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Power Mobility and Safety Concerns Power mobility can enhance participation in daily activities and recreational pursuits for individuals who are in long-term care. However, the devices could also create safety concerns which 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 the teleological approach and allow all residents to trial the power mobility device. Mobility A power mobility device provides a method for people who are unable to move around their home or community, and participate in daily activities that they would not be able to perform. However, these devices could also pose a risk to the person who uses them, and other people who are in their space. Occupational therapists should carefully consider the safety needs of each client before 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 power mobility use. The aim was to create a framework for client-centred power mobility prescribing. The results 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 dramatically improve the quality of life for individuals with limited mobility by giving them the opportunity to participate in a variety of daily living activities both at home and in the community (Brandt 2001; Evans, 2000). Self-care, active and recreational jobs are essential for the physical and mental health of people who are older. For many with progressive diseases, power mobilty allows them to take part in these important activities. Participants found it unacceptable to remove a wheelchair from a resident's home in order to alter their life's story and progression, and prevent them from doing the same things that they did before their disease advanced. green power mobility scooters uk was particularly relevant for those in the Facility 1 who were only able use their power chairs for a brief period and were now dependent on others to push them. Another potential solution was reducing the speed at which residents drove their chairs, however this led to a variety of issues, such as privacy issues and the impact on other residents in the community. In the end, taking away the chair of a resident was deemed the most drastic and least desirable solution to security concerns. Safety Power mobility lets people move around more freely. They are also able to participate in a greater variety of activities, and complete around on their own. However, with greater mobility comes a higher risk of accidents. For some, these accidents could result in serious injuries to themselves or others. This is why it is important to think about the safety of your client prior to recommending that they use a power mobility. The first step in determining safety is to determine if your client is able to safely operate their power wheelchair or scooter. This could include an examination of the physical by a physician or occupational therapist, or a mobility specialist, depending on the nature of your client's impairment and their current health. In some instances your client will require a vehicle lift to be able to load and unload the device at their home, workplace or community. Learning the rules of road safety is an additional aspect of safety. This includes sharing space with pedestrians, wheelchair users, and drivers of trucks, cars or buses. This is a topic that was mentioned by the majority of participants in the study. For some this, it required learning to use their wheelchairs on sidewalks, instead of driving through areas that were crowded 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 preferred option was to remove a person's chair, which was seen as two-fold punishment loss of mobility independent and preventing access to facilities and community activities. This was the opinion of most participants who were able to remove their chairs among them Diane and Harriet. green power mobility scooters uk suggested that family members, and staff be trained on the safe use of power mobility. This could include teaching basic driving skills (such as the right side to walk on in the hallway) as well as encouraging residents to practice driving when they leave and assisting them to understand how their behavior affects other people's mobility. Follow-Up A child's ability and willingness to be a part of the world can be greatly affected by a power mobility device. There is little research into the experiences children go through when they first learn to make use of these devices. This study employs a post-previous design to examine the effects of six months of use with one of the four early mobility devices on a school-aged group of children suffering from severe cerebral palsy (CP). Qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 parents as well as pediatric occupational and physical therapists. green power scooter reviews revealed three major themes. The first, 'Power and mobility explained the ways in which powered devices changed more than just a child's locomotor abilities. Learning to drive a mobility device was often a transformative, emotionally charged experience for those who participated. The second theme, 'There's not a recipe book,' showed that the process of learning to utilize the power mobility device was an individualized process that developed over time in a cyclical manner. Therapists were asked to decide what was appropriate depending on the individual's capabilities and needs. In the initial phase of training and after, therapists had to be patient with children and parents. Parents and therapists alike described the need to help families celebrate their accomplishments and address issues related to the process of training. The third theme, 'Shared space The study explored how the use of an electric device can affect other people's lives and interactions. The majority of participants in this study felt that a person must be mindful of others when using their power mobility device. This is especially important when driving in public spaces. A few participants also mentioned that they've had to deal with instances where another's property was damaged by the use of an electric mobility device, or where a person was injured by a driver who had not yielded right-of-way. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that short-term power mobility and socialization training is feasible for preschoolers with CP in certain classroom settings. Future research should be focused on the effects of training and results of this kind of intervention for young children with CP. This will hopefully lead to the development of more standardized training protocols for this group.