Dr. Eboni Green
October 25, 2021
Over the past years, you’ve noticed changes in your parent. They may walk a little slower, their movements may be shaky, or they may use the wall for balance support. If this sounds familiar, your aging parent may need walking assistance. Luckily, walking canes are here to help. Some elders are opposed to using canes, but caregivers and family members can convince them otherwise. Read about how to encourage your parent to use a cane for beneficial tips.
Before talking to your parent about using a walking cane, gather positive research. Find articles about how canes contributed to the improvement of life and medical journals praising the use of walking canes. Avoid using scare tactics such as statistics about the number of elder falls or fall-related injuries. You should introduce your parent to positive feelings about canes and encourage an open dialogue.
People find walking canes beneficial in their everyday lives. Among several benefits, canes improve mobility and coordination. Talk about the benefits of walking canes with your parent. For example, mention how canes help with back pain or talk about balance support. The more benefits you talk about, the more your parent will realize the advantages of using a cane in their life.
Many older people refuse to use walking canes because of pride. A cane may signify old age or point out incapability. Caregivers and family members understand that walking canes are helpful tools rather than “old age” signals. You can mention peers who use canes and talk about their improvement in life. For example, you can say, “Aunt Jean uses a walking cane. Remember when she stopped going on nature walks because of knee pain? Now she goes on walks three times a week because her cane supports her joints.”
Get your parents acclimated to using a walking cane by offering a compromise. You can ask your parent to, at a minimum, use the cane at home or in specific public settings. This will ease the parent into frequently using the cane and offer you peace of mind, knowing your parent has the assistance they need. Eventually, your parent will realize how useful the cane is and probably use it all the time.
As your parent gets older, things change, specifically in regard to mobility. As a result, they may need a cane. Walking canes assist many older people, and they can help your parent, too. If you need support convincing your parent to get a cane, always refer to our guide about how to encourage your parent to use a cane for help.
