Assistive Devices

Assistive devices have come such a long way from how they have been made in the past, today, and for the future because technology is an ever-growing field along with healthcare. The great thing about assistive devices are that they are made to be adjusted to each patient and fit them appropriately to produce only productive outcomes. One of the reasons that assistive devices need to fit appropriately to a patient/client is for their safety. Safety is always our main concern with anything to do with a patient. Let’s say someone is on crutches, but they are not adjusted to the right height, whether it be too short or too tall, this is a situation that puts the client at a fall risk. Another reason to fit a client for an assistive device is for comfort. Again, let’s say someone is being fitted for a wheelchair. Now, not everybody has the same body type (long legs, short legs, long torso, short torso, etc.). If the width of the chair or the height of the chair does not fit, it could cause rubbing behind the legs, or create uncomfortable posture/hip flexion.  

One assistive device that you can be fitted for is a cane. This can be accomplished by telling the client to stand while look straight ahead with arms relaxed at their side. The handle should be in line with the wrist crease, ulnar styloid, or greater trochanter. If need be, you can adjust this by releasing the locking mechanism, pushing the button, and moving the cane base to the correct height. Another, assistive device that you can be fitted for are axillary crutches. The crutch length should be about the same length as the distance from the client’s forearm to the fingertips of the opposite hand, and the length of the crutches should be based on the height of the client. The arm pad should be 1 to 1.5 inches under the axilla or armpit area or 2 to 3 finger widths. The handgrips should be in line with the wrist crease when hands are resting at their sides. Along with those crutches, there are some called loftstrand crutches that allow for more dynamic movement and control in small spaces. To fit a person to them, the cuff of the forearm crutch should be three fingers width from the elbow and then lock the buttons in place. The handgrip should be adjusted to the height of the wrist and show a slight bend ion the client’s arm. Lastly, walkers are a very popular assistive device used for all kinds of injuries or the elderly. To get fitted for the platform walker, the platform surface should be positioned to allow weightbearing through the forearm when the elbow is bent 90 degrees and the client is standing tall and relaxed. An important note to avoid nerve damage, the proximal ulna should be positioned about 2 inches off of the platform surface, while the handle of the platform should be positioned medially to allow for a comfortable grip. For the rolling walker, the height of the walker handles should be at the hip joints of the client and their elbows should be bent at about 20 degrees give or take because everyone is a little different.