The Benefits of Environmental Control Systems as Perceived by Disabled Users and their Carers
| Autor: | Jenny Harmer, A M O Bakheit |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 1999 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | British Journal of Occupational Therapy. 62:394-398 |
| ISSN: | 1477-6006 0308-0226 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/030802269906200902 |
| Popis: | The primary objective of this study was to examine the effects of the provision of environmental control systems (ECSs)on the user's functional independence and the amount of care he or she needed. A secondary objective was to establish whether accessibility, acceptability and reliability of ECSsand training in their use have increased the benefits derived from them. A questionnaire and semi-structured interview were used to obtain the responses of users of ECSsand their carers in the County of Dorset, England. Sixteen users of ECSs and 13 carers were recruited for the study. All users lived at home and were frequently left alone for periods of up to 13 hours per day. Functional gains were reported in all aspects of function that were studied, but statistically significant improvement was found in 7 out of the 17 functions evaluated. The maximum benefit appeared to be in the functions relating to home security needs. There was also evidence that the provision of ECSshad reduced the amount of care needed by disabled users. There was strong agreement between the responses of users and carers. No conclusion could be reached regarding the secondary objective of the study. The provision of ECSsappears to have increased the functional independence of disabled users and their sense of wellbeing and reduced the burden of their care. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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