Power Mobility and Safety Concerns
Power mobility can enhance participation in daily activities as well as recreational pursuits for individuals in long-term care. However, the devices can also cause safety issues which need to be addressed.
The majority of participants opt to adopt a teleological view and provide all residents with the chance to try the device, instead of restrict residents with certain diagnosis that could be viewed as a prejudicial risk management.
Mobility
A power mobility device provides a way for people who are unable to move around their home or community, and participate in activities of daily living that they may not be able to perform. However, these devices could also pose a risk to the person using them as well as other individuals who share their space or space. Occupational therapists must carefully assess 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 regarding their use of power mobility. The aim was to create a framework for client-centred power mobility prescribing. The findings revealed four main themes: (1) power mobility meaning, (2) learning road rules, (3) red flags safety concerns, and (4) solutions.
Power mobility can enhance the quality of life for individuals with limited mobility. This is because it allows them to take part in daily activities at home and in the community. Self-care, productive and leisure jobs are essential for the mental and physical health of people who are older. For those suffering from chronic illnesses, power mobility can be a means to participate in these important activities.
Many participants considered it not acceptable to remove a resident's chair, as this could cause a huge change in their life or path and prevent them from pursuing the same activities that they had been doing before their illness progressed. This was especially the case for those in the Facility 1 who were in a position to use their chairs for short periods of time 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 led to a variety of concerns, including privacy concerns and impact on other people in the community. The most drastic solution to security concerns was to take away the wheelchair from a resident's.
Safety
Power mobility allows disabled people to get around more freely and participate in a greater range of activities and complete errands. However, with increased mobility comes a greater chance of accidents. These accidents could result in serious injuries for a few. mymobilityscooters.uk is important to think about the safety of your clients prior to suggesting the use of power mobility.
The first step in assessing security is to determine if your client is able to safely operate their scooter or power wheelchair. Based on their impairment and the condition of their current health, this might require a physical examination by a physician or occupational therapist, as well as a discussion with a mobility specialist to determine whether a specific device would be appropriate for them. In some cases, your client will need a lift for their vehicle 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 pedestrians, wheelchair users, and drivers of cars, trucks or buses. This is a topic that was mentioned by the majority of participants in the study.
For some, this meant learning to drive their wheelchairs on sidewalks, instead of driving through areas that were crowded or over curbs (unless specifically designed to do so). For others it meant driving slowly in a busy environment and keeping an eye out for pedestrians.
The final and least popular option that was to take away a person's wheelchair, was seen as a double whammy as it would mean losing mobility, and also preventing them from taking part in activities with the community or at facilities. This was the viewpoint of most participants who had their chairs removed, including Diane and Harriet.
Other solutions that were suggested by participants included educating residents, family members and staff on the proper operation of power mobility. This could include teaching driving basics (such as which side to walk on in a hallway), encouraging the residents to practice driving while outside and helping them recognize how their behavior affects the mobility of others.
Follow-Up
A power mobility device can have a profound impact on the child's ability to function and be a part of life. There isn't much research into the experiences children have when learning to utilize these devices. This study uses an approach that is post-previous to study the effects of 6 months of experience with one of four early mobility devices on a group of school-aged children of children who suffer from severe cerebral palsy (CP).
We conducted qualitative interviews with 15 parents as well as pediatric occupational and physical therapists. Thematic analysis identified three main themes. The first, 'Power and mobility,' explained the ways in which powered devices changed more than just locomotor abilities. The process of learning to drive a motorized mobility device is usually an emotional and transformative one.
The second theme, 'There isn't a cookbook,' revealed that the process of learning to utilize the power mobility device was an individual process that evolved over time in a cyclical manner. Therapists were asked to determine what was feasible based on each child's abilities and requirements. Through the training and post-training phases, therapists were required to have patience with parents and children. Therapists and parents alike spoke of the need to assist families celebrate their successes and address issues related to the process of training.
The third theme"Shared space', explored the ways in which using an electric device can affect other people's lives and interactions. The majority of the participants in this study believed that people should always be mindful when using a power device. This was particularly true when driving on roads that are public. Participants also mentioned that they've seen instances where someone else's property was damaged due to the use of a power mobility device or a person had been injured by a driver who didn't yield the right of way.
Overall, the results of this study suggest that short-term power mobility and socialization training is feasible for preschoolers with CP in certain classroom settings. Future research should continue to investigate the effectiveness of training and outcomes of this type of intervention for young children with CP. This could lead to the development of more standardized training protocols for this population.