Precautions with use of Assistive Devices:
Precautions with use of Assistive Devices
Inform, Demonstrate, and Illustrate:
Inform, Demonstrate, and Illustrate Give written instructions
May only have brief amount of time to teach patient
Cannot go over everything
Patients will forget
Specific Precautions:
Specific Precautions Proper maintenance of equipment, especially if borrowed
Look for wear/tear
Wing nuts on crutches
Specific Precautions:
Specific Precautions Spring-adjusted buttons
make sure secure
Moist/wet surfaces extremely dangerous
Careful around throw rugs, objects on floor
Care on grass or uneven surfaces
Care in doorways, thresholds, linoleum to carpet transitions, elevators
General Rules for Gait Training:
General Rules for Gait Training
General Rules:
General Rules Always use safety belt
Push up from chair to go sit to stand, then grab assistive device.
Do not sit until you feel the chair, mat, or bed behind you
General Rules:
General Rules Let go of assistive device (at least with 1 UE) and grab chair, bed, or mat to help lower stand to sit
Do not leave crutches under arm when sitting
“Up with the good and down with the bad”
Use assistive device on opposite side of involved LE
General Rules with Gait Training:
General Rules with Gait Training To open door, approach at an angle toward opening
use assistive device to hold door open
Do not back in/out of elevators
To get in/out of car
Not advised to drive
Easiest to sit in back seat
4-door car
Follow rules of sit to stand