Workshop: Power Wheelchair Prescription 101
– Options and Considerations
Technology Park Function Centre, Bentley
Thursday, 25 November 2021
Unicare Health would like to thank Prithy Sivaraman and the Sunrise Medical Clinical Hub team for facilitating an informative power wheelchair workshop for our customers last week.
We were joined by Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and soon-to-become OTs from Curtin University who were eager to learn more about prescribing power wheelchairs to improve client outcomes.
Prithy is a senior physiotherapist who has been working with adults and children since 2007 and specialises in complex seating and wheelchair prescriptions. She started her career in Perth before relocating to Adelaide 10 years ago to broaden her expertise working with paediatric clients and developing alternative access controls for powered mobility. She currently works for Sunrise Medical as an educator and trainer.
Prithy delivered a valuable session about prescribing power wheelchairs, reviewing:
- Considerations, compromises, and confidence when prescribing
- Pros and cons of Front/ Mid/ Rear-wheel drive bases
- Selecting a suitable base to cover all personal and environmental needs
- What power seating functions are truly necessary
This workshop also welcomed input from Unicare Health’s clinical educator and trainer, Annette Terranova, who provided valuable insights from her own experiences as a clinician in the field.
Annette has over 35 years of experience as a clinician and consultant within the healthcare industry. She is a valued clinical consultant by occupational therapists working in hospitals, aged care and disability for expert equipment advice and solutions.
“As the therapist, you can do your part by performing an accurate seating assessment so that we can work together to script the best seating system for your client.” – Annette
Prithy began her presentation by reviewing seating goals and the importance of accurate seating assessments. Successful wheelchair prescription is a multi-stepped process that requires many considerations such as understanding a client’s disability, their environment as well as other functional needs.
Using Sunrise Medical’s range of Q-Series Power wheelchairs such as the Quickie Q700 Sedeo Ergo, Q500 , Q400 and Q300, Prithy talked about clinical features in detail, compared the different types of powered wheelbases and explored their applicability for various situations and environments. Both Prithy and Annette also took the opportunity to share their experiences prescribing wheelchairs for clients with different needs.
The new Quickie Q-Series power chairs by Sunrise Medical balances superb indoor manoeuvrability with outstanding outdoor performance. Its powerful motors combined with 6 wheels suspension and Quickie’s anti-pitch technology delivers the most comfortable and safe driving experience.
Each power chair in the Q-Series can be configured to meet specific clinical, lifestyle and environmental needs. Cutting-edge electronics and innovative controls delivers solutions to suit different functional abilities. The fully adjustable and configurable Sedeo seating system comes with a wide range of comfort cushions and positioning options including armrests, legrests, seat and back cushions, headrests and positioning accessories to provide optimal postural support.
Prithy discussed when and how to best script these chairs and taught attendees how to consider different types of wheelbases, tilt and recline features and power add-ons.
Attendees were also taught how to consider the clinical features of the chair carefully to match the cognitive capabilities of their clients.
Annette reminded therapists to consider the pressure care and manual handling needs of their clients when scripting while keeping in mind other safety considerations.
Prithy also discussed crash testing of power wheelchairs and what needs to be included for a power wheelchair system to be safe for transportation.
Both Prithy and Annette stressed the importance of understanding Australian Standards when it comes to scripting chairs.
The seminar concluded with attendees having a go with powerchairs and trying out their different functions. Everyone was thrilled to be able to have a play, to fully understand how seating systems and different drive bases work together to provide the optimal solution for each individual client’s needs.
Thank you
Unicare Health would like to thank everyone who took the time to attend our Power Wheelchair Prescription Workshop.
Along with Prithy and Sunrise Medical, we trust that everyone had an enjoyable experience understanding wheelchair components and, in the process, developed a more thorough understanding of power wheelchairs to become more knowledgeable prescribers of these chairs.
Need help with prescribing Power Wheelchairs?
We are more than happy to take power wheelchairs out for trials and help you with power wheelchair scripting. Call us 1800 656 654 to make an appointment today!
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Posted on 14 December 2021