Munksgaardgertsen6758

Power Mobility and Safety Concerns

Power mobility allows those in long-term care to participate in their everyday activities and leisure pursuits. However, the devices could also cause safety issues that need to be addressed.

Instead of excluding residents with a specific diagnosis from the use of power mobility as it could be viewed as risk management prejudicial, most participants opted to adopt a teleological approach and let everyone trial the power mobility device.

Mobility

A power mobility device provides a method for people who are unable to move about their home or community, and also to take part in daily activities that they may not be able to participate in. However, these devices can also pose a risk to the person using them, as well as other individuals who are in their space. Therapists in occupational therapy must evaluate the safety needs of each client to make the best recommendations regarding powered mobility.

In an exploratory study (von Zweck, 1999), OTs from three residential care facilities in Vancouver Coastal Health Authority conducted qualitative interviews with residents regarding their power mobility use. The aim was to create an approach to client-centered power mobility prescribing. The findings revealed four main 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 significantly increase quality of life for people with limited mobility by permitting them to take part in a variety of daily life activities, at home as well as in the community (Brandt, 2001; Evans, 2000). Participation in self-care, productive and leisure occupations is vital to mental and physical health for older adults, and for many people with progressive diseases power mobility can be a way to continue participating in these vital activities.

Many participants considered it unacceptable to remove a resident's chair, as this would cause a major change in their life or course of action, and ultimately stop them from continuing with the same activities they had been doing before their illness progressed. This was especially the case for those in Facility 1 who were able to maintain their power chairs for short durations 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 raise a number issues such as privacy and the impact on the rest of the community. green scooters to safety concerns was to remove a resident's wheelchair.

Safety

Power mobility allows people with disabilities to move more freely and participate in a greater range of activities and do the errands. With the increased mobility comes an increased chance of accidents. For some, these incidents can cause serious injuries to themselves and others. This is why it is vital to think about the security of your client before suggesting that they utilize power mobility.

The first step in determining safety is to determine if your client is able to safely operate their power wheelchair or scooter. Based on the severity of their disability and the state of their health, this could involve a physical assessment by an occupational or physician therapist, and a discussion with a mobility specialist to determine whether a specific device would be appropriate for them. In some instances your client may require a lift for their vehicle to be able to load and unload the device at their home, workplace or community.

Understanding the rules of road safety is another aspect of safety. This includes sharing space with other wheelchair users, pedestrians and the bus drivers. Most participants in the study mentioned this theme.

For some, this meant learning to use their wheelchairs on sidewalks instead of driving through areas that were crowded or over curbs (unless specifically designed to do such). Others drove slower and looked out for pedestrians in a crowded environment.

The final and least desired option was to remove 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 opinion of most participants who had their chairs removed, including Diane and Harriet.





Participants also suggested that residents, family members, and staff be educated on the safe use of power mobility. This could include teaching the basics of driving (such as using the correct side of the hallway), encouraging residents to practice driving techniques when they go out and assisting them in understanding how their behavior can influence the mobility of others.

Follow-Up

A device that is powered by electricity can significantly impact the ability of a child to function and be a part of life. However, very there isn't much research on the experiences of children who are learning to use this equipment. This study employs a post-previous design to examine the effects of 6 months of experience with one of the four early mobility devices on a group of school-aged children of children suffering from severe cerebral palsy (CP).

We conducted interviews in qualitative format with 15 parents, as well as pediatric occupational and physical therapists. Thematic analysis revealed three main themes. The first, 'Power in Mobility explained how the use of powered devices affected more than just a child's motor skills. The process of learning to drive a motorized mobility device can be an emotional and transformative experience.

The second theme 'There's no cookbook' revealed that learning how to use a mobility device was a process that developed in a way that was cyclical over time. The therapists were asked to decide what was appropriate based on each child's abilities and needs. Through the training and post-training phases, therapists were also required to be patient with children and parents. Parents and therapists alike described the need to help families celebrate their achievements 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 interactions and lives. The majority of the participants in this study believed that people should always be mindful when using a power mobility device. This was particularly applicable when driving on roads that are public. Participants also shared that they've witnessed situations where someone else's property was damaged due to the use a power mobility device or a person had suffered injuries from a driver who did not yield the right of way.

Overall, the findings 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 investigate the training and outcomes for this type of intervention for children with CP. This could lead to the development of more standardized training protocols specifically for this group of children.