By CHERYL ROGERS

Help your aging loved one stay independent longer by recognizing their needs for a cane, walker, and other health aids. Don't expect them to ask for help -- their chagrin about decreased mobility may cloud their thinking!

You know your loved one best, but it may be advisable to buy a suitable aid and leave it around where they can use in privately at first. For example, pick a deluxe cane, one with a grabber to retrieve things and a flashlight to help them around at night. Or chose one with a jeweled handle. You may need to discuss the importance of being safe, then go shopping together to find a cane they're willing to use.

Encourage your loved one to see the positive side of things. The cane will enable them to have the support they need, freeing them from the need to grope furniture, the wall or the nearest human being!

Be ready to upgrade the cane with a pronged cane when the need for extra support arrives. When it comes time for a walker, consider one with a seat which will allow them to take a short break. Talk about how exercising with the walker will enable them to keep as active as possible to continue retrieving their mail, walk in their neighborhood, and resist the wheel chair.

Even the wheel chair can be freeing if your loved one's mobility is severely impaired. A companion chair (one you can push) is lightweight and can make an otherwise impossible outing possible. Like the walker, the companion chair is portable, folding easily to store in a trunk or van. The companion chair is especially useful when you can't leave your loved one near the door, or there are just too many steps to take.

Be sure your loved one has the support necessary to be safe in the bathroom. You may want to add guard rails in the shower or purchase a non-skid chair for showering. Feeble loved ones should not be allowed to shower by themselves. Enlist the aid of a home health care person for showering, if necessary.

Consider a bedside commode to eliminate the need for nocturnal bathroom visits, increasing safety. You may want to add rails to assist your loved one with the toilet.

Your physician is a valuable resource. Don't hesitate to ask him or her what aids are available. They also may be able to help you with Medicare reimbursement.