Transcription:

Bill Klaproth (host): So picture this: a mature driver rolling down the road can't move his or her head to see out the side-view mirror properly or can't lift his or her leg properly for the gas or brake because the seat is adjusted wrong. What happens then? The increased likelihood of an accident. It's something you may never think about, but having the right fit and positioning for mature drivers is really important and a matter of safety. So let's talk about car fit, helping mature drivers find their safest fit with Erin Roberts, occupational therapist at Bath Community Hospital and Bath Community Rehab and Wellness.

Welcome to Your Health is Our Passion, a Bath Community Hospital podcast. I'm Bill Klaproth. Erin, great to talk with you on such an interesting topic and an important topic. So thank you for your time. First off, I understand that you are a native of Bath.

Erin Roberts: Born and raised. Grew up in Millboro, Virginia, and went to college and came back. And now, I'm lucky to be able to work at Bath Community Hospital and Bath Community Rehab and Wellness.

Bill Klaproth (host): Well, we're happy you're here too. That's fantastic. And we understand you're raising a family here and you have a passion for the community of Bath.

Erin Roberts: Yes. Yes, I have a toddler. And I do, I love our rural community. I like the people here. And, yes, very passionate about being here and providing services to our community.

Bill Klaproth (host): Well, that is wonderful and, again, love having you here at Bath with us. So tell us about what you do briefly. You're an occupational therapist by trade. For someone listening saying, "What does an occupational therapist do?" So what does an occupational therapist do?

Erin Roberts: I actually get asked that all the time. And my favorite answer is that, as an occupational therapist, we focus on function. So everything you do throughout the day, you know, brush your teeth, get in your car, go to work type on your keyboard, everything that has a purpose is technically your occupation. So if you have an injury or sickness or anything that keeps you from performing your daily roles, your daily occupations, we address that. So our overall goal is to help you achieve full function and the highest quality of life that you can have.

Bill Klaproth (host): I love that. How did you get interested in that? And what made you become an occupational therapist?

Erin Roberts: I'll shorten that story for you. I actually had a really bad car accident when I was 16. And to avoid telling you all the injuries, I was hospitalized for a while and I actually worked with a couple of occupational therapists. And I had no idea what OT was until I had this injury. And I was definitely enlightened and moved by working with these therapists. And ever since that car accident and my recovery, I had wanted to be an occupational therapist.

Bill Klaproth (host): Wow. That's an interesting story. Well, thank you for sharing that with us. So you have firsthand knowledge then of how important occupational therapy is then.

Erin Roberts: Yes. Yes, firsthand. Absolutely.

Bill Klaproth (host): Well, first off, we're very happy that you're okay. And our topic today is talking about keeping people safe behind the wheel. We're talking about helping mature drivers be safe on the road by helping them with proper seating and proper fit. So why is it important then for mature drivers really to be situated correctly while they're driving?

Erin Roberts: So I use the term mature because, you know, we drive. Ever since you're 16 years old, you're in a vehicle. And as we get older, we might lose things like we might have poor vision or we might not be able to turn our head as we normally would to look to the right and the left to check our blind spots, or maybe it's harder to get in and out of the vehicle because you have general aches and pains. So, this is a really good program to help the mature driver learn how to fit their vehicle to make them safe as possible, and to be able to be on the road as long as they can.

Bill Klaproth (host): So that's such a good point. When you say safe as possible, being able to see properly in the rear-view mirror or even the side-view mirrors, making sure the steering wheel is in a proper position, just so they can drive as safely as possible. So how do you check then when you get a mature driver in? What do you look for? How do you do this?

Erin Roberts: So we actually have a 12-point checklist and we assess your position in the driver's seat. So we look at things like the position of your seatbelt, the position of your headrest, the position of your steering wheel. And then, we look to see if you can safely move your foot on and off the gas and the brake pedals. So that's actually kind of the number one thing that we look at. And then, we look at your rear-view mirrors and their position. This is the coolest part. We can almost, if not completely, we can almost eliminate your blind spot by positioning your side mirrors. So that's a big one. That's my favorite part. And then, we'll do a walk around and we'll check your signals, your headlights, your brake lights, kind of to talk about tire pressure. And then, we might recommend adaptive equipment to help you fit better in the driver's seat.

Bill Klaproth (host): So you mentioned a 12-point checklist that's very thorough. You also mentioned you might recommend adaptive equipment. What are some other recommendations you might suggest?

