Signs it may be time to ask about a walking aid or equipment
Families and care managers often notice small changes first. It can be worth asking a physio to take a look if the client:
- Reaches for walls, benches or furniture as they walk ("furniture walking")
- Has had a fall or near miss, or now avoids certain rooms or steps
- Takes much longer to stand up from a chair, bed or toilet
- Seems less confident in the shower or getting in and out of the bath
- Has an old walking stick or frame that no longer seems to suit them
- Is going out less because walking feels harder
None of these mean equipment is automatically the answer. Sometimes strength and balance work, a change in how a task is done, or moving a few things around helps more. The point of an assessment is to find what fits this person. Our guide on fear of falling after a near miss covers related signs.
Why assessing at home makes a difference
A walking frame that works well in a clinic corridor may not fit through a narrow bathroom doorway, turn in a small kitchen or get up the two steps at the front door. At home, the physio can watch the client move through their usual routes, such as bedroom to bathroom at night, kitchen to lounge, or the back step to the clothesline.
That makes it easier to give practical advice about:
- Whether a walking aid is likely to help, and which type may suit the client's walking and their space
- Setting the height of a stick or frame so it is comfortable to use
- How to use it on turns, through doorways, on carpet edges and on steps
- Where support such as rails, a shower chair or a raised toilet seat may make daily tasks easier
- Simple layout changes, like clearing a path or improving night lighting
For night-time routes in particular, see night-time bathroom trips and falls.
Practising with equipment matters as much as choosing it
Equipment only helps if the client is comfortable using it. Many people put a new frame in the corner and go back to holding the furniture. A physio can practise with the client in their own home: standing up with the aid, turning, walking to the bathroom, and managing steps. Same physio wherever possible, so the person checking progress already knows how the client usually moves. See why the same physio matters.
Exercise physiology can sit alongside this when the longer-term goal is building strength and walking tolerance, so the client relies less on support over time where that is realistic.
What care managers can include in the referral
Our home physio referral checklist covers the basics. For an equipment or walking aid question, it also helps to share:
- What you or the family have noticed, and in which parts of the home
- Any recent falls, near misses or hospital stays
- What equipment the client already has, including anything they no longer use
- Whether the client lives alone or has someone home at certain times
- Access details, such as stairs at the entry, a lockbox or a gate code
- Who should receive recommendations: the family, the client, or the care manager at your registered provider
The physio can then share recommendations so the care manager and family can decide on next steps together. What equipment can be funded, and how, is a question for the care manager at your registered provider. If the client lives alone, home physio for clients living alone has extra points to consider.
Support at Home, private clients and DVA
When physiotherapy or exercise physiology clinical supports are authorised under Support at Home, Alera Healthcare can deliver those sessions at home as an associated provider working with the registered organisation that holds the plan. Alera is not a registered Support at Home provider, and the client stays with their current provider and their care manager at that registered provider.
Private clients and families can enquire directly, and DVA clients are welcome to ask about eligibility on enquiry. Alera has provided mobile physiotherapy and exercise physiology across Sydney Metro since 2004, with visits available any day, including Saturdays. We do not offer occupational therapy or NDIS services.
If someone has had a fall and is hurt, cannot get up, or is unwell, call 000.
Next step
Wondering whether a parent or client would benefit from a walking aid or some changes at home? Book a 15-minute call to talk it through, or use our referrals page when you are ready to refer.
Call 040 55 77 555 or email admin@alerahealthcare.com.au.
FAQ
Can a home physio advise on a walking frame or walking stick?
Yes. A physio can watch how the client walks in their own home, advise whether a walking aid may help and which type may suit, set it to a comfortable height and practise using it on turns, doorways and steps.
Is it better to assess for equipment at home or in a clinic?
Home lets the physio see the real spaces the client moves through, such as narrow doorways, bathrooms, rugs and front steps, so advice fits how they actually live.
Does every unsteady older person need a walking aid?
Not always. Sometimes strength and balance work, changing how a task is done or a few changes around the home help more. An assessment helps work out what suits that person.
Who decides what equipment is funded under Support at Home?
Funding questions sit with the care manager at your registered provider. Alera works as an associated provider and can share recommendations with the client, family and care manager.
Who can enquire about in-home physio or EP with Alera?
Care managers at registered providers, private clients and families can all enquire. DVA clients can ask about eligibility on enquiry. We do not offer occupational therapy or NDIS services.