Gerontology 130
Working with the Frail Elderly

"Proper Techniques for Using a Cane" Transcript

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Proper Techniques for Using a Cane

OK, the first thing you want to do is bring the person forward on the surface in the chair or the surface they are sitting on by alternating their weight from side to side. You want to make sure that their feet are in a good placement. They should be under their knees or slightly behind and about shoulder width. You want the individual to keep their back straight but to lean forward and if they can assist you, push down on the arms on the armrests of the chair while you assist them at the hip. Again, as always when we move someone, we want them to have a moment to regain that position and get adjusted to it.

Someone who is using a cane to assist them in walking generally uses them because one leg has pain or is weak. And, so you want to put the cane on the strongest side, the side that is not needing or not having pain or weakness.

To fit a cane appropriately again, because again with walking, you want your assistive device to fit appropriately, you want the person's arm to be flexed a little bit at the elbow or their hands or wrists to hit at the handle of the cane. So they are able to have a little bit of bend at their elbow so they can push down to help themselves in walking when they need that assistance.

The procedure for walking if the person is using a cane, in this example, we have the cane in the right hand, being that that is the person's strongest leg. They are going to move the cane with their left leg forward together. Push down on the cane to assist them with the weight on their injured side and then bring the opposite leg forward.

To repeat that again: They will bring the cane and the opposite leg forward, press down on the cane, and bring the other leg forward to meet it.

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