Authors

  1. Section Editor(s): Jacobson, Joy

Article Content

Falls involving walkers and canes send more than 47,000 elderly Americans to EDs each year, according to a report in the August Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Experts at the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control found that seven times more injuries were due to walkers than canes, even though twice as many people use canes as use walkers. Women experienced 2.6 times more walker injuries than men, and injury rates increased with age. Advise the authors, "It might be beneficial to increase the amount of time devoted to fitting aids and educating people how to use canes and walkers safely."