Victor Hugo once said, “When grace is joined with wrinkles it is adorable.”
Indeed. But what is not adorable is weak bones and low muscle strength which can be common among seniors. This weakness can impact the independence of old people.
Daily chores may suddenly seem difficult. You may feel tired after doing little tasks in-house, that you don’t feel like going outside. It generates the feeling of being stuck in one place. This is not good for either physical or mental health.
To ease out things, you can always rely on mobility aids. There are various kinds of aids like crutches, canes, wheelchairs, and scooters that you can use as per your comfort and requirement. Let’s know more about them.
Crutches
Crutches transfer your lower body weight to your upper body. You can use one or in pairs. They help to maintain an upright posture which is good for blood circulation in the body. There are three types of crutches namely underarm, forearm, platform crutches. You can use crutches if you are recovering from leg surgery or you can barely or cannot hold weight on your legs.
The height of the crutches must be adjusted as per your height and you will need a good amount of upper body strength to use it. Also, it is a little tricky to use and so it takes some time to get used to them. If you have low upper body strength then you can opt for other mobility aids as described below.
Canes
Canes are one of the most common mobility aids. It transfers the lower body to the cane via the wrist. There are various types of canes in the market. They are simple wooden walking sticks, quad canes, forearm canes, and adjustable canes.
Wooden walking sticks come in two ways; a simple stick and a stick with a crook handle. While the quad canes have four legs for extra support which improves stability. Adjustable canes allow you to adjust the height of the cane.
If your cane is not adjustable then you can measure the height from the ground to your wrist and get the cane made of the received measurement. Forearm canes are similar to crutches as they have an extension that takes some weight from hands and wrist to your forearm.
Walking Frames
Walking frames provide more stability than canes as it has four legs. They are the best choice if you have less stable feet and need help with balance. To use walking frames you need upper body strength to lift it up and move forward.
You can also try walking frames with wheels. They have either two wheels in front legs or have all four legs with wheels. Walking frames with four wheels are also called rollators. As it is slightly difficult to control the frames with wheels they are equipped with brakes.
Walking frames are inconvenient due to their size and shape. The foldable one is good for traveling and storage.
Wheelchairs
Wheelchairs can be used by those who cannot walk at all or have extremely low lower body strength. Wheelchairs can be propelled manually by the user themselves, can be pushed by someone, or electrically powered motor.
Wheelchairs are helpful while moving outdoors. It gives you the freedom to enjoy the outside world with much comfort. Foldable wheelchairs are easy to carry while traveling.
Scooters
Scooters can be called the steadier version of wheelchairs. They are the best choice for mobilizing outside as they are firm and made to run on side roads. For seniors who do groceries on their own, scooters with bags are useful while shopping.
Thus, scooters give you all the independence you need to go outside and get things done.
Final Words
Now that you know how and who should use these mobility aids, you can choose one that serves your purpose and get back your independence. You can also try these products before buying and figure out how comfortable and helpful they will be for you.
