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On an equal footing: adults' accounts of the experience of using assistive devices for standing
Birgitta Nordström1, Annika Näslund, Lilly Ekenberg
1Department of Research and Development, Norrbotten County Council, Luleå, Sweden. birgitta.nordstrom@ltu.se
Purpose:
The aim of the study was to illuminate the meaning that standing holds for persons who require standing devices.
Method:
The phenomenological/hermeneutical analysis of the interviews was carried out using a life world-approach. Fifteen users of standing devices lacking the ability to stand independently participated in the interviews.
Result:
Each person's lived experiences of standing in their devices indicated that the upright body position opens up an opportunity for connection to the outside world. An upright body position (i) alters the person's sense of self, (ii) augments the person's availability to the outside world, (iii) strengthens social interplay, and (iv) changes a person's motivation and their expectations over time.
Conclusion:
Standing may be something that unites the body and self. Understanding the meaning of the altered body position that the use of standing devices opens up is vital for physiotherapists and occupational therapists prescribing these devices. Furthermore, it is important to take account of the subjective body, as well as the biological one, to enhance the adoption of different body positions and the person's experiences.
