Power Mobility and Safety Concerns
Power mobility allows individuals who are in long-term care in their daily activities and leisure pursuits. These devices also raise safety concerns, which must be addressed.
The majority of participants opt to adopt a teleological perspective and give all residents the chance to try devices, not to restrict residents with certain diagnoses, which could be considered a risk management decision that is prejudicial.
Mobility
A power mobility device enables people with limited ability to move around their homes or communities and take part in daily activities that are otherwise unavailable to them. These devices can be a danger not just to the individual using them but also to others who are in their environment. Therapists in occupational therapy must evaluate the safety needs of each client to provide the most appropriate recommendations regarding powered mobility.
In an exploratory study 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 goal was to develop an approach to client-centered power mobility prescribing. green power electric mobility scooter revealed four major 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 greatly improve the quality of life for those who have limited mobility, permitting them to take part in a variety of everyday living activities at home as well as in the community (Brandt 2001; Evans, 2000). Self-care, active and recreational activities are essential to the physical and mental well-being of the elderly. For those suffering from progressive diseases, power mobilty can be a means to participate in these vital activities.
The participants felt it was inconvenient to remove a resident's wheelchair in order to alter their life's narrative and direction and stop them from doing the same things that they had prior to their illness progressed. This was especially true for those in the facility 1 who were capable of maintaining their chairs for short periods of time and were forced to rely on others to push them around the facility.
Another option is to slow down the speed at which residents drive their chairs. However green energy mobility scooters could cause a number issues such as privacy and the impact on the rest of the community. In the end, taking away the chair of a resident was thought to be the most drastic and least desirable solution to security concerns.
Safety
Power mobility allows people with disabilities to move more freely and participate in a greater variety of activities, and even complete the errands. With the increased mobility comes an increased chance of accidents. These accidents could result in serious injuries for some. This is why it is crucial to think about the safety of your client before recommending that they use power mobility.
First consider determining whether your client is able to safely operate their scooter or power chair. Based on the severity of their disability and current health, this may involve a physical evaluation by a doctor or occupational therapist, or an interview with a mobility expert to determine if a particular device would be appropriate for them. In certain situations, a vehicle lift will be required to allow for your client to load and unload their mobility device at home, in the community or at work.
Knowing the rules of road safety is a further aspect of safety. This includes sharing space, with other pedestrians, wheelchair users and drivers of cars or buses. This topic was mentioned by a majority of participants in the study.
Some people learned to drive their wheelchairs on sidewalks instead of driving through crowded areas or on curbs (unless the wheelchair was specially designed for this purpose). For others it meant driving slowly in a busy environment and watching out for pedestrians.
The final and least preferred option was taking away the chair of a person. This was viewed as a double punishment that would result in losing mobility independently and preventing access to facility and community activities. This was the view of the majority of those who had their chairs removed and included Diane and Harriet.
Participants also suggested that residents, family members, and staff members be educated on the safe use of power mobility. This could include teaching basic driving skills (such as the right side to walk on in the hallway) as well as encouraging residents to practice driving techniques when they go outside and helping them be aware of how their actions affect the mobility of other people.
Follow-Up
A device that is powered by electricity can profoundly affect a child's ability to function and take part in life. There is little research on the experience that children experience when they learn to make use of these devices. This study employs an approach that is post-previous to study the effects of 6 months of experience with one of the four early mobility devices on a school-aged group of children with severe cerebral palsy (CP).
Qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 parents and children's occupational and physical therapists. Thematic analysis revealed three key themes. The first theme, 'Power for Mobility explained the ways that using an electric device impacted more than just the child's locomotor skills. Learning to drive a power mobility device was often an emotional and transformative experience for those who participated.
The second theme, 'There isn't any cookbook,' revealed that the process of learning how to utilize the power mobility device was an individual process that evolved over time in a cyclical fashion. Therapists were required to determine what was realistic in light of the child's capabilities and requirements. In the initial phase of training and following, therapists were required to be patient with children as well as parents. Many parents and therapists mentioned the need to assist families celebrate their successes and solve issues that arise during the training process.
The third theme, 'Shared space', explored the ways in which using a power device could influence the lives of others and how they interact. The majority of those who participated in this study felt that a person must always be considerate of other people when using their mobility device. This is particularly true when driving in public spaces. Many participants also reported that they had encountered situations where someone else's property was damaged due to the use of the power mobility device or when a person was injured by a driver who failed to yield the right-of-way.
Overall, the results of this study suggest that short-term socialization and power mobility training appears feasible for preschoolers with CP in certain classroom settings. Future research should continue to study the training and results for this type of intervention for children with CP. This will hopefully result in the development of more standardized training protocols specifically for this group of children.