Chances are that you have fallen at some point in your life. Between scraped knees and broken bones, you have probably experienced something along these lines. However, as we get older, falling becomes more and more dangers — and unfortunately, more and more common.
About a quarter of older adults fall every year in the United States — this amounts to over two million senior citizens visiting the emergency room for injuries caused by a fall. Of these, about half of their falls take place in their own home. Often, older adults have trouble getting back up, or live alone. This only makes the situation more dangerous. Not only is it likely that the individual is suffering from serious effects of the fall, but now they can’t get back up. This is where innovations like alert buttons that call an ambulance come in. This innovative idea helps because older adults can keep it on their person at all times and, should they fall, they can call an ambulance at the push of a button.
This innovation is wonderful and has likely saved tons of lives. But it’s also important for older adults to prevent falls from happening in the first place. Canes and walking sticks have had a huge impact in the prevention of falls, for example. The most common causes of falls in older adults are unsteadiness and dizziness, particularly when standing up or walking. That’s why almost seven million Americans use canes and walking sticks, or other assistive devices! And of these, canes are the most popular.
Plus, canes have developed tremendously over the years. If the older adult in your life is feeling fancy, they can easily find brass cane handles, and enjoy the shiny benefits of their new cane! They could also find a light weight carbon fiber cane or a simple wooden cane. Some companies even offer completely custom walking canes.
It’s important to prevent falls when caring for the older adults in our lives. Canes and walking sticks allow these individuals to add an extra point of contact with the ground. By leaning on the assistive device, an older adult not only feels more confident when moving around, but also finds it much easier to maintain balance. Thus, fewer falls and fewer emergency room visits!
Let’s be honest. These older individuals deserve special treatment! And if the classy individual in your life prefers classy canes, they they deserve to be treated to something fancy!