Hi Katherine, this is definitely a big thing in Aged Care isn’t it? Repositioning a resident who is sliding… I have been putting a lot of effort into choosing the right chair for our residents- in particular having their feet supported, plus trying as much as possible to have the correct seat depth for the resident, plus a tilt-in-space function if possible. This is a challenge but prevents sliding in most cases. However, as hard as we try often with cognitive issues, agitation, limited availability of suitable chairs etc residents might still slide. I have tried a couple of the systems with handles just with others in the office, but I find them quite challenging myself. If that is the case the HCAs in the Homes are going to struggle with them too. I do have a couple of the Prevalon system- I might need to trial these in an actual home and let you know. These are more aimed at preventing sliding down than repositioning.
I guess what I am saying is that minimisation of sliding down is key and correct seating is part of that. There are some excellent therapeutic chairs around these days; if your facility or resident/family is in a position to purchase: Arjo, USL and WS Medical have options that provide foot support and tilt-in-space. Worth looking into 🙂
Sarah- I would love to receive the information on your product too! My email address is ellen.vandijken@psc.org.nz.
Thanks!
Ellen
