Power Mobility and Safety Concerns
Power mobility allows those who are in long-term care to take part in their everyday activities and leisure pursuits. The devices can also create safety concerns, which must be addressed.
Most participants chose to adopt a teleological perspective and give all residents the opportunity to test the device, instead of restrict residents with certain diagnosis which could be considered a risk management decision that is prejudicial.
Mobility
A power mobility device allows those who are unable to move about their community or home and take part in daily activities that might otherwise be unavailable to them. However, these devices may also be a danger to the person using them as well as other individuals who share their space or space. Occupational therapists must be aware of the safety needs of each client prior to making recommendations regarding powered mobility.
In a study that was conducted by OTs at three residential care facilities of the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, qualitative interviews were conducted with residents to determine their use of power mobility. The objective was to establish a framework that could allow for client-centred power movement prescribing. 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 enhance the quality of life of people with limited mobility. This is because it allows them to participate in everyday activities at home as well as in the community. Participation in self-care, productive and leisure occupations is crucial to physical and mental health for older adults, and for those with chronic illnesses power mobility is an opportunity to continue taking part in these vital activities.
green power scooter found it unacceptable to remove a resident's wheelchair because it would alter their life's narrative and direction and hinder them from doing the same things that they were doing before their condition progressed. This was particularly relevant for those in the Facility 1 who had been able use their power chairs for a brief period and were now reliant on others to push them.
Another option is to reduce the speed at which residents drove their chairs, but this led to a variety of issues such as privacy issues and impact on other people in the community. Ultimately, removing a resident's chair was considered the most drastic and least desirable solution to security concerns.
Safety
Power mobility allows people with disabilities to get around more freely and participate in a greater range of activities and do around. With greater mobility comes a higher risk of accidents. These accidents can cause serious injuries for a few. This is why it is vital to consider the safety of your client prior to suggesting that they use power mobility.
The first step in assessing security is to determine if your client is able to safely operate their power wheelchair or scooter. This could involve an examination of the physical by a doctor or occupational therapist or a mobility specialist, based on the nature of your client's disability and their current health. In some instances, your client will need a vehicle lift to be able to load and unload the mobility device at home, workplace or community.
Another aspect of safety is to learn the rules of the road. This includes sharing space with other pedestrians, wheelchair users and drivers of buses or cars. The majority of participants in the study mentioned this theme.
Some people learnt to drive their wheelchairs on sidewalks instead of driving through crowded areas or on curbs (unless the wheelchair was designed to be used in this way). Others drove more slowly and paid attention to pedestrians in a crowd.
The last and least preferred option of removing a person's wheelchair, was viewed as a double punishment as it would mean losing mobility and hindering them from taking part in activities with the community or at facilities. Diane and Harriet among others were among those who had their chairs taken away.
Other solutions that were suggested by participants included educating residents staff, family members and other residents about the safety of power mobility. This could include educating residents on the fundamentals of driving (such as using the right side of the hallway) as well as encouraging residents to practice driving techniques when they go out and helping them understand how their actions can affect other people's mobility.
Follow-Up
A power mobility device can have a profound impact on a child's ability to function and be a part of life. There has been little research on the experiences children go through when they first learn to use 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 with severe cerebral palsy (CP).
We conducted qualitative interviews with 15 parents, and also occupational and physical therapists for children. Thematic analysis revealed three main themes. The first, 'Power and mobility explained the ways in which powered devices affected more than just locomotor abilities. Learning to drive a mobility device can be an emotional, transformative journey for the participants.
The second theme 'There's no recipe book' showed that the process of learning to use an equipment for mobility was a process that developed in a continuous manner over time. Therapists were asked to determine what was feasible in light of the child's capabilities and needs. During the training phase, and following, therapists were required to be patient with children as well as parents. A number of parents and therapists emphasized a need to help families celebrate their successes and work through challenges associated with the training process.
Finally, the third theme called 'Shared space was a look at the ways in which using an electric device can have an impact on the lives of other people and their interactions. The majority of participants in this study believed that it is important to be mindful when using a power device. This was especially true 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 by the use of a power mobility device, or in which an individual was injured by a driver who not yielded right-of-way.
The results of this study show that power mobility and socialization training for preschoolers with CP can be carried out in certain classroom settings. Future research should continue to study the training and results for this kind of intervention for children with CP. This could lead to the development of more standard training protocols for this group.