Power Mobility and Safety Concerns
Power mobility enhances participation in daily activities as well as activities for people in long-term care. The devices can also pose security concerns that need to be addressed.
The majority of participants opt to adopt a teleological perspective and give all residents the chance to test devices, not to restrict residents with certain diagnoses which could be considered a risk management decision that is prejudicial.
Mobility
A power mobility device allows people who are disabled to move around their homes or communities and participate in daily living activities that are otherwise not accessible to them. However, these devices could also be a danger to the person using them, and other people who are in their space. Occupational therapists should carefully consider the safety needs of each client prior to 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 goal was to create a framework that could allow for a client-centered power movement prescription. The results revealed four major themes: (1) the meaning of power mobility, (2) learning the rules of the road, (3) red flags concern about safety and (4) solutions.
Power mobility can dramatically improve the quality of life for those who have limited mobility, permitting them to take part in a variety of everyday living activities, both at home and in the community (Brandt, 2001; Evans, 2000). Participation in self-care as well as leisure and productive occupations is essential to physical and mental health of older adults, and for many people with progressive diseases, power mobility offers the opportunity to keep participating in these important 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 path and prevent them from continuing to engage in the same activities that they had been doing before the progression of their illness. This was especially true for those in Facility 1, who had been able to maintain their power chairs for short durations and were dependent on others to move them around the facility.
Another potential solution was reducing the speed at which residents drove their chairs, but this could have raised issues such as a lack of privacy and impact on other people in the community. green scooters to security concerns was to take away a resident's wheelchair.
Safety
Power mobility allows people with disabilities to move more freely, participate in a wider variety of activities, and even complete around. With the increased mobility comes an increased chance of accidents. These accidents could result in serious injuries for a few. This is why it is crucial to think about the safety of your client before recommending that they utilize power mobility.
First consider determining if your client can safely operate their scooter or power chair. This may include a physical assessment by a physician or occupational therapist or a mobility specialist, based on the nature of your client's disability and their current health. In some cases the use of a vehicle lift may be necessary to allow for your client to load and unload their mobility device at home in the community, or at work.
Another aspect of safety is to learn the rules of the road. This includes sharing space, with other pedestrians, wheelchair users and drivers of buses or cars. This topic was mentioned by the majority of participants in the study.
Some people learned to drive their wheelchairs along sidewalks instead of driving through busy areas or on curbs (unless the wheelchair was specially designed for this purpose). For others, it meant driving more slowly in a busy environment and keeping an eye out for people walking.
The final and least popular option of removing the wheelchair of a person, was viewed as a double punishment as it would mean losing mobility and preventing the person from participating in the activities of the community and facilities. This was the viewpoint of the majority of those who were able to remove their chairs among them Diane and Harriet.
The participants also suggested that residents, family members, and staff members be informed about the proper use of power mobility. This could include teaching the fundamentals of driving (such as using the right side of a hallway) and encouraging residents to practice driving skills when they leave and helping them to understand how their actions can affect the mobility of others.
Follow-Up
The capacity and willingness of a child to be a part of the world can be greatly affected by a device for power mobility. There is little research on the experiences children go through when they first learn to make use of these devices. This study uses the post-previous method to analyze the effects of 6 months of use with one of four early mobility devices on a school-aged group of children who suffer from severe cerebral Palsy (CP).
We conducted interviews in qualitative format with 15 parents, as well as occupational and physical therapists who work with children. Thematic analysis revealed three main themes. The first theme, 'Power for mobility explained the ways that using a powered device affected more than just the child's locomotor abilities. The experience of learning how to operate a powered mobility device is usually an emotional and transformative experience.
The second theme 'There's no recipe book' revealed that learning how to make use of an equipment for mobility was a process that unfolded in a cyclical manner over time. Therapists were required to determine what was feasible based on each child's abilities and needs. In the post-training and training phases, therapists were also required to be patient with parents and children. A number of parents and therapists emphasized a need to help families celebrate their successes and solve challenges associated with the process of training.
Finally, the third theme called 'Shared space The study explored how the use of devices that power us can influence other people's lives and interactions. The majority of the participants in this study believed that it is important to be mindful when using a device that is powered by electricity. This is especially important when driving in public areas. Many participants also reported that they've had to deal with situations where someone else's property was damaged through the use of an electric mobility device, or when a person was injured by a driver who failed to yield right-of-way.
The results of this study show that power mobility and socialization training for preschoolers with CP can be carried out in a variety of classroom settings. The next research study should investigate the training and outcomes for this kind of intervention in children with CP. This should hopefully lead to the development of more standard training protocols specifically for this group of children.