Power Mobility and Safety Concerns
Power mobility allows those who are in long-term care in their routine activities and leisure pursuits. The devices can also pose safety concerns, which must be addressed.
Rather than exclude residents with a specific diagnosis from the use of power mobility as it could be viewed as risk management that is prejudicial, the majority of participants chose to take an approach based on teleology and let everyone test the power mobility device.
Mobility
A power mobility device allows people with limited ability to move around their home or community and take part in daily activities that are otherwise unavailable 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 surroundings. Occupational therapists must carefully assess each client's safety needs to make the best suggestions regarding 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 goal was to create a framework that could 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 concerning safety, and (4) solutions.
Power mobility can greatly improve the quality of life for people with limited mobility by giving them the opportunity to participate in a variety of daily life activities, both at home and in the community (Brandt 2001; Evans, 2000). Participation in self-care or leisure activities, as well as productive ones is crucial to mental and physical health for older adults, and for many people with chronic illnesses power mobility can be the opportunity to keep participating in these vital activities.
The participants felt it was inconvenient to remove a resident's wheelchair, as this would disrupt their life's narrative and direction and hinder them from engaging in the same activities that they had prior to their illness advanced. This was especially true for those in the Facility 1 who were only able use their power chairs for a short period of time and now relied on others to push them.
Another possible solution is to limit the speed at which residents drove their chairs, but this raised a number of issues, such as a lack of privacy and the impact on other residents in the community. In the end, taking away the chair of a resident was thought to be the most drastic and least desired solution to security concerns.
Safety
Power mobility lets people move around more freely. They are also able to participate in a greater variety of activities and do around on their own. With the increased mobility comes an increased risk of accidents. These incidents can result in serious injuries for certain. This is why it is important to consider the safety of your client before recommending that they use power mobility.
The first step in assessing security is to determine if your client is able to safely operate their scooter or power wheelchair. green power scooter could include an assessment of physical health by a doctor or occupational therapist or a mobility specialist, depending on the nature of your client's disability as well as their current health. In some instances the use of a vehicle lift may be required to allow for your client to unload and load their mobility device at home in the community, or at work.
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. This is a topic that was mentioned by a majority of participants in the study.
For some, this meant learning to use their wheelchairs on sidewalks instead of driving through areas that were crowded or over curbs (unless specifically designed for doing such). For others this meant driving more cautiously in a noisy environment and watching out for people walking.
The final and least popular option that was to take away a person's wheelchair, was viewed as a double-punishment as it would mean losing mobility and hindering the person from participating in the activities of the community and facilities. This was the view of most participants who were able to remove their chairs among them Diane and Harriet.
Participants also suggested that family members, and staff be educated on the safe use of power mobility. This could include educating residents on the basics of driving (such as driving on the right side of the hallway) and encouraging residents to practice driving skills while out, and helping them to understand how their behavior can influence other people's mobility.
Follow-Up
The capacity and willingness of a child to be a part of the world can be profoundly affected by a device for power mobility. There is greenpower scooter into the experiences children go through when they first learn to utilize these devices. This study uses the pre-post method to investigate the effects of six months of use with one of the 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 identified three main themes. The first theme, 'Power to move', described how the use of a powered device affected more than just motor skills. Learning to drive a power mobility device was often an emotional and transformative journey for the participants.
The second theme, 'There's not a cookbook,' revealed that learning to use the power mobility device was an individualized process that unfolded over time in a cyclical manner. The therapists were asked to determine what was realistic based on each child's abilities and requirements. Throughout the training and post-training phases, therapists were expected 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', explored the ways in which using devices that power us can affect the lives of others and how they interact. greenpower scooter of the participants in this study believed one should always show consideration for other people when using their mobility device. This is especially important when driving in public spaces. A few participants also mentioned 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 in which an individual was injured due to a driver who failed to yield right-of-way.
The results of this study suggest that socialization and power mobility training for preschoolers with CP can be done in certain classroom environments. Future research should continue to explore the effects of training and results of this type of intervention for young children with CP. This could lead to more standard training protocols for children with CP.