Mountain Views News          Saturday, April 30, 2016

THE GOOD LIFE

10

Mountain Views-News Saturday, April 30, 2016 

CHOOSING AN APPROPRIATE WALKING CANE

SENIOR HAPPENINGS


Dear Savvy Senior,

I have severe arthritis in my knee and could use 
a walking cane to help me get around. Is there 
anything I should know about canes before I buy 
one? 

Limping Linda

Dear Linda,

When it comes to choosing a cane for balance and 
support most people don’t give it much thought, but 
they should. Walking canes come in hundreds of 
different styles, shapes and sizes today, so you need 
to take into account your needs and preferences to 
ensure you choose one that’s appropriate for you. 
Here are some tips that can help.

Types of Canes

The first thing you need to consider is how much 
support you need. That will help you determine the 
kind of cane you choose. The three basic types of 
canes you’ll have to choose from include: 

 1. Straight canes: These are basic, single point 
canes that typically incorporate a rounded “crook” 
handle or “L-shaped” ergonomic handle. Usually 
made of lightweight aluminum or wood, most of the 
aluminum models are adjustable in height and some 
even fold up. 

 2. Offset-handle canes: These also are single point 
straight canes, but come with a swan neck curve in 
the upper part of the shaft that puts the user’s weight 
directly over the cane tip for added stability. These 
canes are typically aluminum, adjustable-height and 
come with a flat, soft grip handle that’s easy on the 
hands. 

 Both straight canes and offset-handle canes are 
best suited for people who have a slight walking 
impairment.

 3. Quad canes: Also called broad based canes, 
these work best for people who need maximum 
weight bearing and support. Quad canes comes 
with four separate tips (some have three tips) at the 
base, they usually have an offset flat handle, and can 
remain standing when you let go of it which is very 
convenient. 

Fitting the Cane

Once you decide on the type of cane, you need to 
make sure it fits. Stand up with your arms hanging 
straight down at your side. The top of the cane 
should line up with the crease in your wrist, so your 
arm is slightly bent at the elbow when you grip the 
cane. 

 The cane should also have a rubber tip at the 
bottom to prevent slipping. A worn or torn rubber 
tip is dangerous, so check the tip frequently to ensure 
it’s in good condition and replace it when necessary. 
Rubber tips come in different sizes depending on 
the shaft diameter, and can usually be purchased in 
multipacks at your local pharmacy.

 The grip is also very important, so choose one 
that’s ergonomically designed, or one that has a 
molded rubber or foam grip that’s comfortable to 
hold on to. 

 And if you travel much, consider getting a folding 
cane that can be packed or stored away easily.

How to Use

When using a cane, it should always be held in the 
hand opposite of the leg that needs support. For 
example, if your knee pain is on your left side, you 
should use the cane in your right hand. The cane 
should then move forward as you step forward with 
the bad leg. 

 If you have to go up stairs, you should lead with 
the good leg. And when you go down stairs, you 
should put your cane on the step first and then step 
down with your bad leg. 

 The Mayo Clinic offers a slide show at mayoclinic.
com/health/canes/HA00064 that will show you how 
to choose and use a cane. It’s also a smart idea to 
work with a physical therapist. 

Where to Buy

 You can buy canes at drugstores, discount 
retailers, medical supply stores and online, usually 
between $10 and $50. You’ll also be happy to 
know that Medicare covers canes with a written 
prescription from a physician. 

 Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. 
Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.
org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today 
show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …April Birthdays

Howard Rubin, Hattie Harris, Mary Harley, Bette White, Dorothy White, Doris 
Behrens, Freda Bernard, Beth Copti, Terri Cummings, Marilyn Diaz, Virginia 
Elliott, Elma Flores, Julia Gottesman, Betty Jo Gregg, Barbara Lampman, Betty 
Mackie, Elizabeth Rassmusen, Maria Reyes, Marian DeMars, Anne Schryver, 
Chrisine Bachwansky, Colleen McKernan, Sandy Swanson, Hank Landsberg, Ken Anhalt, Shannon 
Vandevelde

* To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. YEAR of birth 
not required but you must be over 60.

...................................................................

ACTIVITIES: Unless listed differently, all activities are at the 
Hart Park House (Senior Center) 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre

 

 

 YWCA San Gabriel Valley - Intervale Senior Cafe 

Seniors 60 years of age and up can participate in the YWCA Intervale daily lunch program held 
at the Hart Park House Senior Center. Meals are served Monday through Friday at 12:00 pm 
and participants are encouraged to arrive by 11:45 am. Meals are a suggested donation of $3.00 
for seniors 60 and over or $5.00 for non-senior guests. Daily reservations are necessary, space is 
limited. Please reserve your lunch by calling 626-355-0256.

Tech Talk: Held on Monday, January 25th from 1:30-2:30pm. Learn how to use your new 
technology devises. Please reserve your space with the Hart Park House by calling 626-355-7394. 

 

Hawaiian and Polynesian Dance Class: Every Tuesday morning from 10am to 11am. Join 
instructor Barbara Dempsey as she instructs you in the art of hula. 

 

Bingo: Every Tuesday beginning at 1:00pm. Cards are only $0.25 each! Everyone is welcome to 
join. May be canceled if less than 5 people. 

 

Free Blood Pressure Testing: 2nd Tuesday of the month from 11am to 12pm. No appt. is 
necessary. 

 

Brain Games: Thursday, January 21st, 10:30am - 11:30am, improve your memory and strengthen 
your brain. Activities facilitated by Hugo, Community Liaison for New Wave Home care of 
Pasadena. 

