The Electric Feeder: An Efficacy Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of art electric feeder, a device designed to increase independence in self-feeding tasks for persons with physical disabilities. This study used a single-subject research design across 4 subjects and two settings. Variables measured were the length of the meal, the amount of physical assistance needed, and the percentage of the meal eaten. The subjects also answered a questionnaire concerning their satisfaction with the feeder. The results of the study indicated that the use of the electric feeder increased the length of the meal in some cases and decreased the percentage of food eaten in all cases. Two of the 4 subjects showed a clear decrease in the amount of staff time needed when using the feeder. All subjects stated that the feeder increased independence, but only 2 indicated they would use it on a regular basis.

Keywords

activities of daily living cerebral palsy feeding equipment adapted

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

American Occupational Therapy Association. (1983). Roles and functions of occupational therapy in long-term care (Position paper). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 37, 807–810.

Felix

Acevedo

(1985). Brief or New—The thigh feeder. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 39, 600–601.

Hartmann

D. P.

(1977). Considerations in the choice of interobserver reliability estimates. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 10, 103–116.

Hersen

Barlow

D. H.

(1976). Single-case experimental designs: Strategies for studying behavior change. New York: Pergamon Press.

Jarvis

Hey

(1984). Measuring disability and handicap due to cerebral palsy. In Stanley

Alberman

(Eds.), The epidemiology of the cerebral palsies (pp. 35–45). London: Spastics International Medical Publications.

Kazdin

(1982). Single-case research designs. New York: Oxford University Press.

Kirkpatrick

Witt

R. N.

Bell

Stephens

C. B.

(1965). Electric motorized feeder unit for the severely involved patient. Orthopedic and Prosthetic Appliance Journal, 23–25.

Levitt

(1982). Cerebral palsy. In Downie

P. A.

(Ed.), Cash's textbook of neurology for physiotherapists (pp. 378–399). Philadelphia: Lippincott.

Parsonson

B. S.

Baer

D. N.

(1978). The analysis and presentation of graphic data. In Kratochwill

T. R.

(Ed.), Single subject research: Strategies for evaluating change (pp. 101–165). New York: Academic Press.

10.

Ramey

R. L.

Aylor

J. H.

Williams

R. D.

(1979). Microcomputer-aided eating for the severely handicapped. Computers, 12, 54–61.

11.

Stratton

(1981). Behavioral assessment scale of oral functions in feeding. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 35, 719–721.

12.

Trombly

C. A.

Scott

A. D.

(1977). Occupational therapy for physical dysfunction. Baltimore: Waverly Press.

13.

Veterans Administration. (1980). Winsford Feeder. Bulletin of Prosthetics Research, 17(2), 140–143.

14.

Webster

J. G.

Cook

A. M.

Thompkins

W. J.

Vanderheiden

G. C.

(1985). Electronic devices for rehabilitation. London: Chapman and Hall.

15.

West

(1984). A reaffirmed philosophy and practice of occupational therapy for the 1980s. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 38, 15–23.

16.

Wiener

(1985). Brief or New—Feeding device for finger foods. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 39, 746–747.