Assistive Devices

Let’s talk about assistive devices. Now, when most people think about a cane, a wheelchair, or a hearing aid, they just think of a piece of equipment. But as nurses, I want you to look at these devices through the eyes of a physicist and an engineer.

What is a human being doing when they walk? They are constantly falling forward and catching themselves. It’s an incredibly complex interplay of gravity, friction, and neurology. When a disease or injury breaks that system, an assistive device isn't just a "stick" or a "chair"—it is a mechanical extension of the human body. We are giving our patients their geometry back. We are giving them their connection to the world back.

But if you give someone a tool without teaching them the mechanics of how it works, you might as well give them nothing—or worse, a hazard. Let’s dive into the fascinating mechanics of assistive devices, how we assess the need for them, and how we teach our patients to use them correctly.