6 Different Kinds of Mobility Aids to Help Elderlies

There are a number of mobility aids available in the market. And if your elderly faces mobility issues, then you need to know all the possible options for the aids that you can choose for them. No aid is ideal, it just depends on the medical condition. Every mobility aid comes with its own pros and cons. Here we have listed six different kinds of mobility aids that most of the elderly use. Read further to explore it yourself. 

• Grab Rails:

Grab rails are a must have mobility aid that helps the elderly move around without slipping. Generally, the elderly face mobility issues, and thus need mobility aids to support, and balance their bodies. The elderly have chronic pains in their knees, have issues like high blood pressure, and other diseases like arthritis which makes it even more difficult for them to move, with their weak muscles. 

Getting in and out of shower, or from their bed becomes a difficult task for them. Grab rails come into use then. It helps increase mobility by providing extra support, which the elderly need for getting into and out of their bed or the shower. It helps provide grip while walking, thus reducing the risks of falling down and getting an injury. Because of grab rails, the elderly feels a sense of independence, because they do not need the support to get up from their caretaker.  They can do it themselves, and have peace of mind. Because they need not call their caretaker every time they need to get up. You can install the grab rails, both horizontally as well as vertically depending on its need. 

• Canes:

Canes are one of the essential assistive devices that can help you walk safely when you have pain in your knees, or legs. It is a mobility aid that helps you even while you have some injury, or are feeling weak. It helps balance the body better while standing. It helps take some pressure off the user’s legs, and so the weakened leg muscles can have some less pressure off themselves carrying the heavy torso around. It also helps improve sensory feedback for safety while walking.

There are many different kinds of canes. You need to choose the ideal one for your elderly. The type of handle, or the shape of the cane, you need to decide according to their medical condition.

• Crutches:

Crutches also work similar to canes. It helps provide support if you are struggling with balancing issues, and need to take off the weight from either of your legs, or from both the legs. It ensures more safety and security than a walking stick.

Crutches function by taking off the weight from your legs to your upper body. These are especially used when someone has a leg injury.  And needs a mobility aid temporarily. If you need to use it for longer durations, like the elderly people, then you have much better options than these ones. 

• Walkers:

Walkers or zimmer frames have four legs and a metal frame. You can buy the one with the front legs having wheels at their ends and two stable legs at the backside, that helps them maintain balance. It helps the elderly move faster, without creating any friction. And the elderly need not lift their body up and drag the frame. Wheels help a lot in this case. 

It provides extra support compared to canes or crutches, because they have wider contact with the ground that helps keep a strong grip with the ground. The user needs to put weight on both sides equally for maintaining a good posture and for better balancing as well. These are light in weight, and easy to carry.

• Wheelchairs:

In most of the mobility aids, the user needs to do work to make the aid function. Like drag themselves, or push their body upwards and so on. A wheelchair helps the users with the moving part as well, especially the electric wheelchair. It is used by the people who cannot put weight on their lower body, or for those who cannot walk. Also, a wheelchair is a much safer option for people having serious mobility issues, or the ones who need to travel over a longer distance.

• Scooters:

Scooters are similar to wheelchairs, but are more bulky in comparison. This battery powered machines comes with steering control and are especially designed for the outdoors. This device is a replacement for walking of any kind.

It helps the elderly give a renewed experience, when walking becomes an issue for them, especially when you are outdoors, and other people are watching you. It helps carry daily errands, without you assisting the elderly. And it also helps provide many social and mental health benefits.

Conclusion:

Any mobility aid comes with its own risks. Improper use of mobility aid can lead you to the risk of injury. And also using wrong mobility aid that does not go with the medical condition of the elderly might create some issues. Overuse of crutches for a longer duration can lead to crutch paralysis due to excess pressure on your nerves in the armpit area. So, choosing the right kind of mobility aid is important for the health benefit of the elderly. 

As a caretaker you need to decide which one is an ideal solution for your elderly. Because neither all elderly are the same, nor their medical condition. It differs from person to person. What works for others, might not work for your elderly. So, you need to decide wisely.