This article introduces the topics of assistive technology and medical mobility devices for people living with chronic or disabling conditions who may benefit from the use of aids for daily living, including self-care, leisure, and work. The purpose of this information is to gain a basic understanding about assistive technology for people living in their home and community; common equipment and devices for daily living; a case example; assessing a person's environment for safety; and the importance of this for people living with chronic or disabling conditions.
Assistive Technology Services in BC Home and Community Care Programs
The Health authorities in British Columbia provide community based health care services which promotes functional independence for residents with acute, chronic, rehabilitative or palliative health care needs in a variety of community settings. This includes occupational and physical therapy services that are client specific based on the needs identified in an assessment. Services are prioritized for hospital discharges, preventing admissions or re-admissions, and to maintain independent living in the community.
People Who Benefit from Assistive Technology Services
People who benefit from assistive technology include adult clients with chronic conditions or disabilities that impair function, leading to safety risks or loss of independence, a compromised ability to remain home, or an inability to access the community (such as with staying in or returning to work). It also includes people who are working with an occupational or physical therapist using interventions for timely discharge from hospital, preventing readmissions, or delaying admission to residential care. And finally, there are adult clients who can’t access services outside their home due to environmental barriers or an inability to tolerate outings.
Assistive Technology Client Needs
There are a variety of potential needs the people have for assistive technology. This may include the need for safety to prevent falls and to address concerns with mobility or cognitive issues. It may be a need for skin integrity which involves positioning, pressure management, addressing mobility impairments, transfers, ambulation, mobility, or manual/power wheelchair and seating needs. It could be a need due to functional impairment which requires bathing, toileting, dressing, feeding, meal preparation, home management, and shopping or transportation. Or, it could be a need for community reintegration and return to work, which requires accessing the community or work environments and participating in meaningful occupational activities.
Types of Assistive Technology and Medical Mobility Equipment
There are many types of medical and mobility devices to assist people with their unique health conditions and needs. Some of the common types of equipment include shower chairs and stools, bath transfer benches, toilet commodes, walkers and rollators, canes, crutches, and toilet seat risers. Here are some examples with pictures below:
Bath Transfer Benches
Shower Chairs and Stools
Toileting and Bedside Commodes
Quad Canes and 4-Wheel Rollators
Single Point Canes, Crutches, 2-Wheel Walkers
Toilet Seat Risers and Raised Toilet Seats
Case Example
Leslie is a 65 year old woman hospitalized for a Stroke (Cerebral Vascular Accident) with left side hemiplegia, weakness, anxiety, and a fall in the past 3 months. She is awaiting discharge back home from the hospital, has a 70 year old spouse struggling with depression, alcohol substance misuse, and overwhelm with decision making. Both Leslie and her spouse are long time smokers with cardiopulmonary and respiratory issues. In fact, they have been diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder. Economically and financially, they fall within a low income bracket and live in a single level rancher style rental home. At home, their possessions have accumulated in the living room, kitchen, hallway, washroom, and bedroom. There are so many things piled up, it’s difficult to get around inside. There is no existing medical or mobility equipment and limited space in the rooms or hallways. To add to these challenges, their furnace is broken and they’re using a fan on their stove top to blow hot air around to heat the house. They have medication bottles scattered throughout the house. So, what might you consider doing to assess Leslie and her spouse's needs for safety with returning to their home together and possibly into other environments in the community?
Safety Consultation: Assessing a Client’s Home or Other Environments
A home safety assessment and consultation might be one way to consider supporting people like Leslie and her spouse in order to identify their needs for assistive technology and medical mobility equipment. By observing the person-environment-occupation interactions starting from the entrances/exits of a home or other building and going through each room, it's possible to determine what changes need to be made so the person(s) can be safe and fully participate in their chosen occupations of daily living in the environments that they will be engaging in self-care, leisure, or productivity activities. Here is a sample aerial view looking down on a home environment with a parking area and front entrance, and all the other rooms in the home:
Conclusion: Assistive Technology Can Increase Participation in Occupations and Improve Quality of Life
Assessing people's need for assistive technology devices and medical mobility equipment can result in providing recommendations for interventions that can increase their participation in daily occupational activities, improve their quality of life, and allow them to stay in or return to their preferred home, community, and work settings. It can also reduce admissions and readmissions rates to hospitals and reduce health care costs.
In this article, I've shared a bit about the basics of assistive technology services, types of equipment, a case example, and assessing the environment for safety with consultation and recommendations. I hope this gives you some food for thought about the world of assistive technology devices and medical mobility equipment. Assistive technology professionals (including biomedical or rehabilitation engineers, vocational rehabilitation professionals, disability case managers, rehabilitation assistants, and others) can positively impact an individual’s daily quality of life as well as compliment the role of rehabilitation therapists (occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech language therapists or pathologists, rehab nurses), and improve the health care system.
Comments