Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Individuals who have difficulty walking may benefit from using a wheelchair to maintain their independence. For individuals who do not have the strength or stamina to use a manual wheelchair, a powered wheelchair may allow independent mobility within their environments. To be prescribed a powered wheelchair, potential users must undergo training and assessment to ensure safety with the device. As a result powered wheelchairs are often not prescribed to those who have difficulty with learning or memory, due to the belief these individuals will not be able to learn the necessary skills. Individuals commonly denied powered mobility primarily include older adults with age related memory loss, Alzheimer disease, and related dementias. Shared control for powered wheelchairs is new technology which may increase independence for individuals across the lifespan who require powered mobility by providing structured training which addresses their specific learning needs. This technology provides a wheelchair skills trainer with the capacity to override the wheelchair controls, promote safety while learning, and enhance the learning process.