Walker Wellness Workshop

Most older adults wisely adopt the use of a walker when they feel that their strength, balance or energy levels do not permit them to walk as safely and steadily as they used to.  Certainly, if you have had a recent fall, or you have nearly fallen, your vision is diminished, your legs fatigue easily or you have significant pain when walking, you are a good candidate for a walker.

With that in mind, proper walker fit and correct walker use are tremendously important to prevent falls and promote safety.  In fact, between 2001 and 2006, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) found that 47,000 older adults went to the emergency room for falls related to walkers and canes.  87% of these incidents involved walkers.  In the study, the CDC points to the importance of properly fitted walkers and providing education on how to safely use walkers.  However, most older adults have never had their walkers fitted, nor have they been instructed in the proper use of walkers.

On Thursday June 8th, from 4:00-5:00PM in the Motion Studio, you can drop-in to have your walker fitted and receive personalized walker safety tips at our Walker workshop.  We'll be ready to adjust your walker to the proper height and provide you with additional safety information, so that you can walk out with your head held higher (literally and figuratively), knowing you are taking the proper walker precautions.

And while supplies last, you'll have an opportunity to walk away with a free walker satchel or walker water holder, so you can stay well hydrated this summer!

In the meantime, here are a few walker awareness tips:

• To maintain proper posture, always keep you elbows in line with your sides when you are walking with a walker.  Do not push it out in front of you with your arms extended.
• Look forward when you are walking with a walker, not down at your feet.
• Always make sure that your walker brakes are locked when you are not walking.
• When standing up from a seated position, use the chair armrests or the seat of the chair to push yourself up to stand. Do not use the walker to stand up.
• When moving into a seated position, first, reach back to feel for the seat with one hand.

Reference: Center for Disease Control. (2009) 47,000 older adults treated in emergency departments annually for fall Injuries related to walkers and canes. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2009/r090629.htm

Author Info: Beatitudes Campus

At the foundation of Beatitudes Campus is the vision of Church of the Beatitudes pastors and congregation members to create a better alternative for older adults than the nursing homes of the early 1960s. The type of community they imagined was the first of its kind in Arizona. Beatitudes Campus is proud to continue the legacy of our founders, by being a leader in the field of aging services for over 50 years.