How to Help Your Senior Get the Right Fit with Her Cane

Getting used to a cane is difficult enough, but if the cane isn’t set up properly that process of learning to use the tool is even more complicated. Here’s how you can help your senior make sure that her cane is set to the right height for her.

Keep Things as Normal as Possible

One mistake that caregivers and seniors can make is that they use an unusual situation to fit the cane and then it doesn’t work well in normal daily activities. Your senior needs to wear the shoes she normally wears and relax throughout the process. Tensing up or standing at an unnatural angle is going to interfere with adjusting the cane and then it won’t be the right fit for her.

Measure Properly from the Right Spot

Once she’s ready to measure, you want your senior’s arm to hang comfortably at her side. Measure from her wrist straight down to the floor. If that’s not possible, measure from her hip to the floor. Don’t worry if you feel that you’re not measuring from the right spot at this point. There are other fail-safes to help you adjust the height of the cane correctly.

Adjust the Cane to the Correct Height

Most canes are easily adjustable. The most common styles are aluminum and have a locking mechanism that allows the two parts to slide up and down to make the cane longer or shorter. Measure the cane and move it in the appropriate direction to match the cane’s measurement with the one you took of your senior’s body. If the cane isn’t one that is easy to adjust, you may have to adjust it in another way. Some wooden canes, for instance, have to be trimmed down and have an end cap put in place.

Check the Fit and Adjust Some More if Necessary

When you think you’ve got the cane set to the right spot, have your senior hold it in place. As she places her hand on it at her side, the cane should cause her arm to bend slightly. That angle should feel comfortable for her. If it doesn’t, more adjusting may be necessary. Have her try using the cane to support her as she walks for a few steps. When it feels right, the cane is adjusted to the right height.

If you’re still not sure that you’re measuring or adjusting properly, home care providers can give you some insights. They’ve got experience with helping aging adults adjust and use their canes and other assistive tools. Their experience can save you time and frustration.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Senior Care in Los Gatos, CA, contact the friendly staff at Home Care Professionals today.
Call (866)-940-4855

Andy Howard CEO at HomeCare Professionals

Andy Howard is a Bay Area Native who holds a BA in Political Science (University of Colorado at Boulder, ’97). After college Andy worked in the surging tech industry. His Grandmother however, would suffer a significant decline in health and ultimately needed in-home care. The experience of a loved one depending on outside help to age in place proved to be pivotal for Andy as he left the tech industry in 2002 for an opportunity in the home care world with a large provider. After having success in home care, but being frustrated by corporate constraints Andy founded HomeCare Professionals in 2005. He methodically built the company one client at a time by focusing on hiring quality caregivers to ensure positive outcomes. Currently Andy serves as the CEO of HomeCare Professionals and is also highly active in the non-profit organization California Association of Health Services at Home (CAHSAH) which advocates for a higher standard of in-home care for those who wish to remain living at home in California.

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