Protection The Rear: Proper Wheelchair Seating
While wheelchair seating seems like the least concern to consider when purchasing a wheelchair, comfort for the rear and back is actually the most important factor. The wheelchair operator spends most of his or her time sitting; therefore, the seat must be perfect. Wheelchair seating width, depth and angle, along with backrests, all must be taken into consideration and adjusted to the perfect levels. Any error in either of these areas can encourage poor posture and discomfort. Even the available options available for wheelchair seating cushions are almost infinite, and the pros and cons of each must be studied closely.
The seat width should be only a few inches longer than the width of the occupant’s hips; the area between the hips and the armrests should be no more than an inch on each side. Any width larger than this can cause leaning and painful back pains. The depth should be set during the wheelchair’s manufacture, but there are some guidelines. If the chair depth is too shallow, the back of the legs will hang over the seat, placing more pressure on the pelvis and spine. Getting a wheelchair seating that is too deep may cause slouching. Individuals should attempt to find a seat somewhere in the middle. Seat angling is the slope of the seat from the front to the back. Handicapped individuals should find wheelchair seating angles with small slopes; not enough of a slope will cause the occupant to slide forward, while too much slope can cause pressure on the bones and skin, causing sores and back problems. The backrest should support the body in a proper manner, providing stability and support for the back; too little support and the back can suffer devastating problems.
Once the wheelchair seating angles and measurements are complete, individuals must consider closely the cushion. The cushion prevents sores and holds the occupant in comfort and security by not allowing him or her to slip into a different position. There are many different types of cushions on the market, and finding the right one for the perfect wheelchair seating can be a challenge. Foam cushions have the advantage of being cheaper than other types of cushioning, while not leaking or deflating. The downside is that they can get worn and flat. Another type of cushion is the gel cushion. While this type of cushion can be very comfortable at first, the gel can migrate to areas of the seat that do not need the gel, such as the hips, while leaving places that are more vulnerable unprotected. The gel cushions are also known to leak at the seams. Honeycomb cushions are cushions that have open cells for the air to flow through. This allows for a solid cushion effect with bounce-back capability. The honeycomb foam is fully-washable as well. The major downfall is that the honeycomb has a tendency to wear thin and compress completely, and it is also the most expensive wheelchair seating cushion on the market, far out of reach of the budgets of many handicapped individuals.
|
