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Mobility Support

An illustration of a person using a cane to walk.
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It helps to break down all the parts of mobility because you can then get a better idea of how to support a person in a way that meets what is important to them and what they need.

Mobility is all about the ability to move. Mobility support means helping a person to move around – to sit down, to get up from sitting, to move from one place to another, and use assistive devices like canes, walkers, and wheelchairs. If a person can move around, it is important to encourage them to move around as much as they can. The less a person moves, the less likely they might be able to move.

Consider how mobility is connected to other Activities of Daily Living. Some examples:

  • Bathing — Getting in or out of a bathtub, or moving from a wheelchair to a shower chair.
  • Shopping — Getting around a store.
  • Dressing — Standing to put on pants.
  • Restroom — Getting on or off a toilet.
  • Cooking — Moving around a kitchen.
  • Transportation — Getting on or off a bus or van.

Mobility aids

Mobility aids and adaptive aids are available to help you support your loved one in moving around. Some examples:

  • Cane
  • Walking sticks or poles
  • Walker
  • Rollator
  • Crutches
  • Knee scooter
  • Wheelchair
  • Electric wheelchair
  • Motorized mobility scooter
  • Shower chairs, seats, and stools
  • Grab bars
  • Transfer benches (help a person move from one place to another)
  • Swivel mobility chairs
  • Lifts (help lift a person from one place to another)
  • Elevated seats that help a person to get up out of a chair
  • Car transfer handle (like a grab bar a person can hold getting out of car)
  • Car swivel seat (helps a person get into a car)
  • Gait belt (helps a caregiver lift a person from sitting or helps a caregiver support the weight of a person they are helping to walk)
  • Leg lifter (a device that helps a person lift their legs from a chair onto the floor, or onto a bed)
  • Ramps (helps a person who has difficulty with stairs or is using a wheelchair)
  • Hand rails (rails on walls that a person can hold onto when walking)

NOTE: Some mobility aids may be a covered benefit by your loved one’s insurance. Check with your loved one’s provide or insurance company for more information.

What Mobility Support Might Include

  • Reminding a person to use mobility aids.
  • Clearing an area so a person can get around, including freeing living areas from trip hazards such as rugs, cords, etc.
  • Giving verbal guidance to a person on changing their positions (from sit to stand, lying down to sit, stand to sit, transferring themselves from one place to another, etc.).
  • Giving verbal guidance to a person on moving around (walking or using mobility aids).
  • Offering more physical assistance with mobility, such as helping a person to get in and out of a chair, offering support to maneuver in and out of a car, propping a person up or lifting them out of bed, guiding around obstacles, or providing balance support while walking.

Create a Safe Mobility Environment

  • Ensure that floors that do not have trip hazards, such as:
    • Area rugs, especially rugs that come up easily, that a person can trip over.
    • Clutter on the floor that a person can bump into or trip over.
    • Cords from lamps or appliances that a person can trip over.
  • Make sure rooms have clear paths for a person to walk or move around.
  • Consider having less furniture in the room to make it easier for your loved one to move around.
  • Higher seats on chairs or couches can make it easier for a person to get up or sit down. Consider adding cushions or assistance bars.
  • Good lighting is important so that your loved one can properly see where they are going.
  • As a caregiver helping your loved one with mobility support, it’s important to learn proper techniques for transferring and to look into potential mobility aids such as a gait belt to assist you.
  • Avoid pulling your loved one by the hands as this could injure you and your care recipient.
  • Bend your knees when helping to lower your loved one onto the seat or to stand up.
  • Avoid bending from the waist because this can hurt your back.

Knowledge Check

Take this quiz to see how you fare in key concepts regarding restroom support.

Mobility Support Quiz

1. Click on all the things that are a part of mobility.
2. Which of these might be possible reasons why a person does not want mobility aids or does not want to be mobile?
3. What might communication look like in supporting your loved one with mobility? Click all that apply.
4. Renee loves sitting outside or by the window, where she can watch the birds and trees. Her daughter, Zoe, takes her outside or to sit by the window each morning.

This means that Zoe helps Renee get from her bed to her wheelchair, and then from the wheelchair to a chair. Zoe helps Renee into a chair rather than her staying in a wheelchair because Renee is more comfortable in the chair, and this has been her favorite chair for many years.

Check on all the ways you think Zoe is offering Renee the right mobility support.

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