Acceptance and Meanings of Wheelchair Use in Senior Stroke Survivors
By Barker, Donna J.; Reid, Denise; Cott, Cheryl; American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol. 58, No. 2, pp. 221-230Publication Date: March/April 2004
Study conducted to gain understanding of the experiences of older people who have experienced a stroke, and their use of prescribed wheelchairs in their homes and communities. The study involved semi-structured, in-depth interviews that were conducted with 10 participants who had used a wheelchair for a mean of 5.6 years. The participants’ age range was 70 to 80 years. Three different categories of acceptance of wheelchair use emerged from the study: (1) reluctant acceptance, (2) grateful acceptance, and (3) internal acceptance. Increased mobility, varied social response, and loss of some valued roles were common to all three wheelchair-acceptance categories. Aspects of level of burden, freedom, and spontaneity varied in degree among the three acceptance categories. As wheelchairs provided opportunities for increased continuity, they appeared to be accepted and viewed in a positive manner. The authors conclude that pre-stroke lifestyles and values need to be carefully considered in order to maximize acceptance of wheelchair use among senior survivors of stroke.
Published by: American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA) (Website:http://www.aota.org)
This publication is included in the library of the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), accession number J47296
