Enhancing Participation In the Community by Improving Wheelchair Skills: Phase 2

Many older adults rely on a manual wheelchair for community mobility but are not provided with skills for independent and effective use. Suboptimal or disuse of the wheelchair results in substantial social costs such as reduced engagement in meaningful activity, social isolation, and higher caregiver burden. This represents a poor use of financial resources, including the cost of wheelchair acquisition and demands for attendant care. Access to skills training is constrained by the cost and limited availability of skilled therapists, the demands of patient and clinician travel, and lack of programs designed specifically for the needs of older adults. Enhancing Participation In the Community by improving Wheelchair Skills (EPIC WheelS) is an individualized home-training program that optimizes learning for older adults while limiting the demands on expert clinician trainers. It is delivered using a portable computer tablet that allows interactive learning, customized updating, and communication with an expert trainer. A monitored, home program that is effective and efficient for older adults has potential application for other target groups as well, particularly those with limited access to rehabilitation services in rural and remote locations.

Inclusion criteria

• at least 50 years old
• live in the community within metropolitan Winnipeg
• self-propel a MWC (Manual Wheelchair) at least 1 hour per day
• use their MWC for mobility outside of the home
• have used a MWC for less than 2 years

Exclusion criteria

• cannot communicate and complete study questionnaires in English
• anticipate a health condition that contraindicates wheelchair training