What is a Couch Cane and What Are Its Benefits?

Besides getting up from bed, standing up from the couch can be very difficult for seniors and patients with disabilities. Most of the time, patients would need assistance from caregivers just to get out of the sofa, and this is sometimes not possible all the time since caregivers would sometimes have to do other chores besides assisting their patients.

Luckily, there is now a specific item or device that elderly and disabled patients can use so that they can easily and conveniently stand up from the sofa with little to no assistance from caregivers. This item is called the couch cane, and in this article, we will talk about it in better detail and discuss some of its benefits.

What is a Couch Cane?

elderly man with a cane

A couch cane is a device that is specifically used to help seniors and people with disabilities easily stand up from a sofa or couch. The couch cane looks like a bigger version of a regular cane, so it has a bigger handle and a bigger leg. In addition, the couch cane is also fixed in one location and position, which basically means that the couch cane will not move in place once it is installed.

At the feet of the couch cane, there are stabilizers that are supposed to be placed under the feet of the couch or sofa. Once you have placed the stabilizers, the couch cane will not move from its position anymore since both the safe and the stabilizers prevent the cane from moving. The couch can is usually placed at the front side of the sofa or couch so that seniors and patients can easily grab onto it whenever they want to get out of where they are sitting.

What are the Different Types of Couch Canes?

elderly woman holding a cane

There are three main types of couch canes that we should highlight, as picking the most suitable type of couch cane for your patients or loved ones would depend on the features of the cane that will most likely benefit the users the most. To know more, here are the things you should know about the different types of couch canes.

Standard Couch Cane

The standard couch cane is the type of cane that we have already described in the first section of this article. This type of couch cane has a large version of a regular cane that has stabilizers on its feet that go under the sofa or couch. There are standard couch canes that have a removable table, so they can also be used as a holder for food, drinks, and other items that seniors or patients want to have near them when they are sitting on a couch.

Dual Couch Cane

The dual couch cane features two stationary canes that the senior or patient can hold onto. These two couch canes are joined together by a thin frame that is placed underneath the mattress or cushioning of the sofa or couch. The dual couch cane still has legs that offer stability from the handle of the cane to the feet, but it doesn’t have stabilizers anymore since most of it is placed under the couch’s cushioning. In addition to this, there are also other types of canes available for seniors. You may check out our Guide to Choosing Canes and Crutches for Seniors for more tips and recommendations. 

Couch Aid

The couch aid is a type of couch cane that doesn’t actually look like a cane. Instead, it looks like two armrests that you would normally see in plastic or metal chairs. This type of couch cane doesn’t need stabilizers, as it will already be relatively stable on top of the sofa or couch. To use the couch aid, it should first be placed behind the patient, with the armrests of the device located to the sides. Then, using the couch aid would require the patient to hold onto the armrests and then push off from those.

What are the Benefits of Couch Canes?

senior man with a cane beside him on the sofa

Couch canes are beneficial not only for elderly people and patients with special needs or disabilities but also for caregivers and loved ones that are taking care of their family members or relatives. Here is the list of benefits when it comes to using couch canes.

Can Help the Patient Stand Up Safely from the Couch

Of course, the biggest benefit that couch canes provide to seniors and patients is that it is effective in helping the patient stand up safely from the couch. With stabilizers or a stable frame incorporated on the couch canes, it is sure that they won’t move at all whenever the patient is using it to push off and stand up from the couch or sofa. If the patient is unable to stand up from the couch alone or get out of bed independently due to limited mobility, a patient lift may help him or her. You may read our Guide to Selecting Patient Lifts for more information about these devices.

Can Prevent Injuries Caused by Falling

Sometimes, elderly people that try to get up from the bed or the sofa can fall, which can then cause wounds or injuries. To prevent this, seniors or patients would need to be assisted by a caregiver, or they would need to rely on a couch cane that enables them to safely get off the couch. For beds, there are bed aids and assist rails that can be installed under the mattress and on the sides of the bed.

Can Give Caregivers Peace of Mind

Caregivers will be able to have peace of mind if their patients have a couch cane. Most of the time, elderly people and patients with disabilities just lie down in bed or sit on a couch, so it is important for caregivers to ensure that the bed and the couch are very safe to use by their patients.

A couch cane would ensure that a sofa or bed would be much safer to use compared to having no couch cane installed. So, even if the caregiver is doing chores in a nearby room or area, he or she will have peace of mind knowing that the patient is safely and comfortably sitting on a couch.

Couch canes are essential devices if an elderly person or patient sits on a couch or sofa most of the time. Check out some of the highly-rated couch canes online so that you will know which ones are the best in terms of features, stability, and durability.

Another helpful tool that may benefit seniors is the use of sock aids, particularly those with mobility issues. If you want to learn more about this, check out our post on What is a Sock Aid and Its Benefits?