People who need walkers are often reluctant to use them due to stigma. A Colorado researcher has developed a walker that she says is more attractive.
JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Older people often have difficulty with balance. Walkers can help, but some adults are reluctant to use them because of their appearance. Colorado Public Radio's Nell London reports on efforts to transform pedestrians.
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NELL LONDON, BYLINE: Bob Baron walks down the hallway to his office in suburban Denver, pushing a walker. The green tennis balls on his feet slide across the carpet.
BOB BARON: As you can see, I'm going at full speed.
LONDON: Baron broke his hip last spring, leaving him in a wheelchair. Then he turned into a walker. At 91, he still works five days a week at the publishing company he founded. Today he edits letters between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.
BARON: This is from Jefferson to John Adams.
(Reading) I can walk little, but I travel 6-8 miles a day without getting tired.
LONDON: This is a book about the late-life achievements of two presidents.
BARON: I enjoy looking at writers of the past and writers of the present so much that the fact that I hobble a little to get to my chair doesn't matter.
LONDON: Not everyone is as tolerant as they lose mobility, says Thomas Johnson, a geriatrician at the University of Colorado.
THOMAS JOHNSON: We know that when a patient falls, about 50% of those patients don't tell their doctor afterward. I suspect part of it is that they don't want to do any of these interventions, including using a walker, a cane, these assistive devices.
LONDON: That makes them likely to fall again. Falls account for $80 billion in medical costs and are the leading cause of injury death among older adults. So how do you get people to buy walkers? Maybe you'll make a walker, that's cool.
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LONDON: A mountain bike-style tire squeaks on the floor of a University of California innovation lab, but it's on a three-wheeled all-terrain vehicle with handlebar brakes painted bright purple.
KATIE BODINE: And what's cool about it is that it can do more than just walk on mountain trails. This could also be on the beach if you need it at some point, or just on your ranch or farm.
LONDON: Katie Bodine runs the Center for Innovative Design and Engineering, which develops products for people with disabilities. In addition to the all-terrain model, the lab is developing walkers for everyday use that can be adjusted and folded into the back seat of a car. The Italian design firm added aviation-style wheels and handles with stitched leather. Bodine began calling him the “sexy walker.”
BODINE: When you say, “Hey, would you like that, or would you like sexy walkers?” You know, the level of interest is off the charts, you know? And I always joke: I learned one thing: third grade never dies. People want to look good. They want to feel good.
LONDON: Dr Johnson, who advised on the project, says the appearance is not frivolous. People like walkers that they will use.
JOHNSON: Overall, I hope that through this project we can help people move forward. And movement is medicine. And if we can safely bring more people into our communities, it will help combat loneliness. This can help with isolation. This can help them increase their strength – all of that.
LONDON: Bob Baron, a publisher, says he has become stronger using a walker. He hopes to switch to a cane soon.
BARON: There's a lot going on in your life. But you shouldn't let changes in your life – physical changes – affect what you do.
LONDON: An innovation lab hopes to bring sexy walkers to market by 2027.
For NPR News, I'm Nell London in Denver.
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