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Power Mobility and Safety Concerns Power mobility enhances participation in daily activities and recreational pursuits for individuals in long term care. However, these devices can also pose safety risks that must be addressed. Rather than exclude residents with certain diagnoses from the power mobility option, which may be considered prejudicial risk management, most participants chose to take a teleological approach and let everyone trial the power mobility device. Mobility A power mobility device provides a method for people with limited mobility to move around in their home or community and also to take part in daily activities that they may not be able to perform. These devices could pose a risk not only for the person who uses them, but also to those who are in their surroundings. Occupational therapists must carefully assess the safety requirements of each client before making recommendations regarding powered mobility. In greenpower scooter conducted by OTs in three residential care facilities of the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, qualitative interviews were conducted with residents to determine their use of power mobility. The objective was to develop an approach to client-centered power mobility prescribing. The results revealed four major 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 greatly improve the quality of life for individuals who have limited mobility, giving them the opportunity to participate in a variety of everyday life activities, both at home and in the community (Brandt 2001; Evans, 2000). Participation in self-care or leisure activities, as well as productive ones is essential for physical and mental health for older adults and for many people with chronic illnesses power mobility can be an opportunity to continue taking part in these vital activities. Most participants found it unacceptable to remove the chair of a resident, since this would cause a major interruption to their life or course of action, and ultimately stop them from pursuing the same activities they had been doing before their illness progressed. This was especially relevant to those in the facility 1 who were capable of maintaining their power chairs for short durations and were forced to rely on others to help them move around the facility. Another option is to slow down the speed at which residents drive their chairs. However it could create a number issues such as privacy and the impact on the rest of the community. In the end, removing a resident's chair was considered the most drastic and least preferred solution to security concerns. Safety Power mobility allows disabled people to move around more easily and participate in a greater variety of activities, and even do errands. However, with increased freedom of movement comes a greater risk for accidents. These accidents could result in serious injuries for a few. It is crucial to think about the safety of your clients before recommending power mobility. First, determine whether your client is able to safely operate their power chair or scooter. This could involve an assessment of physical health by a doctor, occupational therapist or mobility specialist, depending on the nature of your client's disability and their current health. In some cases your client will require an automobile lift to be capable of loading and unloading the mobility device at their home, workplace or community. Learning the rules of road safety is a further 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 most participants in the study. Some people learned to drive their wheelchairs on sidewalks instead of driving in busy areas or on curbs (unless the wheelchair was specially designed to be used in this way). Others drove more cautiously and looked out for pedestrians in a crowd. The final and least preferred alternative was to take away the chair of a person, which was viewed as a two-fold penalty that would result in losing mobility independently and preventing access to facilities and community activities. Diane and Harriet among others were among the participants who were stripped of their chairs. Other ideas suggested by participants included educating residents, family members and staff on the safe operation of power mobility. This could include teaching driving basics (such as the correct side to walk on in the hallway) as well as encouraging residents to practice driving techniques when they leave and helping them understand how their behavior affects other people's mobility. Follow-Up The ability of a child and their willingness to take part in the world can be profoundly affected by a power mobility device. There is little research into the experiences children experience when they learn to utilize these devices. This study employs a pre-post design to examine the impact of 6 months' experience with one of four early power mobility devices on children in the school age group with severe cerebral palsy (CP). Qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 parents and children's occupational and physical therapists. Thematic analysis identified three main themes. The first theme, 'Power for Mobility explained the ways that using a powered device affected more than just locomotor abilities. Learning to drive a power mobility device can be a transformative, emotionally charged journey for the participants. The second theme 'There's no cookbook' revealed that learning to use the mobility device was a process that developed in a way that was cyclical over time. The therapists were asked to determine what was realistic in light of the child's capabilities and needs. During the training phase and afterwards, therapists needed to be patient with children and parents. Parents and therapists alike described the need to help families celebrate their achievements and resolve issues that arise from the training process. Finally, the third theme called 'Shared space The study explored the ways in which using an electric device can have an impact on the lives of others and how they interact. The majority of participants in this study felt that one must be mindful of other users when using a mobility device. This was particularly true when driving on roads that are public. Participants also shared that they've seen instances where property of someone else's had been damaged by the use of a power mobility device or an individual had been injured by a driver who failed to yield the right of way. Overall, the results of this study suggest that short-term power mobility and socialization training appears feasible for preschoolers with CP in certain classroom environments. The next research study should study the training and results for this type of intervention for children with CP. This could eventually lead to more standardized training protocols for children suffering from CP.