Posture seating

[Kathphlox]

Hi guys

I'm not a frequent visitor here, but always know I can come here and ask for advice, which I'm going to do now.

Looking after dad has been a 3-year challenge which I'm sure will go on for a long while yet.

Going from mobile and wandering to the present downstairs living using hoists and a hospital bed.. and all the steps in between.

At the moment he sits in his usual lounge chair watching the Tele, but it's getting difficult. On agitated days he rocks back and forth and sometimes flops over to either side at a very alarming angle. Propping him up with cushions or pillows doesn't always work as his rocking dislodges them.

Yesterday he'd had his lunch and seemed quite settled, so I was having mine and hubby was sorting out the drier (we wash dad's clothes every day).

Hubby went through to the lounge and dad was on the floor face down with his head 3 inches away from the gas fire.. any longer and he would have been badly burned.

I know what's happened his rocking had taken him inch by inch to the edge of the chair and he slipped off the front and then slumped sideways, of course he's like a baby so he can't right himself.

Talking to professionals, I should not use restraints as that is classed as abuse, they said use a chair alarm so you know when he's out of the chair!.. Duh! I want to prevent those horrific things not just be informed when they happen. He could crack his head open or break his hip or any number of things.

So I started to make enquiries on the net... I found a company that make posture chairs (kirton-healthcare - Florien model) that provide support seating for people like dad... but they are horrendously expensive, they start at about £1000. He has some savings, but no policies, so I have to keep that bank balance very healthy for the inevitable costs.

What I'm asking is.. surely there are second hand chairs of that type that are no longer being used (fact of life).

Any advice or knowledge of where I can buy a second hand/previously loved one would be appreciated. We live in the West Manchester area so local would be best as we have no transport.


TIA

 

[BeckyJan]

Hello:
Sorry I have no knowledge of any such second hand chair. Have you considered asking the district nurse's, Red Cross, local Alzheimer's Society. Also any local branch of Age UK, Crossroads, Admiral Nurses.

Someone selling might well get in touch with them.

I know you have costed new ones, but did you reckon on taking off VAT - which you should get for a dementia sufferer.

Good luck.

 

[FifiMo]

I did a search on google and found that there is a second hand one here for £500: http://www.asksid.org.uk/docs/SecondHandEquipmentLatestNewsletter.pdf. You have to scroll a fair way down to find it - but it is there.

They do also have a rental option on the new chairs but it seems rather costly to me at around £200/month.

Fiona

 

[Kathphlox]

@BeckyJan Thanks for the tips

He only fell out of his chair on Friday so I thought it would be best to wait until Monday to ask those people. There are some there that I didn't think to ask.. so thanks for that

@FifiMo

Thanks for that link, I've sent them an email to see if they still have it and it is the model I was looking at

Thanks both of you

 

[Canadian Joanne]

Hubby went through to the lounge and dad was on the floor face down with his head 3 inches away from the gas fire.. any longer and he would have been badly burned......

Talking to professionals, I should not use restraints as that is classed as abuse, they said use a chair alarm so you know when he's out of the chair!.. Duh! I want to prevent those horrific things not just be informed when they happen. He could crack his head open or break his hip or any number of things.

The bolding is mine - I completely agree with you. We have the same ridiculous rules here for wheelchairs in nursing home. I have had to authorize using her chair tray, which keeps her in her chair. We formerly also used a lap belt but that was considered a double restraint so not permitted.

Would a lap belt be considered a restraint? Is preventing your father from falling considered abuse? I would ask them a few pointed questions regarding this. Also, it certainly would be nice to be able to hold them accountable for any injuries your father might sustain falling out of his chair, since it is on their advice that he might fall.

Sorry, I'm getting worked up here as hearing about a complete lack of common sense always does to me.

I would ask about the chair tray - maybe that would work around the issue. Plus, if those professionals aren't around your father, what would they know?

 

[FifiMo]

I thought the law on use of restraints referred to nursing homes or professional types of environment. I'm with Joanne here, how would they know if you were using a restraint in the first place. I'd rather restrain someone than have them suffer from having numerous falls on the floor!

Fiona

 

[Kathphlox]

This ban on restraints is actually quite dangerous when you think about it.

On a lighter note....Looking back 18 months ago I would be constantly chasing him around the house as he set off on his hunt for who knows what, he could never tell me what the thing was... After I got the seat alarm & door alarm, it got a little easier to keep track of him. He was prone to falling too so I was on pins all the time. It was rather a blessing when he eventually became imobile.

