Power Mobility and Safety Concerns
Power mobility allows people who are in long-term care in their daily activities and leisure pursuits. However, the devices could also pose safety risks that must be addressed.
Rather than exclude residents with certain diagnoses from the power mobility option that could be considered risk management prejudicial, most participants opted to adopt a teleological approach and let all residents trial the power mobility device.
Mobility
A power mobility device allows those who are disabled to move about their home or community and participate in daily living activities that would otherwise be not accessible to them. However, these devices could also pose a risk to the person who uses them, and also to other people who are in their space. Occupational therapists must carefully examine each client's safety requirements to make the most appropriate 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 would allow for a client-centered power movement prescription. 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 significantly increase quality of life for individuals who have limited mobility, permitting them to take part in a variety of everyday living activities at home as well as in the community (Brandt, 2001; Evans, 2000). are green power mobility scooters any good in self-care, productive and leisure occupations is vital to physical and mental health of older adults, and for those with progressive diseases power mobility can be an opportunity to continue taking part in these vital activities.
Most participants found it unacceptable to take away a resident's chair, as this would cause a major change in their life or course of action, and ultimately stop them from continuing with the same activities they used to do prior to their illness progressed. This was especially true for those in the Facility 1, who had been capable of maintaining their power chairs for short durations and were forced to rely on others to push them around the facility.
Another possible solution is to limit the speed at which residents drove their chairs, however this could have raised concerns, including a lack of privacy and the impact on other residents in the community. In the end, taking away the chair of a resident was deemed the most drastic and least desirable solution to safety concerns.
Safety
Power mobility lets people move more freely. They can also participate in a wider range of activities, and run around on their own. With the increased mobility comes an increased chance of accidents. For some, these accidents could cause serious injuries to themselves or others. This is why it is vital to consider the safety of your client before recommending that they utilize power mobility.
First, determine if your client is able to safely operate their power chair or scooter. Depending on their condition and their the condition of their current health, this might require a physical examination by a doctor or occupational therapist, as well as a discussion with a mobility expert to determine whether a specific device would be appropriate for them. In some instances it is necessary to have a vehicle lift. be required 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 knowing the rules of the road. This includes sharing space with other pedestrians, wheelchair users and the drivers of cars or buses. A majority of the participants mentioned this theme.
Some people learned to drive their wheelchairs along sidewalks instead of driving in busy areas or on curbs (unless the wheelchair was specially designed to be used in this way). Others drove slower and kept an eye out for pedestrians in an area that was crowded.
The most popular and least desired option, which was to remove the wheelchair of a person, was viewed as a double whammy as it would mean losing mobility and preventing them from taking part in community and facility activities. Diane and Harriet among others were among the participants who had their chairs removed.
Participants also suggested that family members, and staff be trained on the safe use of power mobility. This could include teaching the basics of driving (such as the correct side to walk on in the hallway), encouraging the residents to practice driving skills when they leave and helping them understand how their behavior affects the mobility of other people.
Follow-Up
The ability of a child and their willingness to participate in life can be profoundly affected by a device for power mobility. However, little research has been done about the experience of children who learn to use this equipment. This study uses a pre-post design to examine the impact of six months of 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 who work with children. Thematic analysis identified three major themes. The first, 'Power in mobility,' described how the use of a powered device changed more than just a child's locomotor abilities. The process of learning to operate a powered mobility device can be an emotional and transformative one.
The second theme, 'There's not a recipe book,' showed that learning to utilize a power mobility device was an individual process that developed over time in a cyclical fashion. Therapists were tasked with unearthing the most appropriate solution for each child's needs and capabilities. 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 the need to assist families celebrate their successes and work through challenges associated with the training process.
Finally, the third theme called 'Shared space The study explored the ways in which using an electric device can influence the lives of others and how they interact. The majority of the participants in this study believed that people should be considerate when using a power device. This was particularly relevant when driving on public roads. Many participants also reported that they've had to deal with situations where someone else's property was damaged by the use of an electric mobility device, or where a person was injured by a driver who had not yielded the right-of-way.
The results of this study show that power mobility and socialization training for preschoolers with CP can be done in specific classroom environments. Future research should continue to investigate the training and outcomes for this type of intervention in young children with CP. This could lead to more standardized training protocols for children who have CP.