Symptoms of needing a walker or cane include frequent falls, a leg or foot injury, shuffling instead of walking, tripping, leaning on furniture when walking, poor posture.

Kerr gave these tips on who needs a walker or cane, how to safely use a walker and how to prevent falls around the home:

The walker's handles should be as high as your wrists, near the hips.

Stand straight behind a walker, not hunched.

Keep feet apart, about the distance between your shoulders.

Always face forward while walking.

Adjust the walker's wheels so that they are on the inside track of the device. This allows for an extra four inches of clearance so the walker can fit through narrow hallways and between furniture.

Put both hands on the walker while moving.

Only reach for items directly in front of the walker, not behind or to the side.

Furniture in your living space should be far enough apart to have clear aisles to walk through.

Remove throw rugs from the living area; they can trip walkers up.

Kitchen items that are used regularly should not require bending or overreaching to get to.

Keep a small frying pan or saucepan, whichever is used to cook more often, on the stove where it is easy to reach.

Carry food or drink in a basket attached to the walker, do not carry it with hands.

Get a soup bowl and a travel mug that have lids, so that they can be carried in the basket without spilling.

In the refrigerator, most of the food should be on the easy-to-reach upper shelves.

Instead of preparing cereal and then walking to a dining table, take ingredients to the table and pour there while sitting down.

Move laundry in a plastic kitchen bag held while gripping the walker.

Fold while sitting down.

Keep detergent in an easy-to-reach place.

To get clothes from a walk-in closet, walk straight in, drape the clothes on the walker and walk out. Do not gather clothes and turn around without the walker to put the clothes on a bed or chair behind you.

If you have to get to something in a small closet on the ground, brace yourself with one hand on the wall of the closet and slowly reach down to the item.

For walk-in showers, side-step into the washing area, always making sure your feet are shoulder width apart. Step in with the first foot, scooting the second foot to the rim of the walk-in shower, stepping in again with the first foot and finally stepping in with the second foot. All this is done while holding on to a bar for support

Use special benches in the shower and risers for toilet seats.

Make the bed while sitting as soon as you get up. This way, you do not have to bend over to make the bed. While sitting, you can make most of the bed and do the last part while standing.