Addendum - Walking in Snow with a Cane

Rebecca Dutton
Home After a Stroke

November 6, 2014

Bottom Line: I am not ready to go to an assisted living facility were the center's van will take me to Wal-Mart once a week.

The photo on the left shows the spikey cane thing that JoAnn mentioned in her comment about my previous post on snow boots.  It is a Briggs Ice Cane/Crutch Attachment.  I bought it at a medical supply store near my home.  The advantage of buying it in a store instead of on-line is the saleswoman got out a screwdriver and fastened the device to my cane.  It stays out of my way in the up position until I snap it in place (photo below). I place the cane in my hemiplegic (paralyzed) hand which holds the cane still while my sound hand pushes the device down until it snaps into position.  The device makes my cane slightly heavier which slows me down.  I use another cane during warm weather rather than take this device off and try to get it back in the same place each winter.

Warning #1: I do NOT poke my cane through the snow.  I wait until after a neighbor I pay shovels my walkway and digs out my car.  I must be able to see the ground to tell if there is an icy patch that could make the spikes slip.  Checking the ground as I walk with spikes on the end of my cane slows me down, but it gets me to my car safely so I can drive.
Warning # 2: People who plow store parking lots do not always do a good job of removing ice from handicapped parking spots.  Before I get out of my car I open the door and look at the ground to see if I want to leave the device down or push it up out of my way.

See the original article:

Addendum - Walking in Snow with a Cane

in

Home After a Stroke