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Power Mobility and Safety Concerns





Power mobility can enhance participation in daily activities as well as recreation for those in long-term care. The devices can also create safety risks, which need to be addressed.

Most participants chose to adopt a teleological perspective and allow all residents the opportunity to test the device, instead of exclude those with specific diagnoses, which could be considered a prejudicial risk management.

Mobility

A power mobility device provides a way for people with limited mobility to move about their community or home, and also to take part in activities of daily living that they might not otherwise be able to perform. However, these devices may also pose a risk to the person using them and also to other people who share their space or space. Occupational therapists should carefully consider the safety requirements of each client prior to making recommendations about powered mobility.

In Full Piece of writing that was conducted by OTs at three residential facilities of the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, qualitative interviews were conducted with residents to determine the extent to which they used power mobility. The objective was to establish a framework that would 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 dramatically improve the quality of life for those 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). Participation in self-care, productive and leisure occupations is vital for physical and mental health for older adults and for a lot of people who are suffering from progressive illnesses power mobility is a way to continue participating in these important activities.

Most participants found it not acceptable to remove a resident's chair, as this would cause a major interruption to their life or course of action, and ultimately stop them from continuing with the same activities that they had been doing before the progression of their illness. This was especially relevant for those in Facility 1 who were only allowed to use their power chairs for a brief period and were now reliant on others to push them.

Another potential solution was reducing the speed at which residents drove their chairs, however this could have raised issues, such as privacy concerns and impact on other people in the community. In the end, taking away the chair of a resident was deemed the most drastic and least desirable solution to safety concerns.

Safety

Power mobility lets people move around more freely. They can also participate in a broader range of activities, and complete the errands. However, with greater mobility comes a greater risk for accidents. For some, these incidents could cause serious injuries to themselves and others. This is why it is crucial to think about the safety of your client prior to suggesting they use a power mobility.

The first step in assessing security is to determine if your client is safe to operate their power scooter or power chair. Based on their condition and their the condition of their current health, this might involve a physical evaluation by a physician or occupational therapist, as well as having a conversation with a mobility expert to determine whether a specific device is suitable for them. In some instances, a vehicle lift will be necessary 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 knowing the rules of the road. This includes sharing space, with other pedestrians, wheelchair users and the drivers of cars or buses. The majority of participants in the study mentioned this theme.

For some this, it meant learning to drive their wheelchairs on sidewalks, instead of driving through crowded areas or over curbs (unless specifically designed to do this). For others it meant driving slowly in a busy environment and watching out for pedestrians.

The final and least desired alternative was to take away the chair of a person, which was viewed as a two-fold penalty loss of mobility independent and preventing access to facilities and community activities. This was the opinion of the majority of those who had their chairs removed and included Diane and Harriet.

Other solutions that were suggested by the participants included educating other residents staff, family members and other residents about the safety of power mobility. greenpower mobility could include teaching the fundamentals of driving (such as driving on the right side of a hallway) and encouraging residents to practice driving strategies when they leave and assisting them in understanding how their actions can affect the mobility of others.

Follow-Up

A device that is powered by electricity can significantly impact a child's ability to function and take part in life. There is little research on the experience that children have when learning to use these devices. This study uses an approach that is pre-post to study the effects of six months' experience using one of four early power mobility devices on the children in school with severe cerebral palsy (CP).

We conducted qualitative interviews with 15 parents, as well as occupational and physical therapists for children. Thematic analysis identified three main themes. The first, 'Power in Mobility explained the ways in which powered devices changed more than just motor skills. Learning to drive a power mobility device was often an emotional and transformative journey for the participants.

The second theme 'There's no cookbook' revealed that learning to use the mobility device was a process that unfolded in a way that was cyclical over time. Therapists were required to determine what was realistic based on each child's abilities and needs. Through the training and post-training phases, therapists were expected to be patient with parents and children. Therapists and parents alike emphasized the need to help families celebrate their successes and address issues related to the process of training.

The third theme, "Shared space", examined how the use of an electric device can affect other people's lives and interactions. The majority of the participants in this study believed that it is important to be mindful when using a power mobility device. This is especially important when driving in public areas. Participants also said that they've seen instances in which property belonging to someone else had been damaged by the use of a motorized device or an individual had suffered injuries from 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. The next research study should study the training and results for this type of intervention in children with CP. This will hopefully lead to the development of more standard training protocols for this group.