What I want to achieve
My overall aim is to collect or develop some tools as a result of my experiences, and then collate them into a resource pack for therapists (or other facilitators) to refer to when working with people to obtain mobility equipment.
· What resources are available to support therapists to guide a person, and the people who support them, through the process of choosing and acquiring new mobility equipment – or what are the key strategies that make this an effective process?
· What resources can assist therapists to collect the information required to make informed decisions about the impact of different equipment and seating on the person (ie mat assessment, matching equipment to physical presentation, impact of functional needs on wheelchair design)?
· How can therapists support people to self-advocate for their wants and needs when making decisions about new mobility equipment?
· What can support therapists to approach mobility equipment prescription from a person centred perspective, especially when the person has complex physical, intellectual or sensory disabilities that impact on their communication?
· How can we document evidence that a person centred approach has been used when making decisions about mobility equipment?
· How can therapists’ best provide accurate and easy to understand information to the person, and those who support them, about the process, expectations and timeframes when obtaining new mobility equipment?
· What facilitates therapists to build positive relationships with the person, and those who support them, to enhance the collaborate contributions required from all parties to generate an optimal mobility solution?
· Can we refine and describe a framework for person centred decision making around issues of shared risk, differences of opinion or heightened concern – with the aim to try and ensure that the generated solution is satisfactory to all parties involved?
· What mobility equipment is being used, modified or customised for people with highly complex seating needs – are there any innovations that can be shared?
· What resources are available to support therapists to guide a person, and the people who support them, through the process of choosing and acquiring new mobility equipment – or what are the key strategies that make this an effective process?
· What resources can assist therapists to collect the information required to make informed decisions about the impact of different equipment and seating on the person (ie mat assessment, matching equipment to physical presentation, impact of functional needs on wheelchair design)?
· How can therapists support people to self-advocate for their wants and needs when making decisions about new mobility equipment?
· What can support therapists to approach mobility equipment prescription from a person centred perspective, especially when the person has complex physical, intellectual or sensory disabilities that impact on their communication?
· How can we document evidence that a person centred approach has been used when making decisions about mobility equipment?
· How can therapists’ best provide accurate and easy to understand information to the person, and those who support them, about the process, expectations and timeframes when obtaining new mobility equipment?
· What facilitates therapists to build positive relationships with the person, and those who support them, to enhance the collaborate contributions required from all parties to generate an optimal mobility solution?
· Can we refine and describe a framework for person centred decision making around issues of shared risk, differences of opinion or heightened concern – with the aim to try and ensure that the generated solution is satisfactory to all parties involved?
· What mobility equipment is being used, modified or customised for people with highly complex seating needs – are there any innovations that can be shared?
What motivated my study tour?
The idea for this study tour has come from my own personal experience, and the stories of other therapists I have mentored and spoken to, that there are minimal formal resources to help a therapist learn these skill sets when they start working in this area. Resources or training that do exist often deal with one specific component of the assessment (ie measuring a person’s dimensions and assessing range of movement), rather than addressing the whole process that needs to be negotiated. There is very little information about this process in the literature.
In Victoria, The Disability Act 2006 has placed a huge focus on person centred practice and the right of the person to choose their own supports (including equipment supports) and be in control of decisions made. This becomes more challenging when the majority of people I work with have complex communication needs – it can be easy to make assumptions or employ tokenistic strategies.
By spending time with experts in this field, I hope to articulate and document some of the strategies that we use so that this information can be more easily shared.
In Victoria, The Disability Act 2006 has placed a huge focus on person centred practice and the right of the person to choose their own supports (including equipment supports) and be in control of decisions made. This becomes more challenging when the majority of people I work with have complex communication needs – it can be easy to make assumptions or employ tokenistic strategies.
By spending time with experts in this field, I hope to articulate and document some of the strategies that we use so that this information can be more easily shared.
Where I am going
In this section of my study tour I will be
Five and a half weeks is going to go very quickly and possibly be quite exhausting! Thank you so much to all of the services who have agreed to let me visit during my study tour.
- Flying into London
- Catching the train to visit Brighton Wheelchair and Special Seating Service for two days
- Visiting the department of Medical Engineering at Salisbury District Hospital for two days
- Seeing the wheelchair and seating service at Oxford Centre for Enablement on the Friday and returning there the following Wednesday
- Dropping into Leamington Spa on the weekend to visit the town I lived in for 6 months (half an hour south of Birmingham)
- Spending a week with the West Midlands Rebabilitation Centre, in Selly Oak and Shrewsbury
- Checking out York Minster on my way up to Scotland
- Visiting the SMART centre in Edinburgh for two days
- Hiring a car to go visit the Loch Ness Monster!
- Spending two days with the MARS wheelchair and seating service in Aberdeen
- Flying to the Netherlands where I will visit Neiuew Unicum, a residential and support service for people with disabilities just outside Amsterdam
- Catch the train to Dusseldorf for the annual REHACARE tradeshow and congress
- Stop over in Dubai on my way back to Melbourne
Five and a half weeks is going to go very quickly and possibly be quite exhausting! Thank you so much to all of the services who have agreed to let me visit during my study tour.
Where I have already been
In February and March 2010 I spent two weeks visiting four wheelchair and seating clinics in Perth, Western Australia. These were:
I came away with some inovative ideas for collecting information about the needs and wants of all parties involved, and a structure for linking these postural and functional needs to the equipment. A case study that involved using a 'memorandum of understanding' to move forward on an issue involving the risk of injury was pertinent to the goals of my study tour and fitted closely with some strategies we have been trialling at Yooralla. I also feel better equipped to articulate the process involved in delivering the person and their supports a positive mobility outcome. This trip prepared me well for my travels to Europe.
- CP Tech, Centre for Cerebral Palsy Western Australia
- SeaTec, Brightwater Care
- Medical Engineering, Royal Perth Hospital
- Posture Tech, Rocky Bay
I came away with some inovative ideas for collecting information about the needs and wants of all parties involved, and a structure for linking these postural and functional needs to the equipment. A case study that involved using a 'memorandum of understanding' to move forward on an issue involving the risk of injury was pertinent to the goals of my study tour and fitted closely with some strategies we have been trialling at Yooralla. I also feel better equipped to articulate the process involved in delivering the person and their supports a positive mobility outcome. This trip prepared me well for my travels to Europe.
What happens when my study tour finishes?
When I get home, my primary goal will be to share the information that I have learnt, as well as the resources that I collect and develop. However, at this stage, I am not exactly sure what this will look like. Some ideas include presenting at conferences and special interest groups, formally trialling the tools, and setting up a website where the tools can be downloaded and additional resources can be collected over time. I am keen to keep an international flavour to whatever the final outcome, and I want to ensure that the information is presented and made available to those who will find it most relevant. I am also interested in any suggestions that you might have about networking and continuing the conversation about how we better support people with complex disabilities to choose mobility equipment that best meets their needs.
I can be contacted via the blog section of this webpage, and by emailing [email protected]
Please note that I may have limited access to my email address while I am away on the study tour.
I look forward to hearing from you!
I can be contacted via the blog section of this webpage, and by emailing [email protected]
Please note that I may have limited access to my email address while I am away on the study tour.
I look forward to hearing from you!