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# Injury Prevention
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Older Adults
 
Caring for Your Eyes
Caring for Your feet
Tips to prevent a fall
What to do if you fall
How to get up from a chair, sofa or bed
Cane safety
Winter safety
Questions to ask your Doctor & Pharmacist
Medication safety
Gifts of safety
Physical activity
Home safety tips
Make a Splash!
   
Glossary of terms
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* * Older Adults - Injury Prevention *
* * Is your cane the correct height?

Tips to prevent falls
To measure your cane:
  • Turn the cane upside down and put the handle on the floor.
  • Stand with your arms by the sides of your body with elbows slightly bent.
  • The tip of the cane should be at the level of your wrist.
To adjust your cane:
  For wooden canes:
 
  • When your cane is upside down, mark the cane at the level of your wrist.
  • Remove the rubber tip.
  • Cut the cane 1/2 inch shorter than where you marked it.
  • Replace the rubber tip.
 Height of Cane
  For aluminum canes:
 
  • Most aluminum canes can be easily adjusted within an inch of the desired height.

Many stores that sell canes will cut or adjust your cane even if it has not been bought there.

See Hospital Equipment/Supplies/Convalescent Services in the Yellow Pages.
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For more information on falls prevention, call 3-1-1

Last updated March 2011


  
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