Health

‘Fashionable,’ ‘Safe’ Can Go Together

If your doctor has recommended that you use a cane or a walker for mobility purposes, you can now be fashion-conscious and still stay safely upright, according to gerontologist Cynthia Brown, M.D., of the UAB Center for Aging.

“There’s a perception that things like canes and walkers are for old people,” says Brown, “and if you think of yourself as young—which most of us do—then there’s a bit of a psychological barrier. Fortunately, this fact has been recognized by manufacturers, and there are now some sharp-looking canes and walkers out on the market. You can actually get different colors, you can match your outfits, and so on.

“In any event, it’s important to keep in mind that if it’s recommended that you use a cane or a walker, then not using it has significant risks. We know that in people who are 65 and over, one third of them per year will fall, which is a huge number of people. It’s a very large public health problem. These are not people in the nursing home; they’re our active elders, people out in the community who are aging successfully. Of that group who fall, about 10 percent will end up requiring medical attention. As a geriatrician, my instinct is to err on the side of safety.”