Update

The chair that was advertised has gone, the lady who put the advert in emailed me and said it was last September, she couldn't sell it at the time, so donated it to the Heart Foundation.

The doc rang me back this morning, after I told him what had happened, he's organising Dad's reassessment with the O/Therapist people... so we shall see.

The wheelchair people were not very helpful last week, I asked for some straps to keep his feet off the floor - he stops the wheelchair and I have to keep lifting them back on to the foot plates every few yards. They refused as it was restraining, so consequently he's not been out for fresh air in a while.

Then I had a call Friday morning from them and they brought a wooden board to fit over the footplates, it's quite a bit deeper so hopefully Dad won't be able to plonk his feet in front of the wheelchair. (somethings are getting through)

Strange, but since his fall out of the chair Dad has been very stable, but as we know, tomorrow could be quite different

 

[kazza73]

The psych unit mum is in have had to use lap restraints on mum during periods of extreme agitation. They did so in order to prevent serious falls and injuries, they explained their reasons and we were happy to know mum was being kept safe.

Common sense seems to go out the window so often these days! Our priority was keeping mum safe , when viewing EMI units some staff looked horrified when they heard that restraints were used, I don't know how on earth they thought they would manage to control the agitation and minimise danger but looking at the state of some residents a chemical cosh seemed to be their answer.

 

[Kathphlox]

I never stopped Dad from wandering around when he was able to walk, I even smiled when he emptied all my bedroom drawers onto the floor, it's his house and he did what he wanted.. so long as the doors were locked I was a bit worried when he became unsteady, so had to follow him about... he'd look round behind him and there I was.. he used to give me a big smile.

When people can no longer walk and yet still think they can, that's when the danger becomes serious, they need to be protected from those dangers.

I'm waffling again

 

[Kathphlox]

Fantastic news here, the OT (occupational therapist) is bringing along a rep from the posture chair people, so it looks like they are paying for it.. I hope so.. looks like we are getting some help here.

 

[Kathphlox]

The psych unit mum is in have had to use lap restraints on mum during periods of extreme agitation. They did so in order to prevent serious falls and injuries, they explained their reasons and we were happy to know mum was being kept safe.

Common sense seems to go out the window so often these days! Our priority was keeping mum safe , when viewing EMI units some staff looked horrified when they heard that restraints were used, I don't know how on earth they thought they would manage to control the agitation and minimise danger but looking at the state of some residents a chemical cosh seemed to be their answer.

I agree with you kazza, your mums safety is paramount.. chemical cosh is not the way forward.. it#s barbaric.

 

[Kathphlox]

Some very good news.

Dad was measured and they tried him in a couple of chairs that the Rep brought.. that was before Christmas. A request was sent to the panel for funding (these anonymous panels seem to be involved in everything).. guess what, they approved it.

We should have the posture chair in about a fortnight... it will belong to the Loan Stores so hopefully it can be passed to another person after is no longer used by us

Someone with a bit of common sense at last.. I'm quite amazed

 

[Kathphlox]

UPDATE:

Yipee!! The chair arrived yesterday

Along with the chair came the Rep, the OT and a Physio all faffing around with it. After they got dad into it they spent a great deal of time cooing at each other with small talk about the chair.. In the end I had to say 'right.. I think we've covered everything now' just to make some progress, dad was ready to eat by this time.

Why does it seem that OTs work in slow motion and have difficulty saying goodbye

 

[nmintueo]

UPDATE:
Yipee!! The chair arrived yesterday ...

Thanks for following up, and on the same thread. Sometimes you want to know how a situation turned out, and you never know.

Now here's hoping the chair does a good job!

 

[Kathphlox]

It's working very well.. he's not slid down an inch.. he still wriggles, but the chair is keeping his position safe (for all of us)

I put my shoulder out last week because we had to keep lifting him upright in his normal chair from the horizontal position he seemed to wriggle into.

 

[nmintueo]

It's working very well.. he's not slid down an inch.. he still wriggles, but the chair is keeping his position safe (for all of us)

That's good news and stuff worth knowing.

I put my shoulder out last week because we had to keep lifting him upright in his normal chair from the horizontal position he seemed to wriggle into.

Ouch! If only it had arrived in the expected fortnight instead of taking a month.