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Power Mobility and Safety Concerns Power mobility allows individuals in long-term care to participate in their everyday activities and leisure pursuits. However, these devices can also cause safety issues that must be addressed. Rather than exclude residents with a specific diagnosis from the use of power mobility, which may be considered risk management prejudicial, most participants preferred to take an approach based on teleology and let all residents trial the device. Mobility A power mobility device is an option for those with limited mobility to move about their home or community, and to participate in everyday activities that they might not otherwise be able to participate in. However, electric wheel scooter can also pose a risk to the person who uses them, and also to other people who share their environment or space. Therapists in occupational therapy must assess each client's safety needs to make the best recommendations for 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 use of power mobility. The objective was to develop a framework for 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 dramatically improve the quality of life for people who are mobility-challenged by allowing them to participate in a variety of daily life activities, both at home and in the community (Brandt, 2001; Evans, 2000). Self-care, productive and leisure occupations are vital for physical and mental well-being of the elderly. For many who suffer from chronic illnesses, power mobility offers a way to participate in these important activities. The majority of participants felt it was not acceptable to remove the resident's chair since it would result in a significant disruption in their life story or course of action, and ultimately stop them from continuing to engage in the same activities that they used to do prior to their disease progression. This was especially true for those in Facility 1 who had been able use their power chairs for a short period of time and now relied on others to push them. Another possible solution is to limit the speed at which residents drove their chairs, but this raised a number of concerns, including privacy concerns and the impact on other residents in the community. In the end, removing a resident's chair was considered the most drastic and least desirable solution to security concerns. Safety Power mobility lets people move more freely. They can also take part in a greater variety of activities, and run around on their own. However, with greater freedom of movement comes a greater chance of accidents. These incidents can result in serious injuries for certain. It is essential to think about the safety of your clients before recommending the use of power mobility. The first step in determining security is to determine if your client is able to safely operate their power wheelchair or scooter. Depending on their disability and the condition of their current health, this might require a physical examination by an occupational or physician therapist, as well as having a conversation with a mobility expert to determine whether a specific device is appropriate for them. In certain situations your client will require a vehicle lift to be capable of loading and unloading the mobility device at their home, community or workplace. Another aspect of safety is learning the rules of the road. This includes sharing space with other pedestrians, other wheelchair users, and drivers of trucks, cars or buses. A majority of the participants discussed this topic. Some people learnt to drive their wheelchairs along sidewalks instead of driving in busy areas or on curbs (unless the wheelchair was specifically designed for this). For others, it meant driving more slowly in a busy environment and keeping an eye out for pedestrians. The final and least preferred option was taking away the chair of a person, which was seen as two-fold punishment: losing independent mobility and preventing access to facility and community activities. Diane and Harriet, among others, were among those who had their chairs taken away. Other suggestions made by participants included educating other residents staff, family members and other residents on the safe operation of power mobility. This could include educating residents on the basics of driving (such as driving on the right side of a hallway), encouraging residents to practice driving skills while out, and helping them understand how their behavior can influence the mobility of others. Follow-Up The ability of a child and their willingness to take part in the world can be greatly affected by a device that can power them. There is little research on the experience that children experience when they learn to make use of these devices. This study employs an approach that is pre-post to study the impact of six months' experience with one of four early power mobility devices on the children in school with severe cerebral palsy (CP). Qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 parents as well as pediatric occupational and physical therapists. Thematic analysis identified three main themes. The first theme, 'Power for Mobility The theme described the ways that using an electric device impacted more than just motor skills. The process of learning to drive a powered mobility device is often an emotional and transformative one. The second theme 'There's no cookbook' revealed that learning how to use the mobility device was a process that unfolded in a cyclical manner over time. Therapists were required to discover the most appropriate solution for each child's needs and abilities. In the initial phase of training and afterwards, therapists needed to be patient with children and parents. Therapists and parents alike emphasized the need to help families celebrate their achievements and resolve issues that arise from the training process. Finally, the third theme, 'Shared space', explored the ways in which using a power device could affect the lives of others and how they interact. The majority of the participants in this study felt that one must always be considerate of other users when using a mobility device. This was especially applicable when driving on roads that are public. Participants also mentioned that they've seen instances where property of someone else's was damaged due to the use a power mobility device or an individual had been injured by a driver who failed to yield the right of way. The results of this study indicate that power mobility and socialization training for preschoolers with CP can be done in a variety of classroom settings. Future research should continue to investigate the effectiveness of training and outcomes of this kind of intervention for young children with CP. This could result in the development of more standardized training protocols for this group.