The Centre for Transport Studies is pleased to welcome
Ms Roselle Thoreau (Centre for Transport Studies, UCL)
to lead a seminar entitled
The long term impact of mobility scooters
to be held
Wednesday 19 June 2013 @ 16:00
Please join us for presentation and discussion at
Room 217, Chadwick Building, UCL
Maps and travel directions: http<http://www.cege.ucl.ac.uk/people/Pages/How-to-find-us.aspx>://<http://www.cege.ucl.ac.uk/people/Pages/How-to-find-us.aspx>www.cege.ucl.ac.uk/people/Pages/How-to-find-us.aspx<http://www.cege.ucl.ac.uk/people/Pages/How-to-find-us.aspx>
Abstract
Many older people have difficulty walking and the percentage of people in this group rises with age. Depending on the reasons behind the difficulty, as people begin to struggle they have a range of options open to them which can be used alone or in combination. They can; walk less often, walk less far, take more frequent rest breaks while walking, use a mobility aid for stability such as a walker or a cane, or use a mobility device instead of walking such as a wheelchair or a mobility scooter.
Many older people faced with this dilemma today choose to use mobility scooters. Benefitting from improved design and image, mobility scooters have become an increasingly popular mobility aid. They can be hired in large supermarkets and shopping centers and are widely available for purchase. Despite their increased prevalence, little is known about their impact upon their users.
A mobility scooter can be seen as a walking and physical activity replacement. It enables its user to travel distances they previously would have made by foot (or short distance vehicle trips) without any physical effort. For an older adult with difficulty maintaining their previous levels of walking using a mobility scooter allows them to participate in activities they previously could not access or extend the duration of participation in activities they were able to access. However, given the compelling evidence supporting the health benefits of physical activity to older adults, replacing walking with mobility scooter use may hasten levels of physical and functional decline, including the ability to walk and be mobile.
This seminar will explore some of the work currently being undertaken to understand the impact of mobility scooters on the health of preclinically disabled older adults in the UK. This paper will discuss the differences found in energy expenditure of preclinically disabled older adults when walking, using mobility scooters and using self-propelled wheelchairs. In addition the paper will compare these results to some preliminary results of a longitudinal study of the health of preclinically disabled older adults.
About the Speaker
Roselle Thoreau is a researcher and PhD candidate at UCL. She is a mixed methods researcher who has worked on a range of projects related to ageing, transport and accessibility. She is currently the research manager for the Crucible Centre for Lifelong Health and Wellbeing. Her PhD is a cross disciplinary project between Civil Engineering and Medicine, looking at the health impacts of older people who use mobility scooters.
About the CTS Seminar Series
The CTS seminar series aims to facilitate discussion on current research topics in the transport field. Seminars are held jointly with our colleagues in the Centre for Transport Studies at University College London. They are usually held on Wednesday afternoons at Imperial College London or University College London.
Seminars are free of charge and open to all interested parties. Booking is not required.
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