 

Free Legal Consultation: Wednesday, January 27th from 10:30am to Noon. Attorney Lem 
Makupson is available for legal consultation. He specializes in Family Law, Wills, Trusts, Estates, 
and Injury. Appointment are required by calling 626-355-7394. 

Balance Class: No Balance Class due to Martin Luther King Holiday. 

 

Chair Yoga: Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 to 11:45 am. A suggested donation of $5 at one 
of the classes is requested, but is not required. 

 

Case Management: Meets the 2nd Thursday of the month. Case Management services are 
provided by the YWCA and provide assistance in a variety of areas. Appointments are required 
and can be scheduled by calling the HPH Office at 626-355-7394. 

 

Birthday Celebrations: Every second Thursday of the month at the Hart Park House. The free 
birthday cake is provided by the Sierra Madre Civic Club. 

 

Game Day: Every Thursday starting at 12:00pm. (Please note the time change.) A regular group of 
seniors play poker. Other games available for use. 

 

Free Strength Training Class: Every Friday from 12:45pm to 1:30pm with Lisa Brandley. The 
class utilizes light weights for low impact resistance training. All materials for the class are 
provided. 

 

Senior Club: Every Saturday at the Hart Park House Senior Center. Brown bag lunch at 11:30am. 
Club meeting at noon. Bingo 12:30-3:30pm. Annual Membership is only $10.00. 


KATIE Tse.....................This and That

I’M STILL SO GLAD I’M 

NOT YOUNG ANYMORE!

This article originally appeared in the Mountain 
Views New several years ago. But after reading an 
article regarding the difficulty “plus-size” girls have 
finding prom dresses, I was reminded of how glad 
that I’m not young anymore!

 Youth is a wonderful thing. The young are mostly 
healthy, beautiful, and, in middle and upper class 
America, blissfully unacquainted with the harsh 
realities of financial self-reliance and a diminishing 
metabolism. Youth involves rites of passage. Kids 
learn to drive. Girls get training 
bras; boys’ voices go through a 
crackling journey to manly tones. 
Everyone needs to use deodorant, 
contrary to the belief that “some 
people don’t sweat.” And usually 
somewhere in there is a “formal 
dance.”

 Stopped in traffic by the 
Arboretum one spring day, I 
noticed a fashion shoot taking place 
on a grassy knoll. Five women, 
in thigh-high halter-top dresses, 
posed as the photographer fired 
off rapid shots. After they were 
finished, the group headed toward 
some young men in suits and 
tuxedos. As the women awkwardly 
stepped into a stretch Hummer 
it dawned on me. That’s not a 
fashion a shoot –that’s someone’s 
prom! 

 It goes without saying that proms 
have changed over the years. My 
mom enjoys telling how she fooled 
her date (a well known prankster) by opening the 
front door in a very dated, dumpy dark turquoise 
taffeta dress and her Stouffer’s waitress shoes (think 
the Queen Mum). She and her dad got a big laugh 
after he snapped a picture of the boy’s horrified face. 
She then changed in to her real dress. Yes, things 
are different these days... 

 I have a few regrets about my youth. I wish I had 
put more effort into my second language courses 
(although I doubt it would’ve helped), and I suppose 
it might’ve been good to attempt a sport. But one 
thing I sure don’t regret is not going to the prom! 
I know that sounds bitter and antisocial, but even 
more than 10 years later I can still say I don’t think I 
missed a thing!

 In the same vein as class elections, proms seemed 
to be another means of social exclusion. Every detail 
of the night involved decisions about who was “in” 
and who was “out.” Who’s house do we meet up at? 
Who’s riding in the [fill in the ostentatious vehicle 
of choice]? Who’s sitting at our table? There’s only 
room for eight, so that eliminates [fill in the least-liked 
classmate]. It gave me a nervous ulcer just listening to 
it. To drive home the point that prom was overrated, 
my boyfriend-less friends all complained about their 
dates’ behavior the next day at school. Heck, even 
some of the girls who had boyfriends 
complained! 

 Of course, another reason I 
nixed the prom was because I’m 
cheap. I just couldn’t rationalize 
the cost of the tickets, dress, etc. 
Even as an unemployed teenager, 
I had some concept of the value of 
money. On top of everything else, 
prom tends to bring out the worst 
in people –administrators as well 
as students. There’s always a few 
Yahoo headlines about some poor 
kid getting kicked out of prom for 
a dumb reason. Back when I first 
submitted this article, a boy in the 
Midwest asked his crush to the 
prom by writing “Will you go to the 
prom with me?” on a large poster. 
And she said “Yes!” Aww! But 
there was trouble in paradise when 
the villainous principal banned the 
boy from the prom because his 
placement of the sign was against 
school rules. In response to the 
national outcry against her decision, the principal 
finally reneged and allowed the young lovers 
to attend the prom. It would be one thing if this 
were an isolated incident, but it seems that every 
year there’s some news story about power-crazed 
administrators concocting frivolous reasons for 
excluding students from the prom. One girl was 
denied admission because she came without a date. 
It’s bad enough if you can’t get a date, let alone the 
school broadcasting it! Like Maurice Chevalier 
crooned, “I’m SO glad I’m not young anymore!”

* Last week I failed to include the address of the 
Pasadena Museum of History. The Bobbin Winders 
guild has a wonderful exhibit of fiber arts there until 
May 15th. The Pasadena Museum of History is 
located at 470 W. Walnut St. Pasadena, CA 91103.


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com