Power Mobility and Safety Concerns
Power mobility allows people who are in long-term care in their routine activities and leisure activities. However, these devices can also pose safety risks that need to be addressed.
Instead of excluding residents with a specific diagnosis from the use of power mobility that could be considered risk management that is prejudicial, the majority of participants opted to adopt the teleological approach and let all residents try out the power mobility device.
Mobility
A power mobility device enables people who are unable to move about their community or home and engage in daily activities that might otherwise be unavailable to them. These devices could pose a risk not only for the person who uses them but also to others who share their space or environment. Therapists in occupational therapy must assess each client's safety needs to make the most appropriate recommendations for 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 regarding their use of power mobility. The objective was to develop a framework for client-centred power mobility prescribing. 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 greatly improve the quality of life for those who are mobility-challenged by giving them the opportunity to participate in a variety of everyday living activities at home as well as in the community (Brandt 2001; Evans, 2000). Participation in self-care as well as leisure and productive occupations is crucial to physical and mental health of older adults, and for many people with progressive diseases power mobility is a way to continue participating in these important activities.
Participants found it unacceptable to remove a wheelchair from a resident's home because it would alter their life's story and progression, and prevent them from performing the same things they were doing before their condition progressed. This was especially true for those in the Facility 1 who were capable of maintaining their power chairs for short durations and were dependent on others to push them around the facility.
Another solution would be to limit the speed at which some residents drive their chairs. However, this could raise various issues like privacy and the impact on the rest of the community. The most drastic solution to safety concerns was to remove the wheelchair from a resident's.
Safety
Power mobility allows people to move around more freely. They are also able to participate in a wider range of activities and run errands. However, with increased freedom of movement comes a greater risk for accidents. These accidents can cause serious injuries for certain. This is why it is important to consider the security of your client before suggesting they utilize power mobility.
The first step in determining security is to determine if your client is safe to operate their power wheelchair or scooter. This could involve an assessment of physical health by a doctor or occupational therapist, or a mobility specialist, depending on the nature of your client's disability and their current health. In certain situations your client will require an automobile lift to be able to load and unload the mobility device at their home, workplace or community.
Learning the rules of road safety is an additional aspect of safety. This includes sharing space with other wheelchair users, pedestrians and the bus drivers. This was a theme that was mentioned by the majority of participants in the study.
Some people learned to drive their wheelchairs along sidewalks instead of driving through crowded areas or on curbs (unless the wheelchair was made for this purpose). Others drove slower and paid attention to pedestrians in an area that was crowded.
The final and least preferred option was taking away the chair of a person. This was viewed as a two-fold penalty loss of mobility independent and preventing access to facilities and community activities. This was the viewpoint of the majority of participants who were able to remove their chairs and included Diane and Harriet.
green power scooters suggested that family members, and staff members be informed about the proper use of power mobility. This could include teaching the basics of driving (such as using the right side of the hallway), encouraging residents to practice driving techniques when they leave and helping them understand how their behavior can influence other people's mobility.
Follow-Up
The ability of a child and their willingness to take part in the world can be profoundly affected by a power mobility device. Yet little research has been done on the experiences of children who learn to use this device. This study employs a pre-post design to examine the impact of 6 months' experience with one of the four early power mobility devices on the children in school with 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 theme, 'Power for Mobility The theme described the ways that using a powered device affected more than just the child's locomotor abilities. The experience of learning to drive a powered mobility device is usually an emotional and transformative one.
green scooter , 'There's not a recipe book,' showed that the process of learning how to use a power mobility device was an individual process that unfolded over time in a cyclical fashion. Therapists were required to determine what was realistic in light of the child's capabilities and requirements. Throughout the training and post-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 problems that arise from the training process.
The third theme called 'Shared space was a look at how the use of a power device could influence the lives of other people and their interactions. The majority of participants in this study believed that it is important to be considerate when using a power mobility device. This was particularly true when driving on public roads. Several participants also noted that they've encountered situations in which someone else's property was damaged due to the use of an electric mobility device, or in which an individual was injured by a driver who not yielded the right-of-way.
greenpower scooter , the results of this study suggest that short-term power mobility and socialization training appears feasible for preschoolers with CP in certain classroom settings. Future research should be focused on the effects of training and results of this kind of intervention with young children with CP. This could eventually lead to more standard training protocols for children who have CP.