How A Weekly Power Mobility Project Can Change Your Life

green power mobility scooters uk  and Safety Concerns

Power mobility can enhance participation in daily activities and activities for people who are in long-term care. However, the devices could also cause safety issues which need to be addressed.

Rather than exclude residents with certain diagnoses from the power mobility option that could be considered risk management prejudicial, most participants opted to adopt an approach based on teleology and let everyone trial the power mobility device.

Mobility

A power mobility device is a way for people with limited mobility to move around their home or community and also to take part in daily activities that they might not otherwise be able to do. However, these devices could also pose a risk to the person using them and other people who are in their space. Occupational therapists must be aware of the safety needs of each client before making recommendations on powered mobility.

In an exploratory study conducted by OTs in three residential care facilities of the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, qualitative interviews were conducted with residents to assess their power mobility use. The aim was to develop an environment that allowed for client-centred power movement prescribing. The findings revealed four main themes: (1) power mobility meaning, (2) learning road rules, (3) red flags security concerns and (4) solutions.

Power mobility can boost the quality of life of people who have limited mobility. This is due to the fact that it allows them to participate in daily activities at home and within the community. Self-care, active and recreational occupations are vital for physical and mental well-being of older adults. For many who suffer from advanced illnesses, power mobility allows them to take part in these important activities.

The majority of participants felt it was unacceptable to remove a resident's chair, as this would cause a major interruption to their life or path and prevent them from continuing with the same activities that they were doing prior to their disease progression. This was particularly true for those in the Facility 1 who were capable of maintaining their power chairs for short periods of time, but were dependent on others to move them around the facility.

Another solution would be to slow down the speed at which some residents drive their chairs. However this could cause various issues like 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 safety concerns.

Safety

Power mobility lets people move more easily. They can also take part in a wider range of activities, and complete around on their own. With greater mobility comes a higher risk of accidents. These accidents can cause serious injuries for a few. It is crucial to think about the security of your clients prior to recommending the use of power mobility.

The first step in determining security is to determine if your client can safely operate their power wheelchair or scooter. Depending on the nature of their condition and their current health, this may involve a physical evaluation by a doctor or occupational therapist, as well as an interview with a mobility expert to determine if a specific device would be appropriate for them. In some cases, 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.

Another aspect of safety is to learn the rules of the road. This includes sharing space with other pedestrians, wheelchair users and the drivers of cars or buses. Most participants in the study mentioned this theme.

Some people learnt to drive their wheelchairs on sidewalks instead of driving through the midst of crowds or on curbs (unless the wheelchair was made to be used in this way). For others this meant driving more cautiously in a noisy environment and keeping an eye out for pedestrians.

The most popular and least desired option that was to take away a person's wheelchair, was seen as a double whammy: losing independence in mobility and preventing the person from participating in the activities of the community and facilities. Diane and Harriet, among others, were among the participants who were stripped of their chairs.

Other solutions that were suggested by participants included educating residents as well as family members and staff 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), encouraging residents to practice driving skills when they go out and assisting them in understanding how their actions can affect the mobility of others.

Follow-Up

A power mobility device can have a profound impact on the ability of a child to function and participate in life. Yet little research has been conducted on the experiences of children who are learning to use this device. This study uses a post-previous design to examine the effects of 6 months of using one of four early mobility devices on a group of school-aged children of children who suffer from severe cerebral Palsy (CP).

We conducted qualitative interviews with 15 parents along with occupational and physical therapists for children. Thematic analysis revealed three main themes. The first, 'Power in Mobility,' described how the use of powered devices changed more than just locomotor abilities. Learning to drive a power mobility device was often a transformative, emotionally charged journey for participants.

The second theme , 'There's no recipe book' revealed that the process of learning to make use of an equipment for mobility was a process that took place in a cyclical manner over time. Therapists were asked to decide what was appropriate depending on the individual's capabilities and requirements. In the post-training and training phases, therapists were also required to have patience with parents and children. Many parents and therapists mentioned a need to help families celebrate successes and problem-solve problems that arise from the training process.

Finally, the third theme called 'Shared space The study explored how the use of an electric device can influence the lives of other people and their interactions. The majority of the participants in this study believed that people should always be considerate when using a device that is powered by electricity. This is particularly true when driving in public spaces. Participants also shared that they've witnessed situations where property of someone else's had been damaged by the use a power mobility device, or a person has suffered injuries from a driver who didn't yield the right of way.

Overall, the findings of this study suggest that short-term power mobility and socialization training is possible for preschoolers with CP in certain classroom environments. Future research should continue to explore the effects of training and results of this kind of intervention with young children with CP. This should hopefully lead to the development of more standardized training protocols for this population.