Power Mobility and Safety Concerns
Power mobility allows people who are in long-term care in their routine activities and leisure pursuits. However, these devices can also create safety concerns that must be addressed.
Instead of excluding residents with certain diagnoses from the use of power mobility, which may be considered risk management that is prejudicial, the majority of participants preferred to take the teleological approach and let everyone test the device.
Mobility
A power mobility device provides an option for those who are unable to move around their home or community, and to participate in activities of daily living that they might not otherwise be able to perform. However, these devices can also be a danger to the person who uses them, as well as other individuals who share their space or space. Therapists in occupational therapy must assess each client's safety needs to make the most appropriate recommendations 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 about their use of power mobility. The aim was to create an approach to client-centered power mobility prescribing. The results revealed four main themes: (1) the meaning of power mobility, (2) learning the rules of the road, (3) red flags: concerns about safety and (4) solutions.
Power mobility can improve the quality of life of people with mobility limitations. This is because it allows them to take part in daily activities at home and in the community. Participation in self-care, productive and leisure occupations is essential to physical and mental health of older adults, and for many people with progressive diseases power mobility is a way to continue participating in these important activities.
It was considered unacceptable by the participants to take away a wheelchair, as this would disrupt their life story and trajectory, and prevent them from doing the same things they were doing before their condition advanced. This was particularly true for those in the Facility 1 who were in a position to use their chairs for short periods of time, but were forced to rely on other residents to help them move around the facility.
Another potential solution was reducing the speed at which residents drove their chairs, however this raised a number of concerns, including privacy concerns and the impact on other residents in the community. The most drastic solution to security concerns was to take away the wheelchair from a resident's.
Safety
Power mobility allows people to move more freely. They are also able to participate in a wider range of activities, and complete around on their own. However, with greater mobility comes a greater risk for accidents. These accidents can cause serious injuries for some. This is why it is crucial to consider the safety of your client before recommending that they use power mobility.
First, determine if green power mobility scooters uk can safely operate their power chair or scooter. Based on their impairment and current health, this may require a physical examination by a doctor or occupational therapist, as well as an interview with a mobility specialist to determine if a particular device is suitable for them. In some cases your client will require an automobile lift to be capable of loading and unloading the device at their workplace, home, or community.
Understanding the rules of road safety is an additional aspect of safety. This includes sharing space, with other pedestrians, wheelchair users, and drivers of cars or buses. Most participants in the study have mentioned this issue.
Some people learnt to drive their wheelchairs on sidewalks instead of driving in busy areas or on curbs (unless the wheelchair was specifically made for this purpose). Others drove slower and looked out for pedestrians in a crowded environment.
The most popular and least desired option of removing a person's wheelchair, was seen as a double punishment that would result in the loss of mobility, and also preventing the person from participating in community and facility activities. This was the opinion of the majority of participants who had their chairs removed, including Diane and Harriet.
The participants also suggested that family members, and staff be trained on the safe use of power mobility. This could involve teaching the fundamentals of driving (such as driving on the right side of the hallway) and encouraging residents to practice driving strategies when they go out and helping them to understand how their behavior affects the mobility of others.
Follow-Up
The capacity and willingness of a child to participate in life can be greatly affected by a device for power mobility. There is little research on the experiences children have when learning to utilize these devices. This study uses the pre-post method to investigate the impact of six months of use with one of four early power mobility devices on a group of school-aged children 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 revealed three key themes. The first, 'Power in mobility,' explained 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 one.
The second theme, 'There's not a recipe book,' showed that the process of learning to use a power mobility device was an individualized process that evolved over time in a cyclical manner. Therapists were tasked with unearthing the most appropriate solution for the individual child's needs and abilities. Through green power scooter reviews and post-training phases, therapists were required to have patience with parents and children. A number of parents and therapists emphasized a need to help families celebrate successes and problem-solve issues that arise during the training process.
The third theme, 'Shared space was a look at how the use of a power device could have an impact on the lives of other people and their interactions. The majority of participants in this study felt that a person should always show consideration for other people when using their mobility device. This is particularly true when driving in public spaces. Several participants also noted that they've encountered situations in which someone else's property was damaged due to the use of the power mobility device or in which an individual was injured by a driver who failed to yield the right-of-way.
The results of this study indicate that power mobility and socialization training for preschoolers with CP can be done in certain classroom environments. Future research should continue to investigate the training and outcomes of this type of intervention for young children with CP. This should hopefully lead to the development of more uniform training protocols specifically for this group of children.