Week 4

Another issue we discovered during our home visit was over seating. Patient s has been ambulating in a 2wzf with one assist/ supervision however he has been using a tilt recline wheel chair for seating. This has enabled patient s to sit in less hip flexion, it is also optimal for pressure care and has long enough arm rests for the patient to push of during a sit to stand transfer. The wife informed us during our visit that the patient is inclined to spend most of his time in his lounge room chair. We assessed the chair for comfort, transfers and pressure care. The chair is too low for the patient as he will require too much assistance to go from sit to stand. The arm rests are also curved downwards at the front making it impossible for him to push down during the sit to stand transfer. Due to the L hip arthrodesis and limited hip flexion, patient s is also far better off in a seat that can tilt backwards to take the pressure of his lower back. After a discussion we decided that the best thing would be to consider getting him an electric wheelchair to sit in when he is in the lounge chair. We called independent living center to organise an appointment so that we can ensure patient s gets the best possible seating for himself.