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Power Mobility and Safety Concerns Power mobility enhances participation in daily activities and recreation for those who are in long-term care. However, these devices can also cause safety issues that need to be addressed. Rather than exclude residents with a specific diagnosis from the use of power mobility as it could be viewed as risk management that is prejudicial, the majority of participants chose to take a teleological approach and allow all residents to test the power mobility device. Mobility A power mobility device provides an option for those who are unable 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 be a danger to the person using them, as well as other individuals who share their environment or space. Occupational therapists must carefully assess the safety needs of each client before making recommendations on powered mobility. In an exploratory study conducted by OTs at three residential facilities of the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, qualitative interviews were conducted with residents to evaluate the extent to which they used power mobility. The objective was to develop 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 concern about safety and (4) solutions. Power mobility can significantly increase quality of life for those with limited mobility by permitting them to take part 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 to mental and physical health for older adults, and for a lot of people with chronic illnesses, power mobility offers the opportunity to keep participating in these important activities. Many participants considered it not acceptable to remove a resident's chair, as this could cause a huge change in their life or course of action, and ultimately stop them from pursuing the same activities that they had been doing before their illness progressed. This was particularly relevant for those in the Facility 1 who had only been allowed to use their power chairs for a brief period and were now reliant on others to push them. Another solution would be to slow down the speed at which residents drive their chairs. However it could create various issues like privacy and the impact on the rest of the community. In the end, taking away the chair of a resident was deemed the most drastic and least preferred solution to security concerns. Safety Power mobility allows people to move more freely. They can also take part in a broader range of activities, as well as run errands. However, with increased freedom of movement comes a greater chance of accidents. These accidents could result in serious injuries for some. It is essential to think about the safety 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 scooter or power wheelchair. Depending on the nature of their condition and their current health, this may involve a physical assessment by a doctor or occupational therapist, as well as having a conversation with a mobility expert to determine if a particular device is appropriate for them. In some cases, your client will need a vehicle lift to be able to load and unload the mobility device at workplace, home, or community. Understanding the rules of road safety is an additional aspect of safety. green mobility includes sharing space with other pedestrians, other wheelchair users, and drivers of cars, trucks or buses. This was a theme that was mentioned by a majority of participants in the study. For some it required learning to drive their wheelchairs on sidewalks, instead of driving through busy areas or over curbs (unless specifically designed to do this). For simply click the up coming document , it meant driving more cautiously in a noisy environment and watching out for people walking. The final and least popular option that was to take away the wheelchair of a person was viewed as a double whammy: losing independence in mobility and hindering the person from participating in activities with the community or at facilities. This was the opinion of the majority of those who had their chairs removed among them Diane and Harriet. Other ideas suggested by participants included educating residents, family members and staff on the proper operation of power mobility. This could include teaching the fundamentals of driving (such as driving on the right side of a hallway), encouraging residents to practice driving strategies when they go out and helping them understand how their behavior affects other people's mobility. Follow-Up The ability of a child and their willingness to be a part of the world can be profoundly affected by a power mobility device. Yet little research has been conducted on the experience of children learning to use this equipment. This study uses a post-previous design to examine the effects of six months of use with one of the four early mobility devices on a group of school-aged children of children suffering from severe cerebral palsy (CP). Qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 parents as well as pediatric occupational and physical therapists. Thematic analysis revealed three main themes. The first, 'Power in Mobility,' described how the use of a powered device changed more than just locomotor abilities. The experience of learning how to drive a powered mobility device is often an emotional and transformative experience. The second theme, 'There's not a recipe book,' showed that the process of learning how to utilize the power mobility device was an individualized process that developed over time in a cyclical manner. Therapists were required to discover what was realistic for each child's needs and abilities. During the training phase, and afterwards, therapists needed to be patient with children and parents. Therapists and parents alike emphasized the need to assist families celebrate their achievements and resolve issues that arise from the training process. The third theme, “Shared space”, explored how the use the power device can affect other people's interactions and lives. The majority of participants in this study believed that people must always be considerate of other people when using their mobility device. This was especially true when driving in public spaces. Participants also mentioned that they had seen situations where property of someone else's had been damaged by the use of a motorized device or an individual had suffered injuries from a driver who did not yield the right of way. The results of this study show that power mobility and socialization training for preschoolers with CP can be done in specific classroom settings. Future research should continue to explore the effectiveness of training and outcomes of this kind of intervention with young children with CP. This will hopefully result in the development of more standard training protocols for this population.