It's The One Power Mobility Trick Every Person Should Be Aware Of

Power Mobility and Safety Concerns

Power mobility allows individuals who are in long-term care in their everyday activities and leisure activities. However, the devices could also create safety concerns that must be addressed.

The majority of participants opt to adopt a teleological view and give all residents the chance to try devices, not to exclude those with specific diagnosis, which could be considered a risk management decision that is prejudicial.

Mobility

A power mobility device provides a way for people with limited mobility to move around in their home or community, and also to take part in everyday activities that they may not be able to participate in. These devices could cause danger not only to the person using them, but also to other people who share their space or environment. Occupational therapists must carefully assess the safety requirements of each client prior to making recommendations about powered mobility.

In green mobility that was conducted by OTs in three residential care facilities of the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, qualitative interviews were conducted with residents to evaluate their power mobility use. The objective was to develop a framework for client-centered power mobility prescribing. The results revealed four major 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 improve the quality of life for people who have limited mobility. This is due to the fact that it lets them participate in everyday activities at home and within the community. Self-care, active and recreational activities are essential to the physical and mental well-being of older adults. For many who suffer from advanced illnesses, power mobility can be a means to participate in these vital activities.

The participants felt it was inconvenient to remove a wheelchair from a resident's home because it would alter their life's story and progression 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 had been capable of maintaining their power 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 some residents drove their chairs, however this could have raised issues such as privacy issues and impact on other people in the community. The most drastic solution to safety concerns was to remove the wheelchair of a resident.

Safety

Power mobility allows those with disabilities to get around more freely and take part in a wider variety of activities, and even do around. With greater mobility comes a higher chance of accidents. These accidents can cause serious injuries for a few. It is essential to think about the security of your clients prior to suggesting power mobility.

First check if your client is able to safely operate their scooter or power chair. Based on the severity of their disability and the state of their health, this could involve a physical assessment by a physician or occupational therapist, or an interview with a mobility specialist to determine whether a specific device is appropriate for them. In certain situations the use of a vehicle lift may be necessary 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 knowing the rules of the road. This includes sharing space with pedestrians, other wheelchair users and drivers of cars, trucks or buses. This was a theme that was mentioned by the majority of participants in the study.

Some people learned to drive their wheelchairs on sidewalks instead of driving in the midst of crowds or on curbs (unless the wheelchair was specially made to be used in this way). Others drove more cautiously and looked out for pedestrians in a crowded environment.

The final and least preferred option was taking away a person's chair, which was seen as two-fold punishment loss of mobility independent and preventing access to facility and community activities. Diane and Harriet among others were among the participants who were stripped of their chairs.

Other solutions that were suggested by participants included educating other residents, family members and staff about the safety of power mobility. This could include teaching the basics of driving (such as using the correct side of the hallway), encouraging residents to practice driving techniques when they go out and helping them understand how their behavior affects other people's mobility.

Follow-Up

A power mobility device can significantly impact the child's ability to function and be a part of life. There is little research into the experiences children have when learning to make use of these devices. This study uses the pre-post method to investigate the effects of six months of experience using one of four early power mobility devices on the children in school with severe cerebral palsy (CP).

We conducted qualitative interviews with 15 parents and also occupational and physical therapists who work with children. Thematic analysis identified three main themes. The first, 'Power and mobility,' described how the use of a powered device changed more than just locomotor abilities. The process of learning to drive a motorized mobility device is usually an emotional and transformative experience.

The second theme 'There's no cookbook' revealed that learning how to make use of an equipment for mobility was a process that took place in a continuous manner over time. Therapists were charged with determining what was appropriate for each child's needs and abilities. Through the training and post-training phases, therapists were also expected to be patient with parents and children. Many parents and therapists mentioned the need to assist families celebrate their successes and solve challenges associated with the training process.

The third theme"Shared space was a look at the ways in which using devices that power us can have an impact on other people's lives and interactions. The majority of the participants in this study believed that people should always be considerate when using a power mobility device. This was particularly true when driving on roads that are public. A few participants also mentioned that they had encountered situations in which someone else's property was damaged due to the use of an electric mobility device, or where a person was injured by a driver who had failed to yield right-of-way.

Overall, the results of this study suggest that short-term power mobility and socialization training appears feasible for preschoolers with CP in certain classroom environments. Future research should continue to study the training and results for this type of intervention in young children with CP. This will hopefully result in the development of more standardized training protocols specifically for this group of children.