One problem that’s far too common in both care and domestic settings is incidents of patients falling or sliding from their chairs. Particularly at risk are elderly patients as well as those with muscular conditions, and a fall from a chair can cause discomfort, embarrassment or even injury for the patients involved. The good news is that with a correct seating assessment, the risk of falling from a chair can be greatly reduced.
Here are 4 areas to consider to help patients stay secure and comfortable within their Recliners chair.
Use the Reclining Functions
Gravity can play an important role in keeping your patient secure within their chair, and recline functions can help you take advantage of this. Use the back angle recline to lean the patient back and prevent the patient from leaning forwards in their chair. Many chairs also allow you to adjust the angle of the seat itself, creating stronger support for a patient’s hips and pelvis.
Correctly Position the Legs and Feet
Positioning the leg rest at a negative angle (slightly less than 90 degrees) allows the hamstrings to make full contact with the chair. Using a footrest can also help secure a patient’s seated position. Place the feet flat on the footrest, allowing them to take as much weight as possible. See out full guide to using a footrest here.
Make Use of Adjustable Seat Depth
One of the most common reasons for falls and slides is that the seat depth of a chair has not been correctly adjusted to the individual’s height. This is easily fixed – simply raise or lower the seat depth until the back of the thighs are making full contact with the chair.
Use Extra Supports
The majority of our Homecare and Healthcare chairs come with extra postural support for the back. Use these additional cushions to keep your patient sitting straight and prevent them from slipping to one side.
To find out more about how our range of Recliners chairs can help your patients stay safe and comfortable, visit our product page here.