What A Weekly Power Mobility Project Can Change Your Life

Power Mobility and Safety Concerns

Power mobility improves participation in daily activities and activities for people who are in long-term care. These devices also raise security concerns that need to be addressed.

Instead of excluding residents with a specific diagnosis from the use of power mobility, which may be considered prejudicial risk management, most participants chose to take an approach based on teleology and let everyone test a device.

Mobility

A power mobility device is an option for those with limited mobility to move around in their community or home, and to participate in everyday activities that they may not be able to do. However, these devices can also pose a risk for the person who uses them, as well as other individuals who share their space or space. Occupational therapists must carefully assess the safety requirements of each client prior to making recommendations about powered mobility.

In an exploratory study (von Zweck 1999), OTs from three residential care facilities of the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority conducted qualitative interviews with residents regarding their use of power mobility. The goal was to create an environment that allowed for client-centred power movement prescribing. The results revealed four major themes: (1) power mobility meaning, (2) learning road rules, (3) red flags security concerns 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 everyday living activities, both at home and in the community (Brandt 2001; Evans, 2000). Self-care, productive and leisure occupations are vital for mental and physical health of older adults. For many who suffer from advanced illnesses, power mobility allows them to take part in these essential activities.

It was considered unacceptable by the participants to take away a wheelchair, as this would disrupt their life story and trajectory and hinder them from engaging in the same activities that they did before their disease advanced. This was especially the case for those in Facility 1, who had been capable of maintaining their power chairs for short periods of time and were forced to rely on other residents to push them around the facility.

Another solution would be to limit the speed at which some residents drive their chairs. However this could cause several issues, including privacy and the impact on the rest of the community. The most drastic solution to safety concerns was to get rid of the wheelchair from a resident's.

Safety

Power mobility allows disabled people to move more freely and take part in a wider range of activities and run the errands. However, with greater mobility comes a greater risk for accidents. These accidents can cause serious injuries for a few. This is why it is crucial to think about the safety of your client before suggesting that they utilize power mobility.

First consider determining if your client is able to safely use their power chair or scooter. Depending on their disability and the state of their health, this could require a physical examination by a doctor or occupational therapist, or an interview with a mobility specialist to determine if a specific device would be appropriate for them. In some instances, a vehicle lift will be required to allow for your client to unload and load 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 is a topic that was mentioned by the majority of participants in the study.

For some it meant learning to use their wheelchairs on sidewalks instead of driving through crowded areas or over curbs (unless specifically designed for doing so). For others this meant driving more slowly in a busy environment and watching out for people walking.

The last and least preferred option of removing a person's wheelchair, was viewed as a double punishment that would result in the loss of mobility and hindering them from taking part in activities with the community or at facilities. Diane and Harriet, among others, were among those who were stripped of their chairs.

Other solutions that were suggested by the participants included educating other residents as well as family members and staff about the safety of power mobility. This could involve teaching the basics of driving (such as using the correct side of the hallway) and encouraging residents to practice driving skills while out, and helping them understand how their actions can affect other people's mobility.

Follow-Up

A device that is powered by electricity can profoundly affect the ability of a child to function and take part in life. Yet there isn't much research about the experience of children learning to use this device. This study employs an approach that is pre-post to study the impact of 6 months of experience with one of the four early power mobility devices on children in the school age group with severe cerebral palsy (CP).

Qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 parents and children's occupational and physical therapists. Thematic analysis identified three major themes. The first, 'Power in mobility,' explained how the use of powered devices affected more than just a child's locomotor abilities. Learning to drive a power mobility device was often a transformative, emotionally charged journey for participants.

The second theme, 'There isn't any cookbook,' revealed that the process of learning how to utilize the power mobility device was an individualized process that unfolded over time in a cyclical fashion.  power electric scooter  were asked to determine what was feasible based on each child's abilities and needs. During the training phase and after, therapists had to be patient with children and parents. Many parents and therapists mentioned a need to help families celebrate their successes and solve issues that arise during the training process.

Finally, the third theme"Shared space', explored the ways in which using a power device could influence other people's lives and interactions. The majority of participants in this study believed that people should always be mindful when using a device that is powered by electricity. This was especially relevant when driving on public roads.  green power mobility reviews  said that they've witnessed situations in which property belonging to someone else was damaged due to the use of a motorized device or an individual had suffered injuries from a driver who failed to yield the right of way.

The results of this study suggest that power mobility and socialization training for preschoolers with CP can be done in specific classroom environments. Future research should be focused on the effects of training and results of this kind of intervention for young children with CP. This should hopefully result in the development of more standard training protocols for this group.