The appropriateness of the standard manual wheelchair for occupational performance by wheelchair users in the Vhembe District, Limpopo, South Africa

Abstract

Background: There was a need to investigate the appropriateness of the standard manual wheelchair for occupational performance in Thulamela Municipality Vhembe District, Limpopo.

Methods: An observational cross-sectional descriptive design using simple random sampling was used to select n=60 wheelchair users who were issued with standard manual wheelchairs between 2014 and 2018. The Wheelchair Outcome Measure was used to investigate the participants' level of satisfaction in engagement in ADL and IADL and the suitability of the wheelchair in terms of the user’s comfort and satisfaction with positioning and prevention of skin breakdown. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data.

Results:  The wheelchair users viewed activity participation in the home as important and were generally satisfied with their standard manual wheelchairs while performing occupational activities at home and outside the home. A total of (n=46; 78%) of the participants felt more comfortable in their wheelchair.

Conclusions: Wheelchair prescription should take into consideration the occupational choices of the user. Further qualitative studies to explore the factors that determined the participants' choices for their activity participation goals should be undertaken.

Implications for practice

• Training of new occupational therapy staff in each facility in the Thulamela district to equip them with the skills to prescribe wheelchairs is necessary.
• The level of importance that wheelchair participants attached to level of importance of activity participation inside and outside the home was high therefore there is a need to consider the client’s occupational choices when prescribing wheelchairs.
• The wheelchair needs to facilitate participation in a wide range of occupational choices ranging from self-care activities and watching TV in the home to visiting friends and family and attending events outside the home.