Power Mobility and Safety Concerns
Power mobility improves participation in daily activities and recreation for those who are in long-term care. The devices can also pose security concerns that need to be addressed.
Rather than exclude residents with a specific diagnosis from the power mobility option as it could be viewed as prejudicial risk management, most participants chose to take a teleological approach and allow all residents to trial the device.
Mobility
A power mobility device provides a method for people with limited mobility to move about their community or home, and to participate in activities of daily living that they may not be able to do. These devices pose a risk not only to the individual using them, but also to other people who are in their surroundings. Occupational therapists must carefully assess the safety requirements of each client before making recommendations regarding powered mobility.
In an exploratory study (von Zweck, 1999), OTs from three residential care facilities in Vancouver Coastal Health Authority conducted qualitative interviews with residents about their power mobility use. The objective was to establish a framework that would allow for client-centred power movement prescribing. The results revealed four major themes: (1) power mobility meaning, (2) learning road rules, (3) red flags safety concerns and (4) solutions.
Power mobility can enhance the quality of life for people who have mobility limitations. This is due to the fact that it allows them to take part in everyday activities at home as well as in the community. Self-care, active and recreational jobs are essential for the physical and mental well-being of older adults. For those suffering from advanced illnesses, power mobility allows them to take part in these vital activities.
Most participants found it unacceptable to take away the resident's chair since it would result in a significant interruption to their life or trajectory and essentially prevent them from continuing to engage in the same activities they used to do prior to their illness progressed. This was especially relevant to those in the Facility 1, who had been in a position to use their chairs for short durations and were dependent on others to push them around the facility.
Another potential solution was reducing the speed at which some residents drove their chairs, however this led to a variety of concerns, including privacy issues and impact on other people in the community. The most drastic solution to security concerns was to take away the wheelchair of a resident.
Safety
Power mobility allows those with disabilities to move more freely and participate in a greater variety of activities, and even do around. However, with increased mobility comes a greater risk for accidents. For green power mobility scooter reviews , these accidents can cause serious injuries to themselves and others. This is why it is crucial to consider the safety of your client before suggesting they utilize power mobility.
First check whether your client can safely operate their power chair or scooter. Based on the severity of their condition and their the condition of their current health, this might require a physical examination by an occupational or physician therapist, and an interview with a mobility specialist to determine if a particular device would be appropriate for them. In some instances your client may require a lift for their vehicle to be capable of loading and unloading the device at their home, community or workplace.
Another aspect of safety is to learn the rules of the road. This includes sharing space, with other wheelchair users, pedestrians and the drivers of cars or buses. This topic was mentioned by the majority of participants in the study.
Some people learnt to drive their wheelchairs on sidewalks instead of driving in busy areas or on curbs (unless the wheelchair was made for this purpose). For others this meant driving more cautiously in a noisy environment and keeping an eye out for people walking.
The final and least preferred option was taking away a person's chair, which was seen as two-fold punishment: losing independent mobility and preventing access to facilities and community activities. This was the opinion of the majority of those who were able to remove their chairs, including Diane and Harriet.
Other suggestions made by the participants included educating other residents staff, family members and other residents about the safety of power mobility. This could include teaching driving basics (such as the correct side to walk on in a hallway) as well as encouraging residents to practice driving skills when they go outside and assisting them to understand how their behavior affects the mobility of others.
Follow-Up
The capacity and willingness of a child to take part in the world can be profoundly affected by a device that can power them. There has been little research into the experiences children have when learning to use these devices. This study employs an approach that is post-previous to study the effects of 6 months of experience with one of four early mobility devices on a group of school-aged children of children suffering from severe cerebral palsy (CP).
We conducted interviews in qualitative format with 15 parents and also pediatric occupational and physical therapists. Thematic analysis identified three major themes. The first, 'Power in mobility,' described the ways in which powered devices changed more than just a child's motor skills. Learning to drive a mobility device can be an emotional, transformative experience for those who participated.
The second theme, 'There's not a recipe book,' showed that the process of learning to use a power mobility device was a bespoke process that evolved over time in a cyclical manner. Therapists were charged with determining the most appropriate solution for each child's needs and capabilities. In the post-training and training phases, therapists were required to be patient with children and parents. Many parents and therapists mentioned the need to assist families celebrate their successes and solve issues that arise during the process of training.
The third theme, "Shared space", explored how the use a power device can impact the lives of others. The majority of the participants in this study felt that people must be mindful of others when using their power mobility device. This is particularly true when driving in public areas. Several participants also noted that they had encountered situations where someone else's property was damaged through the use of a power mobility device, or in which an individual was injured by a driver who not yielded the right-of-way.
The results of this study show that socialization and power mobility training for preschoolers with CP can be conducted in certain classroom settings. Future research should continue to investigate the training and outcomes for this type of intervention for children with CP. This could lead to more standardized training protocols for children with CP.