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Abstract
A survey of residents was done in three congregate care facilities to determine the
prevalence and safety of platform motorized wheelchairs (PMWs) otherwise known as
three-wheeled motorized wheelchairs or scooters. Thirty-one drivers of these vehicles
were identified, 30 of whom consented to be interviewed. The mean age of the drivers
was 80.7 years and 84% were women. Arthritis was the most frequent reason for use
of the PMW (47%), followed by neurologic problems (23%) and orthopedic problems (23%).
Of this group, 77% had their PMW prescribed by a physician, most commonly an orthopedic
surgeon (40%) with only 14% being prescribed by a geriatrician or physiatrist. Thirty
percent of the drivers felt other drivers in their facility drove unsafely. Most residents
(57%) had no training in the use of the vehicle and two admitted they had a medical
condition that made it difficult to drive. Five accidents were reported, two of which
involved either a serious injury or property damage. Based on the results obtained
from this survey, we conclude that driver safety evaluation should be done on all
users of PMWs in congregate care facilities.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
March 30,
1992
Received:
January 8,
1992
Footnotes
☆This paper was presented in part at the Annual Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, Boston, MA. 1990.
Identification
Copyright
© 1993 Published by Elsevier Inc.
