Introduction: Cane Buddy

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A child has spastic diplegia cerebral palsy and utilizes lofstrand crutches to assist with ambulation. During school, at home, and in the community, the child has nowhere to place their crutches when seated without creating a tripping hazard for their peers or having their crutches out of reach, decreasing their independence.

Three occupational therapy students wanted to create an easy solution to this problem to increase independence and accessibility for the user and safety for both the user and their peers. By creating the ‘Cane Buddy’, an adjustable crutch holder, children who utilize crutches or canes will be able to attach the device to any surface to hold their canes and crutches within reach allowing for easy accessibility and increased safety. The Cane Buddy can adjust to most table widths and be transported with the student allowing for placement in schools, at home, and within the community to increase safety and independence in all these environments.

Supplies

Parts

  • 1 adjustable bracket clamp
  • 1 command broom gripper

Materials

  • 2 cut squares 1 ¾“ x 1 ¾”

Tools

  • Scissors
  • Clear tape

Step 1: Attaching Bracket Clamp and Broom Gripper

  1. The Command broom gripper comes with the command strips as shown in the first image.
  2. Attach the strips to the back of the broom gripper with the wall side out to stick to the bracket clamp as shown in the second image.
  3. Peel off the paper strips and align the broom gripper to the bracket clamp so the middle of the gripper adheres with the middle of the clamp and shown in the third image.

Step 2: Cutting Non-slip Rug and Preparing for Creation of Device

  1. Take the non-slip rug pad and measure with a ruler two squares that are 1 ¾” x 1 ¾” as shown in the first image.
  2. After the squares are cut, add double-sided tape to one side of each square (if double-sided tape is not available, take single-sided tape and fold it in a circle) as shown in the second image.
  3. The third picture shows that the circular medallion can be unscrewed from the bracket making it easy to add the non-slip pad.

Step 3: Attachment of Non-slip Rug to Bracket Clamp Pieces

  1. Take the non-slip pad with tape and attach them on to the medallion surface and top surface of the clamp as shown in the first picture.
  2. Next trim the outer edges of the non-slip pad to frame the medallion as shown in picture two.

Step 4: Results

After following these steps, you end up with a single device that can adjust to any table and hold any cane or crutch.