Our team at Sitwell,have been thinking about some simple steps or checks to do with your child every day to make sure they stay as comfy as possible during lockdown.

Doing each one of these is a perfect example of where 2 plus 2 is equal to 5. Doing all of these together adds up to more than the sum of the parts….

Bum to the back: when transferring into the chair for the first time in the day this is the most important step and will make a huge difference. Make sure the pelvis is all the way to the back of the seat, (check for gaps afterwards between backrest and sacrum) keep the pelvis in the middle of the seat and don’t allow “c shaped sitting” or posterior tilt.

Lap belt on: nice and tight!

Support the legs and arms: adjust the height and angle to make sure the legs or arms are supported. Not too high that the knees are around the ears not too low that they are dragging on the floor. Use the tray table this helps a lot more than you may think with posture and upright sitting.

Support the chest: adjust the chest support/thoracic/lateral/trunk supports in place against the chest/chest harness Not too tight that they cause pressure points and not too high that you child is hanging on the side supports. Often, they can act as a reminder for the child telling them where the boundary is.

Adjust the Headrest: Note to self – adjust it each time you transfer into the seat. Your child may have different tone from day to day and its worth taking a little longer to check.

Tilt as often as you can: tilt the chair through a couple of degrees every time you walk past – you have to move your child’s body for them as often as possible.

Caution Don’t use a pommel to keep your kids in the seat. Ouch!

Choose the right clothes: Many articles of clothing are not conducive to being worn in a wheelchair. Clothes with back and side zippers, and with intricate and hard to use closures are not easy to wear when you are in a wheelchair. In addition, items like buttons and zippers can rub on delicate skin making it uncomfortable, or even causing pressure ulcers Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or would like a free webinar to go through any postural problem you may be facing.

Please contact us if you are needing advice or technical support, Adam is just a phone call away 076 522 7801