Mobility and balance is the focus of much of my home care with mobility impaired or elderly patients. The Occupational Therapy Toolkit includes both Treatments Guides and Patient Education Handouts to help your patients improve both their mobility and balance. In addition, I have compiled a list of other great resources that you can use in your OT practice or suggest to patients.
Enjoy!
Cheryl Hall, OT
Author and Illustrator
Occupational Therapy Toolkit
Falls Prevention Center of Excellence – Video Demonstrations
The Falls Prevention Center of Excellence has produced a number of short YouTube videos to demonstrate ways to assess patient balance and mobility including:
Video – Multidirectional Reach Test
Video – Fullerton Advanced Balance (FAB) Scale
The Home Wheelchair Ramp Project.
This manual includes information about modular ramps and long-tread low-riser steps to improve safe home accessibility.
How to Build Wheelchair Ramps for Homes
Wheelchair Skills Program
Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine hosts a great site, The Wheelchair Skills Program, which is used to assess and train users of wheelchairs as well as their caregivers or clinicians. The WSP includes the Wheelchair Skills Test (WST), the questionnaire version of the WST (WST-Q) and the Wheelchair Skills Training Program (WSTP).
Academic Site – Wheelchair Skills Program
United Spinal’s Advocacy Alliance
The Advocacy Alliance is made up of people who are invested in the health, quality of life and independent living of people with disabilities. Their resource, Users First Mobility Map, is a online book designed to answer common questions about getting a wheelchair with a step-by-step map of the path to choosing a wheelchair.
Online Book
U.S. FDA Free Patient Lifts Safety Guide
This free resource includes do’s and don’ts for: Lifting from Floor; Bed-Chair Transfer; Lateral Transfer; Toileting/Bathing and Repositioning.
Free PDF – Patient Lifts Safety Guide
Wheelchair Accessible Trails
Trail Link by the non-profit, Rails to Trails Conservancy, offers a list of wheelchair accessible trails by state.
Website – Wheelchair Accessible Trails
“How-to Articles” that Improve Mobility
The Durable Equipment Medical Library strives to provide third party, neutral reviews to help patients purchase and use medical equipment. They strive to compile data from real people and studies conducted about durable medical equipment. Among other topics, they cover how to buy wheelchairs and how to use a cane.
How to Buy a Wheelchair
How to Use a Cane
Preferred Health Choice Blog
Preferred Health Choice sells a large selection of durable medical equipment and aids, and they blog about it! The blog includes the following mobility resources:
How to Measure for a Wheelchair Ramp
How to Measure for a Rollator
How to Measure for a Wheelchair
How to use a Hoyer Lift
Western Schools – Online CEU’s
CEU courses by Michelle L. Lange, OTR, ABDA, ATP include:
• Introduction to Wheeled Mobility: Considerations in Occupational and Physical Therapy Practice
• Introduction to Wheelchair Seating and Positioning: Considerations in Occupational & Physical Therapy Practice
There is a charge for the courses.
Western Schools Website
Poles for Mobility
This business is all about using walking poles correctly to enhance mobility. Founded by a PT, the techniques taught get high marks.
Commercial Site – Poles for Mobility
A Guide to Bed Safety
Bed Rails In Hospitals, Nursing Homes and Home Health Care: The Facts
Brochure
Stair Lift Buyer’s Guide
Help in making the decision to buy a stair lift.
Commercial Site
