Definition of Mobility Essay

1.1 – Give a Definition of Mobility The definition of mobility is the ability to move body parts, and the ability to move from place to place as well as sitting down and getting up. 1.2 – Identify and Explain Health Conditions That Can Affect Mobility Some health conditions that can affect mobility are age, arthritis, strokes, heart attacks, infections, fracture of bones and possibly mental issues. Arthritis can affect mobility due to the joints hurting or going stiff making mobility harder for the individual. Heart attacks and strokes can affect mobility due to an individual’s balance possibly being impaired but also due to possible paralysis of one side of the body. Mental issues could affect mobility due to someone’s confidence possibly going due to a fall etc. 1.3 – Outline the Effects That Reduced Mobility May Have on Individual Well – being. Reduced mobility and movement may have different impacts on different people; some people may be able to cope better with it than others. Some people may lose their confidence and sense of self, some people may develop depression due not being able to do as much as they used to. Reduced mobility and movement may affect people’s personal relationships, moods. It can also affect a person’s social life due to possibly not being able to leave the house etc. It can also affect a person’s day to day life for example personal care, food preparation to being able to make meals and cups of tea. 1.4 – Describe the Benefits of Maintaining and Improving Mobility for the Individual The benefits of maintaining and improving mobility for individuals are great; it can help with the physical and emotional well – being of the individual. The physical benefits include keeping good circulation and muscle strength; it can help to maintain a steady weight of the individual. Simply put if you don’t encourage an individual to keep their mobility and movement then the muscles waste away, for example if you were to keep a mobile individual bed ridden their muscles in turn will waste away impairing their movement and mobility. Also in some cases physiotherapy can also help to build up the muscle strength etc. enabling reduced movement to possibly increase. The emotional well – being of maintaining and improving mobility for an individual is very important as when someone has reduced movement and ability it can affect their social life, social skills, self-esteem a nd confidence and can also lead to depression, which in a nutshell if you can  improve the mobility and movement of an individual can reduce the risk of depression, can enhance self-esteem and confidence and also can enable them to have a social life. Who Would You Report Progress and / or Problems to? If I noticed progress or problems relating to an individual’s mobility and movement I would always note this down in the Care Log and I would also inform my co-ordinator of any issues, my co-ordinator would then report it to possibly doctors, nurses and also to the occupational health team which could either sort out the use of equipment or could implement anything that could help the individual for example extra care or even reduced care and reduced equipment. How Would You Report the Following Problems and / or Progress Relating to Mobility? – Choice of Activities, equipment, appliances and support provided. I would always be vigilant in my work and the care I provide to see if I could notice any changes to an individual in regards to all aspects of their care including mobility. I would also read care notes that have been written by other carers involved in their care and also possibly family members and healthcare professionals etc. If I noticed any changes at all in regards to what activities they chose for example if they stopped wanting to go out etc. I would always ask them the reasons for this and listen to the reasons (these reasons could be something along the lines of don’t feel confident enough and feel off balance) I would write these concerns down in the Care Log and also report to my co-ordinator, senior carer or manager to possibly look at implementing additional support for their choice of activities. If there was an issue with the equipment for example needed different equipment as it wasn’t suitable or even that they didn’t need the equipment again I would write it down and log it in the Care Log as well as reporting to co-ordinator, senior carer or manager, they would then report this to the occupational health team who would then organise for an assessment of the equipment in place and if necessary change or alter the equipment to suit the individual’s needs at that time. If there was an issue with appliances for example couldn’t work the cooker anymore etc. again I would record my findings in the Care Log along with to my co-ordinator,  senior carer and manager, I would also see if I could speak to the family to see what they suggested and also to see if I could suggest anything for example a microwave instead of a cooker and maybe bigger handled cutlery instead or normal cutlery etc. If I had a problem with the support provided I would again rec ord in the Care Log along with my co-ordinator, senior carer and manager. These concerns would possibly be told to the family and also could be reported to healthcare professionals along with the individuals social worker.