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Hey bloggers! Today I will be talking about functional and community mobility, in relation to the hierarchy for restoring bed mobility skills in clients as OTs. The hierarchy for restoring bed mobility skills (least to greatest confidence) is: bed mobility, mat transfer, wheelchair transfer, bed transfer, functional ambulation for ADL, toilet and tub transfer, car transfer, functional ambulation for community mobility, and community mobility and driving.  The hierarchy of skill building for bed mobility is based on increasing activity demands of each task and illustrates the sequence for intervention planning.  Initially, I didn't really understand the order or sequence of the skills; or why they were placed in the hierarchy like they were. As I was reading about restoring functional and community mobility, it became more clear. We discussed in class that "mobility = controlled  instability". This means that a body is easier to move when the base of support (BoS) is

Hey bloggers! Today I will be discussing the importance of appropriately "fitting" your clients for assistive devices.  It is important to appropriately "fit" your clients for use of an assistive device that is specific for his or her needs.  It is important for the following reasons: 1. T aking  precautionary measures in order to ensure the health and safety of all people. This can be done to prevent injuries due to falls; specifically for aging adults. It is also aids in the prevention of abrasions, contusions, lacerations, etc.  2. To aid in balance, strength, and stability  3. To increase safety and security  4. To decrease pain the client may be experiencing; or even prevent pain from occurring in the future. How would an OT accomplish this for the following ambulation aids (assistive devices)? Canes: [less stability than walkers] standard: one leg wide based quad cane (WBQC): increases stability when someone has decreased balance using a