Power Mobility and Safety Concerns
Power mobility allows people who are in long-term care in their routine activities and leisure activities. The devices can also create safety risks, which need to be addressed.
Instead of excluding residents with certain diagnoses from the power mobility option as it could be viewed as prejudicial risk management, most participants preferred to take an approach based on teleology and let all residents test the power mobility device.
Mobility
A power mobility device allows those who are disabled to move about their homes or communities and take part in daily activities that would otherwise be not accessible to them. These devices can be a danger not just for the person who uses them but also to others who share their space or environment. Therapists in occupational therapy must examine each client's safety requirements to make the best recommendations for powered mobility.
In an exploratory study carried out by OTs at three residential care facilities of the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, qualitative interviews were conducted with residents to evaluate the extent to which they used power mobility. The goal was to create a framework that would allow the use of power mobility that is centered on the needs of the client. The findings revealed four main themes: (1) the meaning of power mobility, (2) learning the rules of the road, (3) red flags: concerns 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 range of daily living activities, at home as well as in the community (Brandt, 2001; Evans, 2000). Self-care, productive and leisure jobs are essential for the mental and physical health of older adults. For many who suffer from advanced illnesses, power mobility allows them to take part in these essential activities.
green mobility scooter found it unacceptable to remove a wheelchair from a resident's home, as this would disrupt their life's narrative and direction and hinder them from doing the same things they did before their disease worsened. This was especially applicable to those in Facility 1 who had only been able use their power chairs for a brief period and were now reliant on others to push them.
Another option is to slow down the speed at which some residents drive their chairs. However this could cause several issues, including privacy and the impact on the rest of the community. Ultimately, removing the chair of a resident was thought to be the most drastic and least desirable solution to security concerns.
Safety
Power mobility allows people with disabilities to move around more easily and participate in a greater variety of activities, and even run around. However, with increased green mobility scooter comes a higher risk of accidents. These incidents can result in serious injuries for some. This is why it is vital to consider the safety of your client prior to recommending that they utilize power mobility.
The first step in assessing security is to determine if your client can safely operate their scooter or power wheelchair. Depending on the nature of their disability and the condition of their current health, this might involve a physical assessment by a doctor or occupational therapist, as well as an interview with a mobility specialist to determine if a specific device is appropriate for them. In certain situations the use of a vehicle lift may be required to make it possible for your client to unload and load their mobility device at home or in the community at work.
green mobility scooter of safety is knowing the rules of the road. This involves sharing space with other pedestrians, other wheelchair users, and drivers of cars, trucks or buses. A majority of the participants discussed this topic.
For some this, it required learning to use their wheelchairs on sidewalks, instead of driving through busy areas or over curbs (unless specifically designed for doing so). Others drove more slowly and looked out for pedestrians in a crowd.
The last and least preferred option of removing the wheelchair of a person was seen as a double-punishment that would result in the loss of mobility and preventing the person from participating in the activities of the community and facilities. This was the viewpoint of the majority of participants who were able to remove their chairs and included Diane and Harriet.
Other solutions that were suggested by participants included educating residents as well as family members and staff on the proper operation of power mobility. This could involve teaching the basics of driving (such as using the correct side of a hallway), encouraging residents to practice driving skills when they leave and assisting them in understanding how their behavior affects other people's mobility.
Follow-Up
A power mobility device can have a profound impact on the child's ability to function and be a part of life. However, very there isn't much research on the experiences of children who learn to use this equipment. This study employs a pre-post design to examine the impact of six months' experience with one of 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 occupational and physical therapists for children. Thematic analysis revealed three main themes. The first, 'Power and mobility,' explained the ways in which a powered device changed more than just a child's motor skills. Learning to drive a mobility device was often a transformative, emotionally charged experience for those who participated.
The second theme , 'There's no recipe book' revealed that learning to utilize a mobility device was a process that took place in a way that was cyclical over time. Therapists were asked to determine what was feasible based on each child's abilities and requirements. Throughout the training and post-training phases, therapists were also expected to be patient with children and parents. A number of parents and therapists emphasized a need to help families celebrate their successes and work through issues that arise during the process of training.
The third theme, 'Shared space', explored how the use of an electric device can affect the lives of others and how they interact. The majority of those who participated in this study believed that one must always be considerate of other people when using their mobility device. This was particularly relevant when driving on public roads. A few participants also mentioned that they had encountered instances where another's property was damaged due to the use of an electric mobility device, or in which an individual 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 conducted in specific classroom environments. Future research should continue to investigate the effectiveness of training and outcomes of this kind of intervention for young children with CP. This could lead to the development of more standard training protocols for this group.