Thursday, June 6, 2019

On Bed Mobility: Biomechanics Blog Post Seven

Mobility is something most people take for granted. We think nothing of walking across the room to pick up an object or even getting out of bed without additional devices or help. However these abilities are not available to everyone whether it be due to a disability since birth, degenerative diseases, age, or an acquired injury.

Knowing the aforementioned information, it is helpful to know that there is also a "Hierarchy of Mobility Skills" that scale mobility from bed mobility to to community to mobility and driving. I personally had not taken the time to think of mobility in a specific order before learning of this BUT now that I do know I think it makes perfect sense. When learning or relearning mobility skills it is critical to build on the skills. Starting with bed mobility and moving to mat transfers, wheelchair transfers, bed transfers, mechanical ambulation for ADLs, toileting and tub transfers, car transfers, functional ambulation, and finally community mobility and driving is the technical chronological order.

I do think it is important to note that the order of learning these skills can overlap and should overlap. A person should find their just right challenge and use self reflection to find their level of comfort in moving from one skill to the next. I also think it is important to note that learning proper mobility takes practice and can be adapted slightly per person. In lecture we were shown a video of an individual with a spinal cord injury getting in and out of bed. He has learned this skill and adapted it to his personal preference while still following safety precautions. In simulation lab we as class learned that doing this the first time can be awkward however we found that practice is key and I believe it will be the same when working with clients.

I agree with the hierarchy of mobility skills as a blueprint for adaptations of movement and ADLs. I look forward to applying the knowledge in practice in the future!

1 comment:

  1. I look forward to watching as you grow in OT and apply the knowledge you gain from your education! :-)

    ReplyDelete

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