Treatment

Functional Mobility

Functional mobility is seen as the ability to move around in your environment allowing you to take part in daily activities. Functional mobility includes bed mobility, transfers from the wheelchair to the bed, floor, toilet, shower or bath as well as moving from one area to another – this can either be by walking or with the use of an assistive device, such as a walking aid or a wheelchair.

Due to injury or illness, muscles become weak or paralysed and even pain may limit movement or functional mobility.

Rehabilitation focuses on improving functional mobility, either by addressing difficulty in bed mobility and transfers and/or as gait retraining (training on standing and walking). Wheelchair skills training focus on improving one’s dexterity and confidence as a wheelchair user.

To improve functional mobility the prescription of assistive device is sometimes needed. The RHP Rehab therapists are skilled in assessing and prescribing the correct device to aid independence in functional mobility. Assistive devices include walking aids (crutches, walking frame) as well as wheelchair.

Our seating clinic makes use of dedicated expertise of rehabilitation therapists from various fields to assess posture and pressure distribution when seated in a wheelchair. Problem solving and demo setup of a seating system is used to ensure the most appropriate and cost-effective setup of a client’s seating system (wheelchair, backrest and wheelchair cushion) prior to purchase. This is done to help identify the best possible seating solution to prevent secondary complications. Wheelchairs are procured and delivered to the clinic, for the client to try out prior to purchase.