Examining gait aid use and user safety by older people with dementia: Perspectives of informal carers to inform practice.

Purpose: To determine gait aid use and decision-making related to usage in people with dementia, and examine factors influencing (1) gait aid use or not; and (2) falls in past year. Materials and methods: A survey of informal carers of older people with dementia in the community. Closed questions on gait aid use, falls, timing and sources of gait aid acquisition, and advice received to support use were used. Chi-squared tests (Fisher's Exact) compared: (1) gait aid users vs non-users and carers' report of (i) unsteadiness in walking/turning, (ii) dementia severity, (iii) falls in past year, and (2) fallers vs non-fallers and (i) timing of gait aid commencement relative to dementia diagnosis, (ii) whether health professional advice was received regarding use, and iii) regularity of use. Results: Forty-seven completed surveys, 63.8% of care recipients used a gait aid; 56.9% had >2 falls in past year; 66.7% commenced use after dementia diagnosis; 25% acquired their aids from non-health professionals; and 37% did not receive advice regarding use. Gait aid users and non-users differed on carer ratings of unsteadiness in walking/turning (p=0.02). Conclusion: Carers reported important aspects regarding gait aid acquisition, safe gait aid use and benefits which warrant further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]