WHAT’S HOT: Cane sheds light on seniors

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. —Drive Medical Design and Manufacturing recently launched a walking cane designed to suit seniors who need assistance making a midnight run to the restroom and who don’t want to wake their partners by turning on the lights.

The new Glow-and-Go walking cane lightly glows in the dark—absorbing enough ambient light during the day to glow sufficiently through the night. The cane may be especially appealing to those seniors suffering from nocturia—a condition defined as being awakened during the night in order to pass urine.

Walking canes are an impulse-driven business, and a cane featuring a new point of differentiation may just drive additional impulse purchases, suggested Vic Mazzacone, Drive CEO. Sales of all medical accessories (durable medical equipment) are up 1.1% to $327.6 million across food, drug and mass (including Walmart) for the 52 weeks ended June 12, according to data provided by the Nielsen Co.