Exploring Older Adults’ Experiences and Perceptions with a Peer-Led Wheelchair Training Program

Abstract

Background. Manual wheelchair (MWC) training is important, but less than 50% of new wheelchair users receive any training. The Wheelchair training Self-efficacy Enhanced for Use (WheelSeeU), a community-based peer-led MWC training program, is feasible and effective for improving wheelchair skills. However, implementing effective programs requires an understanding of stakeholders’ experiences. Purpose. Explore older adults’ perceptions about their participation in the WheelSeeU program. Method. Qualitative interviews were conducted with participants who completed the WheelSeeU program. Thematic analysis was conducted. Findings. Three themes emerged. 1. Getting my life back described participants’ perceived impact of the WheelSeeU program on their lives. 2. I can do it too, implied critical facilitators for success. 3. Social gains, revealed participants’ feelings of social inclusion through participation in the program. Implications. Older adults expressed satisfaction and quality of participation with the WheelSeeU program that increased autonomy, improved MWC mobility and self-efficacy, and enhanced social connectedness.

Exploring the Influence of a Community-Based Peer-Led Wheelchair Skills Training on Satisfaction with Participation in Children and Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy and Spina Bifida: A Pilot Study

“…Studies have suggested the potential power of peer and group approaches, respectively for providing mentorship and support for people with disability, including wheelchair users [35,[58][59][60]. The power of these approaches may extend to children and adolescents as well.…”

“…Peers share life experiences and are perceived as a credible source of information [59]. Moreover, the vicarious experience that is provided by watching the peer-trainers and the other participants of the group can strengthen self-efficacy in one's ability to learn new skills and can influence behaviour changes (e.g., wheelchair use) [35,60]. Gowran et al, reported parent perceived benefits of their child interacting with an adult wheelchair user, such that watching another person successfully perform skills fostered their children's belief in their own potential and revealed skills that were unimaginable before [24].…”

“…Higher self-efficacy is associated with an increased frequency of use of wheelchair skills and higher life-space mobility [61], thus may facilitate participation in PWCUs. In adults, the sociodemographic characteristics of the peer-trainers (e.g., age, diagnosis) were not perceived as important selection criteria to consider by the participants of a peer-led wheelchair skills training program [60]. On another hand, adults who participated in another wheelchair training program had mitigated opinions on group members' diversity, mentioning advantages and disadvantages of heterogeneity [35].…”

Community mobility and participation assessment of manual wheelchair users: a review of current techniques and challenges

“…Their findings indicated that "resistance training improved functional independence while both types of exercise (aerobic arm-ergometer and resistance training) included positive effects on quality of life" (Willig et al, 2020). One more example of the success of training programs can be found in a 2020 article by Pellichero et al (2020) which studied 11 individuals and conducted rehabilitation training programs to improve satisfaction and self-sufficiency. Their study found that all the participants "expressed satisfaction and quality of participation with the WheelSeeU program that increased autonomy, improved (Manual Wheelchair) MWC mobility and self-efficacy, and enhanced social connectedness" (Pellichero et al, 2020).…”

“…One more example of the success of training programs can be found in a 2020 article by Pellichero et al (2020) which studied 11 individuals and conducted rehabilitation training programs to improve satisfaction and self-sufficiency. Their study found that all the participants "expressed satisfaction and quality of participation with the WheelSeeU program that increased autonomy, improved (Manual Wheelchair) MWC mobility and self-efficacy, and enhanced social connectedness" (Pellichero et al, 2020). Charlton et al published a pilot study in 2021 which sought to explore how a wheelchair skills training program could affect performance, confidence and CP for MWU.…”