SEATING | CAREFLEX UNDER PRESSURE
Careflex offer some tips on the best way those with an illness or disability can ensure a secure seated position without risking their comfort or health.
In everyday life most people make postural changes instinctively. We shift our buttocks, stretch our legs out, move our head, neck and shoulders – we’re constantly on the move to keep ourselves feeling good.
We manage our own comfort, posture and stability without a second thought. But when a person’s abilities are reduced or compromised by illness or disability, often they cannot make these voluntary movements themselves. When this situation arises it is important to pay close attention to their lying and seating positions to maintain their comfort and stability, so as to ensure pressure ulcers do not occur.
Many people have to spend a lot of time in bed because ordinary chairs and wheelchairs do not give them enough support, but with the right seating choice, a bedridden person can re-join their friends and family in daily life. Their quality of life can be improved immeasurably.
This little Snoopy cartoon may be slightly off the point but it actually demonstrates a posture problem very well. People suffering from kyphosis and many elderly people sit in chairs with their head slumped forward or to the side – chin to chest.
Complete with the correct body, neck and head supports, a TiS chair allows you to change the reclining angle of the seat and back without adjusting the user’s hip and knee angle. As little as a 20° tilt can reduce pressure under the buttocks and thighs. A TiS will also help redistribute body weight and help combat fatigue.
A major consideration is the position of the pelvis. Gail Russell, an independent Occupational Therapist, commented: “The pelvis is the foundation for building a stable seating posture. Get the pelvis position correct, or, at least, the best you can, and everything above and below has a better chance of improving.”
Poor posture can exacerbate changes in body shape due to adaption of tissues and might impact on body systems. It is imperative that a full assessment is made to select a chair that is right for the user.
A chair set up for someone else might make things worse. Important measurements to take into account are seat width, depth and height, arm height, back height, then the correct head and neck support, and whether the user needs lateral supports, a footplate.
So if you get given a chair, ask your Occupational Therapist to get it reassessed with you in it!
Gravity can trap people in these destructive postures. This impairs their breathing, their ability to talk, so communication is poor, and their ability to eat and drink.
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Sitting for long periods, without specialist seating, in an asymmetrical and unsupported position can lead to skin and soft tissue damage often resulting in pressure ulcers, ranging from a slight discolouration of skin to a serious deep wound that may leave many tissue layers exposed. This process of skin breakdown can be made worse by other factors such as incontinence, immobility, sensory impairment and age.
Pressure ulcers often develop on the buttocks, sacrum, hips, heels, spine, and around the head. The result is pain and anguish, often in patients already suffering from chronic illnesses.
With this in mind it is important to choose a chair which offers continuous low-pressure relief for people at medium to high risk of pressure damage.
At the end of the day, it really is all about improving quality of life. The right chair can do just that.
www.careflex.co.uk www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
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