Atwal, Anita, Mcintyre, Anne, Spiliotopoulou, Georgia, Money, Arthur and Paraskevopoulos, Ioannis (2016) How are service users instructed to measure home furniture for provision of minor assistive devices? Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 12 (2). pp. 153-159. ISSN 1748-3107 (Print), 1748-3115 (Online) (doi:10.3109/17483107.2015.1111942)

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Abstract

Purpose:
Measurements play a vital role in providing devices that meet the individual needs of users. There is increasing evidence of devices being abandoned. The reasons for this are complex but one key factor that plays a role in non-use of equipment is the lack of fit between the device, environment and person. In addition, the abandonment of devices can be seen as a waste of public money. The aim of this paper is to examine the type, the readability, and the content of existing guidance in relation to measuring home furniture.

Method: An online national survey involving health and social care trusts in the UK. We conducted a synthesis of leaflets associated with measurement of furniture to identify existing guidance. The content and readability of this guidance was then evaluated.

Results:
From the 325 responses received, 64 therapists reported using guidance. From the 13 leaflets that were analysed, 8 leaflets were found to meet Level 3 Adult Literacy Standards (age 9–11). There were differences in the way in which the measurement of furniture items occurred within the leaflets with no measurement guidance reported for baths.

Conclusion:
There is a need to standardize guidance to ensure that measurements are reliable.
• Implications for Rehabilitation
• Our research has highlighted the need to confirm and agree measurement techniques for home furniture in the provision of assistive devices.
• Inaccurate guidance can lead to abandonment of devices.
• Inaccurate guidance could prevent service users from not participating within the self-assessment process for devices.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2016 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Devices; Home furniture; Measurement; Service users; therapists
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Engineering & Science > School of Computing & Mathematical Sciences (CMS) Faculty of Engineering & Science
Last Modified:	04 Mar 2022 13:07
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/16510

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