When selecting a mobility aid, there are many factors to consider. Understanding who requires the device is one step in the process. For instance, when I broke my knee, a cane would have been a terrible choice; however, our elder did fine with two of them after her knee replacement surgeries.
There is more to the choice option including the canes, walkers and wheelchairs than just whether we can continue using one device for a while. When our elders went out, we frequently needed to bring both a wheelchair and a walker. This is due to the possibility that even a rotator walker will not suffice. Without a wheelchair, there comes a time when one must simply sit and move around.
Illness: Some medical conditions can make it more likely to fall. This category includes anything that involves the middle ear. Vertigo, on the other hand, is a sign of dementia.
Medications: The likelihood of falling is increased by any medication that makes you sleepy. The risk can be made worse by certain medications used to treat other diseases, like dementia.
A cane is usually not a good choice in these situations. If it has four wheels and is well-balanced, a walker might be. There will be times when a wheelchair might prove to be useful, yet on the off chance that this is the main issue it may not be required all the time.
Not Handy: She can barely pivot between the bed and the wheelchair. She takes a long time to walk more than six feet, and by the time she gets back to bed, she feels like she just scaled Mt. Everest. She has a walker, but it mostly helps her get from the bed to the wheelchair.
There will be some pride issues involved in the decision-making process for buying 3B kinesiology tape. Yes, people stare, and at least one person came up to me, looked at my knee, and said, "That looks painful." Really? Those who are confined to a wheelchair for life most likely endure much worse. Prepare for something like this.
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