults ages 65 and older begin a regular exercise program, have their doctors review their medications, have their vision checked, and make their home surroundings safer.

For More Information

The CDC's Home and Recreational Safety website offers information about preventing falls among older adults.