Power Mobility and Safety Concerns
Power mobility improves participation in daily activities and recreational pursuits for individuals in long term care. The devices can also create security concerns that need to be addressed.
Rather than exclude residents with a specific diagnosis from the use of power mobility, which may be considered risk management prejudicial, most participants chose to take the teleological approach and allow all residents to try out the device.
Mobility
A green power mobility scooters uk mobility device allows people who are disabled to move around their community or home and participate in daily living activities that might otherwise be not accessible to them. These devices could pose a risk not only for the person who uses them, but also to other people who are in their environment. Occupational therapists must be aware of 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 regarding their use of power mobility. The objective was to establish a framework that would allow the use of power mobility that is centered on the needs of the client. The results revealed four major themes: (1) power mobility meaning, (2) learning road rules, (3) red flags security concerns, and (4) solutions.
Power mobility can greatly improve the quality of life for those with limited mobility by permitting them to take part in a variety 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 crucial to mental and physical health for older adults and for a lot of people who are suffering from progressive illnesses, power mobility offers an opportunity to continue taking part in these vital activities.
The majority of participants felt it was unacceptable to take away the chair of a resident, since it would result in a significant interruption to their life or trajectory and essentially prevent them from continuing with the same activities that they used to do prior to the progression of their illness. This was particularly true for those in the facility 1 who were capable of maintaining their chairs for short durations and were forced to rely on others to help them move around the facility.
Another potential solution was reducing the speed at which residents drove their chairs, however this could have raised issues such as privacy issues and impact on other people in the community. In the end, taking away the chair of a resident was deemed the most drastic and least preferred solution to security concerns.
Safety
Power mobility lets people move around more freely. They can also take part in a greater variety of activities and do errands. With the increased mobility comes an increased chance of accidents. For some, these incidents could result in serious injuries to themselves and others. This is why it is crucial to think about the safety of your client prior to suggesting they use power mobility.
The first step in assessing safety is to determine whether your client can safely operate their scooter or power wheelchair. This could include a physical assessment by a doctor or occupational therapist, or a mobility specialist, based on the nature of your client's disability as well as their current health. In some cases your client will require a vehicle lift to be able to load and unload the mobility device at their home, community or workplace.
Another aspect of safety is learning the rules of the road. This includes sharing space, with other wheelchair users, pedestrians, and drivers of cars or buses. A majority of the participants discussed this topic.
Some people learnt to drive their wheelchairs along sidewalks instead of driving through busy areas or on curbs (unless the wheelchair was specially designed for this). Others drove more slowly and looked out for pedestrians in an area that was crowded.
The last and least preferred option, which was to remove the wheelchair of a person, was viewed as a double whammy as it would mean losing mobility, and also preventing them from taking part in the activities of the community and facilities. Diane and Harriet, among others, were among those who had their chairs taken away.
Other ideas suggested by participants included educating other residents staff, family members and other residents on the proper operation of power mobility. This could include teaching basic driving skills (such as which side to walk on in a hallway) as well as encouraging residents to practice driving skills when they leave and helping them understand how their behavior affects other people's mobility.
Follow-Up
The ability of a child and their willingness to take part in the world can be greatly affected by a device that can power them. However, little research has been done on the experience of children who learn to use this equipment. This study employs the pre-post method to investigate the impact of six months of experience using one of four early power mobility devices on the children in school with severe cerebral palsy (CP).
Qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 parents as well as pediatric occupational and physical therapists. Thematic analysis revealed three major themes. The first, 'green power and mobility,' described how the use of a powered device changed more than just the locomotor abilities. The experience of learning how to drive a motorized mobility device can be an emotional and transformative experience.
The second theme, 'There's not a recipe book,' showed that the process of learning how to use the green power mobility reviews mobility device was an individual process that developed over time in a cycle. Therapists were required to discover what was realistic for each child's needs and abilities. In the initial phase of training and after, therapists had to be patient with children as well as parents. A number of parents and therapists emphasized a need to help families celebrate successes and problem-solve problems that arise from the process of training.
The third theme, "Shared space", examined how the use of an greenpower electric scooters device can affect other people's interactions and lives. The majority of the participants in this study believed people must be mindful of others when using their power mobility device. This is particularly true when driving in public spaces. Many participants also reported that they've had to deal with situations where someone else's property was damaged due to the use of the power mobility device or when a person was injured by a driver who had not yielded the right-of-way.
Overall, the results of this study suggest that short-term socialization and power mobility training is feasible for preschoolers with CP in certain classroom environments. The next research study should investigate the training and outcomes for this type of intervention in young children with CP. This will hopefully result in the development of more standard training protocols for this group.