Power Mobility and Safety Concerns
Power mobility improves participation in daily activities and activities for people in long term care. The devices can also pose safety risks, which need to be addressed.
The majority of participants opt to take a teleological approach and provide all residents with the opportunity to test devices, not to exclude those with specific diagnosis that could be viewed as an unfair risk management.
Mobility
A power mobility device is an option for those who are unable to move around in their home or community and participate in daily activities that they might not otherwise be able to perform. However, these devices may also pose a risk to the person using them, and also to other people who are in their space. Occupational therapists should carefully consider the safety needs of each client before making recommendations on powered mobility.
In an exploratory study (von Zweck, 1999), OTs from three residential care facilities within the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority conducted qualitative interviews with residents about their power mobility use. The goal was to develop an approach to client-centered power mobility 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 greatly improve the quality of life for people who have limited mobility, allowing them to participate in a range of daily living activities, at home as well as in the community (Brandt 2001; Evans, 2000). Participation in self-care, productive and leisure occupations is essential to physical and mental health for older adults and for those with progressive diseases power mobility is an opportunity to continue taking part in these important activities.
The majority of participants felt it was not acceptable to remove a resident's chair, as this would cause a major interruption to their life or course of action, and ultimately stop them from continuing to engage in the same activities they used to do prior to the progression of their illness. This was especially relevant for those in the Facility 1 who were only allowed to use their power chairs for a short period of time and were now dependent on others to push them.
Another solution would be to slow down the speed at which some residents drive their chairs. However it could create a number issues such as privacy and the impact on the rest of the community. Ultimately, removing the chair of a resident was deemed the most drastic and least preferred solution to security concerns.
Safety
Power mobility allows people with disabilities to move around more easily, participate in a wider variety of activities, and even run the errands. However, with increased mobility comes a greater chance of accidents. These incidents can result in serious injuries for certain. This is why it is crucial to think about the safety of your client prior to suggesting they use power mobility.
First check whether your client is able to safely operate their scooter or power chair. This could involve an assessment of physical health by a physician, occupational therapist or mobility specialist, based on the nature of your client's impairment and their current health. In certain situations, your client will need a lift for their vehicle to be capable of loading and unloading the mobility device at home, workplace or community.
Another aspect of safety is knowing the rules of the road. This includes sharing space with other pedestrians, wheelchair users and drivers of cars, trucks or buses. This was a theme that was mentioned by the majority of participants in the study.
Some people learnt to drive their wheelchairs on sidewalks instead of driving through the midst of crowds or on curbs (unless the wheelchair was designed for this). Others drove more cautiously and paid attention to pedestrians in a crowded environment.
The last and least preferred option of removing the wheelchair of a person, was seen as a double punishment as it would mean losing mobility, and also preventing them from taking part in community and facility activities. discover here and Harriet, among others, were among the participants who had their chairs removed.
Other ideas suggested by the participants included educating other residents, family members and staff on the safe operation of power mobility. This could include teaching driving basics (such as which side to walk on in a hallway) and encouraging residents to practice driving when they leave, and helping them be aware of how their actions affect other people's mobility.
Follow-Up
A power mobility device can profoundly affect the child's ability to function and take part in life. However, very little research has been done about the experience of children who learn to use this device. discover here employs the pre-post method to investigate the effects of six months' experience using one of four early power mobility devices on children in the school age group with severe cerebral palsy (CP).
We conducted qualitative interviews with 15 parents, as well as pediatric occupational and physical therapists. Thematic analysis revealed three major themes. The first theme, 'Power to move The theme described the ways that using the power of a device affected more than just motor skills. Learning to drive a power mobility device was often an emotional, transformative journey for the participants.
The second theme 'There's no recipe book' revealed that the process of learning to utilize an equipment for mobility was a process that took place in a way that was cyclical over time. Therapists were required to determine what was realistic depending on the individual's capabilities and needs. During the training phase and afterwards, therapists needed to be patient with children and parents. Several parents and therapists described the need to assist families celebrate their successes and solve issues that arise during the process of training.
Finally, green mobility Shared space was a look at the ways in which using a power device could have an impact on the lives of others and how they interact. The majority of participants in this study felt that one must always be considerate of others when using their power mobility device. This is particularly true when driving in public spaces. Several participants also noted that they've encountered situations in which someone else's property was damaged by the use of the power mobility device or where a person was injured by a driver who had failed to yield right-of-way.
The results of this study show that socialization and power mobility training for preschoolers with CP can be carried out in a variety of classroom environments. Future research should be focused on the effects of training and results of this kind of intervention for young children with CP. This could eventually lead to more standardized training protocols for children suffering from CP.