Name labels for walkers and canes: how to label them
To label a walker, the easiest way is to use a self-adhesive name label with your first and last name on a smooth, clean part of the frame, preferably at the front where it is visible when the walkers are lined up. Label the cane on the shaft just below the handle. If the walker is borrowed from the region, put your label next to the region's marking, never over it.
Here we explain where the label stays on, what it should say, what applies to a borrowed walker, and when a name label is not the right solution.
That is why the walker needs a name
Walkers often look alike. Same model, same color, same basket. In Sweden, around 335,000 people had a walker in 2021, according to the Swedish National Museum of Science and Technology, and in a care home, dining room, or waiting room, they are often lined up side by side. The person who gets up first takes the one that is closest.
The mix-up is not always noticed immediately. The handles may be set to a different height, and whatever was in the basket or bag goes home with the wrong person. Many people also have two walkers, one for indoors and one for outdoors, and in that case it helps if both have the same name.
Labeling a walker: where the label stays on
A self-adhesive name label sticks to plastic and metal, and a walker frame is usually made of exactly those materials. What determines how long the label stays on is where you put it.
- Good: the smooth part of the frame at the front or side, above the wheels. That is where the name is visible, and neither hands nor shoes touch it.
- Good: the underside or edge of the seat, if it is made of smooth plastic.
- Good: the bag or basket, if it has a care label. Put the label on the care label, not on the fabric.
- Avoid: the handle grips. Rubber and foam are soft and get worn down by hands every day.
- Avoid: brakes, brake cables, and folding joints. The label may rub off, and it should never get in the way of anything that needs to move.
- Avoid: wire baskets and fabric without a care label. The adhesive has too little to stick to.
How to attach the label
- Wipe the surface. The frame of a walker collects grease from hands and dirt from the street. Wipe it clean and let it dry completely.
- Peel off the name label. Touch the adhesive side as little as possible.
- Press firmly for about 10 seconds. Press extra hard on the corners, as that is where a label starts to come loose.
- Let the adhesive cure. The adhesive needs about one day. Wait until then before wiping or washing the walker.
Mark the cane too
Canes end up in the same places as walkers: leaning against a wall, left behind by a chair. A cane has a narrow shaft, so choose a smaller label and put it lengthwise just below the handle. It will be visible when the cane is leaning, while the hand grips above it. The label adheres well to a metal or plastic cane. If the cane is made of wood, we cannot guarantee that it will stay in place, since wood is not one of the materials the labels are designed for.
Your own or a borrowed walker?
You are in control of a walker you bought yourself. Mark it as clearly as you like, in several places if it is often left among others.
A walker prescribed for you is usually loaned to you. This also applies when you have paid a fee. Region Örebro County states in its information sheet for people borrowing a walker that the walker is owned by the Centre for Assistive Devices and that you may not damage the device yourself. The regions also mark their assistive devices: Region Dalarna describes how each assistive device is marked with a unique ID, an individual number, so they know who it was prescribed to.
Walker borrowed from the region: what to do
- Leave the region’s markings in place. Never cover a label, number, or barcode. Put your name label somewhere else on the frame.
- Mark what belongs to you. The bag, the basket you bought for it, and the cane are your own. You can put your name on them without worrying.
- Ask if you are unsure. The person who fitted your walker, your prescriber, can tell you what applies in your region.
- Remove your label before returning it. The walker should be cleaned and returned when you no longer need it, and the next person should not have your name on it.
What should be on the label?
Write the first and last name. A first name alone is not enough where many people have the same name, and at a care facility there may be two people with the same first name in the same unit. Consider adding a phone number on the second line, so whoever finds a misplaced walker or walking stick can call directly. Choose a simple design with dark text on a light background, so the name is easy to read even for someone with impaired vision.
All labels in a set have the same text. If you want both a name and phone number on the walker but only a name on the clothes, you need two sets.
Which size fits where?
| What you label | Best suited for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Walker's frame, bag, and basket | Large name labels (30 labels, SEK 139) | Larger text that is visible from a distance when the walkers are lined up |
| Walking stick, glasses case, clothes | Name labels (124 labels, from SEK 139) | Fits on a narrow shaft and on the care label |
| Very narrow surfaces, small cases | Small name labels (SEK 129) | Where a standard label sticks out over the edge |
Walkers at the facility
When someone moves to a nursing home or assisted living facility, the walker is rarely the only thing that needs a name label. Clothes go into communal laundry, and glasses cases, walking sticks, and slippers can easily end up with the wrong person. Label everything at once before the move, using the same clear name everywhere. The page about name labels for nursing homes has a list of items that usually need labels.
You put labels on the care label, not on the fabric. Read more about where to put the name label on clothes. The labels can withstand washing at up to 60°C and tumble drying.
When the label does not stay on, and what to do then
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The label is coming loose at the corners | The surface was greasy or dirty, or the corners were not pressed down firmly | Wipe a new surface thoroughly and press the corners for about 10 seconds |
| The label wears away | It is located where hands, shoes, or bags rub against it | Move it to the smooth part of the frame at the front or on the side |
| The label comes off immediately | Soft rubber, foam, or silicone | Choose a hard plastic or metal part instead |
| The label comes off after wiping | The walker was wiped down before the adhesive had time to cure | Apply a new label and wait about 24 hours before wiping it down |
| The label does not stick to the bag | The fabric has no care label | Place the label on the plastic parts of the bag or mark it with an iron-on label |
Rule of thumb: smooth plastic or metal, a clean and dry surface, not where hands grip. If something at the care facility is washed in an industrial machine at 90 to 95°C, as is the case for some work clothes and care facilities, a self-adhesive label will not hold. An iron-on name label is better there. The same applies to garments without a care label.
Frequently asked questions
How high should a walker be, and how do you adjust it?
If the walker was prescribed for you, it should be adjusted to fit you. If you want to change the settings, contact the person who fitted it. If you bought the walker yourself, follow the manufacturer's instructions for use. We sell name labels, not walkers, so we do not provide our own measurements.
Can I put a name label on a borrowed walker?
The walker is owned by the region or municipality, and you must not damage it. Therefore, never place your label over the region's label or number; label the bag and basket instead, and ask the person who prescribed your walker if you are unsure. Remove your label before returning the walker.
Can you travel for free with a walker?
There is no nationwide rule. Public transportation is regulated regionally, and each transit company sets its own ticket rules. Check with the transit company where you live.
Is the walker a Swedish invention?
Yes. According to the Swedish National Museum of Science and Technology, Aina Wifalk created the walker. The first model was called Kombi and was developed in 1980 together with an engineer at the county council's workshops in Västerås. She never patented it.
Can the name label withstand the walker being wiped down?
Yes, once the adhesive has had about 24 hours to cure. The labels are dishwasher-safe and can withstand washing machines up to 60°C, so they can handle normal wiping.