INDEPENDENT RESEARCH EXPLAINED
When Walking Aids Are Not Used At The Time Of A Fall
Research into why having a stick or walker does not always mean it is available or used when someone needs support.
Who Carried Out The Research?
Clare Luz, Tamara Bush and Xiaoxi Shen. Michigan State University.
Do Canes or Walkers Make Any Difference? NonUse and Fall Injuries. The Gerontologist, 57(2), 211 to 218 (online 2015). DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnv096.
How Was It Studied?
A cross-sectional survey involved 262 community-dwelling adults aged 60 or over in central Michigan. Participants were cognitively intact cane or walker users with a history of falls.
What Did They Find?
Seventy-five percent of respondents who fell were not using their device when they fell. Reasons included feeling it was unnecessary, forgetting it, concerns about appearing old and inaccessibility. Only half reported receiving training. Nonuse was associated with a higher proportion of falls requiring surgery.
| Survey participants | 262 |
|---|---|
| Respondents who fell without using their device | 75% |
| Respondents reporting device-use training | 50% |
| Respondents without a home safety evaluation | 68% |
Survey percentages apply to the study’s respondents and specified questions. They are not national rates or evidence that devices caused falls.
What Does This Mean For Everyday Mobility?
Equipment needs to be acceptable, reachable and practical enough to become part of ordinary routines. Understanding why a person leaves an aid behind can be as important as discussing its technical features. The right response may involve training, changes at home or a different kind of support.
What Are The Limits?
Self-reported survey data can be affected by recall and selection bias. The design cannot establish causation, and the abstract does not give a precise surgery risk for each device. LifeGlider was not assessed.
This is Mobility UK’s explanation of independent research. The authors and institutions do not endorse LifeGlider. Findings from different populations, study designs and follow-up periods should not be pooled into a single fall rate.
Read The Original Research
Follow the source links for the researchers’ own wording and methods. The indexed abstract is publicly available; publisher access and download conditions may vary.
We explain the findings in our own words and retain the original attribution. The paper and its figures have not been republished under our branding.