Walking Aids and Wheelchairs for Children

If your child is given a walking aid, you and your child will be advised how much weight your child can put through their injured leg.  This is very important for bony healing, and it is important to use the walking aids with the recommended level of weight. 

The recommended level of weight may be described as one of the following:

Touch weight bearing: this means your child can lightly touch their foot down to the floor for balance when walking, but should take the majority of their weight through their walking aid

Partial weight bearing: this means your child is able to put their foot to the floor as they would when walking without aids, however they will use their crutches or frame to take some of their weight when stepping with their injured leg

Full weight bearing: this means putting full weight through your injured leg, meaning you can walk without any aids if you’re able to do so safely and reasonably comfortably

There are different types of walking aids;

• Elbow crutches
• Rollator zimmer Frames

This is how to use your walking aids safely.

Standing from a chair with crutches

• Hold the handles together so that the crutches are in a H shape.
• Use one hand to push up from the chair, with the other hand holding the handles of the crutches.
• Once standing, place hands through the elbow supports to hold crutches properly.

When going to sit on a chair:

• Take arms out of the elbow supports and bring the crutches together to form a H shape.
• Use one hand to hold the crutches by the handles, and the other to lower into chair.

Standing from a chair with a Rollator Zimmer Frame

• Push up from the chair using both hands, then hold on to the zimmer frame once standing.
• Do NOT pull on the zimmer frame to stand from the chair.

When going to sit in a chair with a zimmer frame

•  Reverse up to the chair until it is touching the backs of your legs
• Use both hands to lower into the chair

You can find more videos on going up and down stairs with walking aids here. 

Once your child has finished with their walking aids, please return them to trauma clinic so that they can be cleaned and re-used for other patients.