MAPx (Mobility Aid Personalization): examining why older adults “pimp their ride” and the impact of doing so

Abstract

We all do this. We personalize things. We buy leopard-printed seat covers and fuzzy dice for our cars, and display action figures and photographs in our offices. Studying older adults who have extended this process of personalization to their mobility devices, the purpose of the mobility aid personalization (MAPx) project is to examine MAPx and its impact on the health and mobility of older adults. Using a qualitative research design, field observations and interviews were conducted with 72 older adults to gain an in-depth understanding of device customization from an emic (insider’s) perspective. Findings illustrate that older adults personalize their devices for reasons of fun, function and fashion. MAPx – the process of purposefully selecting or modifying a mobility device to suit individual needs and preferences – was also found to promote health and mobility by encouraging device acceptance, increasing social participation, enhancing joy and preserving identity. MAPx makes an important contribution to our understanding of the complex relationship between older adults and assistive devices and provides a new approach to some old problems including falls, inactivity and social isolation. Encouraging MAPx is a promising rehabilitation strategy for promoting health and community mobility among the older adult population.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• Personalizing an assistive device facilitates device acceptance, promotes health and well-beingand should be supported and encouraged in rehabilitative care.

• Choice, variety and access are critical aspects of assistive devices; vendors, manufacturers andpractitioners should work together to provide clients with a greater range of affordable optionsfor new devices.

• Function is more than mechanical or physical; social factors including social identity, stigma andsocial roles must be adequately considered and explicit in rehabilitative practice.

Keywords:

• Community mobility
• customization
• health promoting
• older adults
• personalization

Acknowledgements

The author thanks the Bridgepoint Hospital Staff and Clinicians for their assistance recruiting and overall support for the study, to Oksana Kuchur for her work as a research assistant on the project, and to my study participants for sharing their adventures and their joy.

Disclosure statement

The author reports no conflicts of interest.