Erin Roberts: So I'll go with some of my favorites. First thing is if someone's having a difficult time getting in and out of their vehicle, I would recommend using what they call a handy bar. And it's a pretty handy bar and it clips on the inside of the doorframe. And it helps you push up or lower yourself down onto the driver's seat. Another one of my favorites is the swivel cushion that you can put in the driver's seat that kind of helps you swing your legs in and out of the car. That's a fun one. There's a lot of adaptive equipment that we can demonstrate and show you how to use. And actually, you can purchase that from us if you need to.

Bill Klaproth (host): So Erin, we've been using the term mature drivers. Who exactly is this program best suited for? Who is a mature driver?

Erin Roberts: So, yes, actually. using the term mature older driver can be a little intimidating, but let me back up. This program was established by the AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association, yet geared towards the older mature driver. And there's no shame in that. You know, if you want to be on the road as long as you can and as safe as possible, this is a great program. But I also like to gear it towards brand new drivers. I actually wish that a lot of the things I learned from this program, I wish that I had learned them back when I was 16 and getting the vehicle. So I'm kind of gearing it towards our youth as well. I think it's important for the new and the mature driver to have this program.

Bill Klaproth (host): Yeah. This 12-point checklist seems like it could work really for anyone. And as a parent, I would like my young drivers to go through this to make sure they're being as safe as possible.

Erin Roberts: Absolutely.

Bill Klaproth (host): Yeah, so that's really good. So I understand you're having an event. Is that correct? This Saturday? Can you tell us about that?

Erin Roberts: Yeah. So the CarFit event, this is the second event we've had, but it will be this Saturday at Bath Community Hospital. And it'll be in the upper parking lot. So there'll be signs and cones directing you up to the upper parking lot. And your first station will be just greeting us friendly therapists and volunteers. We'll kind of go over how the process is going to go and meet and greet, so to say. And the second station is where we do the fun 12-point checklist. Now, this could last up to 20 minutes. It may be less, but this is where we do all the fun assessments and recommendations, and see how you do getting out of your vehicle and all that good stuff.

And then the last station you come to, we'll kind of talk about how you felt about it, if there's any questions you might have. And that's where I'll have some of these. adaptive equipment items that you can look at to see if that's something you're interested in. And then, we'll also send you home with a little goodie bag. So, we're a fun group of people. And if you just want to come out and meet us and then get your car checked, it's a win-win.

Bill Klaproth (host): Absolutely. And what time does this start?

Erin Roberts: We start at 9:00 AM. It ends at 12:00, and I prefer that people call to set up their appointment. It's difficult just to have drive-ups. So please call me at 839-7336 or at 839-7330 to schedule your appointment.

Bill Klaproth (host): Well, you've made it very easy for us to have our mature drivers checked. Make your appointment, and then come on by between 9:00 and noon.

Erin Roberts: We should add that we're having a little bake sale on the side if anyone wants to purchase some goodies when they're done.

Bill Klaproth (host): Well, now you've got us. We love the goodies. This sounds like a great event, Erin. And thank you for your time. It's been a pleasure talking with you.

Erin Roberts: Hey, you're welcome.

Bill Klaproth (host): Anything else you want to add at the end, as we wrap up about mature drivers and the importance of safety and doing this?

Erin Roberts: One more thing. This program is also good because some of these brand new cars, they have a lot of technology involved. So we're also there to answer a lot of questions about how to adjust things in the vehicle. Maybe adjusting your seat. Adjusting the steering wheel. There's technology advances, a lot of times we buy vehicles and we don't know how to make these adjustments. So, it's also nice to come. And if you have questions about how to set up your vehicle, we're here to help you with that too.

Bill Klaproth (host): Such a good point with these cars in their 10 different-way power seats. I could see where someone would say, "Gosh, I didn't know my seat could do that. It's adjusted so perfectly now." So people like you, Erin, are there to help us with these types of things and help make our mature and all drivers more safe. So thank you again, Erin, it's been a real pleasure talking with you.

Erin Roberts: Hey, thank you too. And I hope to see some of you guys out there.

Bill Klaproth (host): You bet, Erin, and thanks again. And that is Erin Robertson. To schedule your 20-minute appointment, please call Erin at (540) 839-7336. That's 839-7336 to schedule your 20-minute appointment. You can also visit 222, that's the number two, 222.car-fit.org for more information. Appointment spaces are limited. So don't wait.

And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social media channels and check out the full podcast library for topics of interest to you. Once again, this is Your Health is Our Passion, a Bath Community Hospital Podcast. I'm Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.