Workshop: Wheelchair Adjustments
Understanding Basic Adjustments and Seating System Design
Technology Park Function Centre, Bentley
Thursday, 17 June 2021
Wheelchairs are improving in design and technology all the time. While keeping up with every innovation that comes to market isn’t always possible, having a fundamental understanding of wheelchairs and seating system design is essential for facilitating optimal wheelchair performance for a specific user.
Wheelchair adjustments are necessary to accommodate unique body sizes and shape, functional abilities, recreation and work needs. When prescribing a wheelchair, an occupational therapist needs to be aware of the adjustment features of that wheelchair and understand its adjustability to suit the changing needs and abilities of the user.
Leading with our ‘enabling power of applied knowledge‘ and offering the benefit of being ‘the conduit that matches optimal solutions to specific need‘, the purpose of this workshop was to provide therapists with the knowledge and skills that would enable them to make basic backrest, seat depth, seat height, headrest, legrest, footrest and armrest adjustments and subsequently provide their clients with the optimal seating solution for specific needs.
Facilitated by Unicare Health’s clinical educator and trainer, Annette Terranova, this workshop provided an understanding of Unicare’s wheelchair range commonly used in hospitals & aged care and explored the adjustability of each wheelchair’s seating system design.
Annette began her presentation by discussing adjustable wheelchair options and what is actually adjustable before and after purchase. She introduced therapists to a variety of wheelchair-adjustment tools and hardware, as well as the concept of centre of gravity and how it relates to wheelchair setup.
Using a range of tools supplied, therapists were given an opportunity to investigate the adjustability of common manual chairs such as the Ansa Tourer, Breezy Basix, Quickie SR45, and Ansa Relax. This was aimed at helping them gain confidence and competence when performing simple wheelchair and accessory adjustments for their clients.
Turning wheelchairs upside-down and inside-out, everyone was encouraged to have a go with nuts and bolts, look under seats and get themselves acquainted with adjusting different wheelchair components such as backrest, seat depth, seat height, headrest, legrest, footrest and armrest adjustments.
It was definitely a hands-on experience for all and the first time for many!
What did the attendees have to say?
” I enjoyed how knowledgeable Annette is and how clearly she explained the differences between wheelchair features. ”
Georgia S – Hall & Prior OT
” I enjoyed the practical sessions and the clear overview of the benefits and disadvantages of different wheelchairs. I learned how to adjust wheelchairs, what to look out for and how it may contribute to a client’s comfort, discomfort, pressure injury care and more. ”
Jenna S – OT Plena Health
” I enjoyed the practical elements of this workshop and having lots of Unicare staff to answer questions and help during the practical sessions. I learned the importance of examining centre of gravity when adjusting wheelchairs. ”
Sally F – Curtin University Student OT
” I enjoyed the opportunity for hands on experience adjusting wheelchairs. ”
Karen G – Brightwater OT
” I enjoyed the hands-on practice adjusting wheelchairs and learning how to complete basic wheelchair adjustments. ”
Shenae B – Silver Chain OT
Thank you
Unicare Health would like to thank everyone who took the time to attend our Wheelchair Adjustments workshop.
We trust that everyone had an enjoyable experience adjusting wheelchair components and, in the process, developed a more thorough understanding of the wheelchair seating systems to become more knowledgeable prescribers of these chairs.
Your enthusiasm to upskill and improve your client’s mobility outcomes, and your never-ending support for Unicare Health keeps us going. We can’t wait to host more of these workshops for you!
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Posted on 24 June 2021