Vancouver Sun
March 23, 2009
Seniors shun canes and walkers despite risk of falling
by Amy O'Brian, Vancouver Sun
Nearly half of seniors who could benefit from using a cane or walker refuse to use one, according to a recent survey.
And among those who have had a fall in the past year, the majority will not walk with a mobility aid even though they know it could prevent a future fall or injury.
“One in three seniors will have a serious fall each year,” said Christine Flegal, head researcher at the BCIT Living Laboratory, which commissioned the Ipsos-Reid survey.
“And we know that when they do have a fall, and particularly if they break a hip, they have a 25-per-cent chance of dying in that year.
“Those are some pretty hard facts, yet they don’t listen to them.”
The survey found that 96 per cent of seniors believe canes and walkers are a good way to prevent falls, but of those who have had a fall in the past year, 63 per cent refuse to use one.
“They’re playing games with themselves,” said Flegal.
Wilfrid Martin is a thin 80-year-old who is defiant when it comes to using a cane or walker.
“It means you’re on your way down when you use a cane and I don’t want to go down,” he said while sitting in the cafeteria at the 411 Seniors Centre.
“Yes, I’m stubborn. Very stubborn.”
Martin has been told that he is underweight and he has agreed to try to eat more. But when it comes to falling and potentially injuring himself, he would rather not take preventive measures.
“When it happens, it happens. Que sera, sera,” he said.
The survey indicated seniors have a wide variety of reasons for not using a cane or walker, but one of the most common is a perception that using a mobility aid increases vulnerability to crime. Two-thirds of those surveyed shared this view.
But Ted Majta, 84, views his wooden cane from a different perspective.
“It’s handy in case someone attacks me,” he said. “They [criminals] pick on guys who don’t have a cane.”
Other reasons for not using a cane or walker, according to the survey, include cost, image, functionality, and a common belief among seniors that they just don’t need one.
Seven out of every 10 seniors report having a mobility or health issue that reduces their quality of life due to a physical limitation. Yet 46 per cent of those surveyed do not use a cane, walker, or scooter to help them get around.
Elena Leonard, 79, has regularly used a cane since she fell two years ago and hurt her hip. But she did not have a cane with her Monday afternoon because it either got stolen or she left it behind while at church two weeks ago.
“I don’t use it all the time because I have other things in my hand and it makes me go slow,” she said.
“But it’s good when the ground is uneven. It’s like my third leg.”
Her husband, Russell Leonard, says he doesn’t need a cane and hopes he never does.
“Even if I have to crawl on my belly, I won’t use a walking stick,” said the 72-year-old.
The survey was conducted in January and involved 1,000 Canadian seniors aged 70 and older. The margin of error is 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
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