Ka. Stinnett, GERIATRIC SEATING AND POSITIONING WITHIN A WHEELED MOBILITY FRAME OF REFERENCE IN THE LONG-TERM-CARE SETTING, Topics in geriatric rehabilitation, 13(2), 1997, pp. 75-84
Often the wheelchair is the necessary mode of mobility for the older a
dult with cognitive impairment as well as with single or multi-system
sensory defect or lower extremity instability. Over a lifetime, the ol
der adult usually has acquired a number of musculoskeletal limitations
that affect sitting posture in a wheelchair. However, the standard nu
rsing home wheelchair is frequently ill-designed to meet the postural,
functional, restraint reduction, or mobility needs of the nonambulato
ry or nonfunctional ambulatory older adult. This article emphasizes a
seating assessment and treatment approach that addresses the whole of
the individual while encouraging a restraint-reduced environment. Spec
ific aspects of treatment for frequently noted seating deficits are al
so addressed. Lastly, program development and equipment funding mechan
isms are reviewed.