Equipment provision
Feature
The impact of specialist seating on a person ’ s quality of life
Amy Barker talks about why , as part of a multidisciplinary team , she ’ s made it her priority to improve postural support provision in care homes across the Rotherham area .
T he NHS Long Term Plan recognises that service provision for older people living with frailty are not always consistently joined or responsive to meet their needs ( Age UK 2020 ). It outlines service models that include the improvement of NHS care into care homes and providing proactive support to older people living with frailty in the community .
Historically , older people living in care homes have not always had equal access to NHS services ; despite care home residents being amongst the most likely to live with complex needs .
The care homes team within Rotherham was established in 2008 , to provide a multidisciplinary service to support care homes and improve NHS care . It aims to prevent admissions from care homes into hospital , ultimately improving levels of care and quality of life for older people living within our local community .
The care homes team is a multidisciplinary team comprising a consultant , advanced nurse practitioners , occupational therapists , physiotherapists , speech and language therapists , a health reviewing nurse , a quality adviser nurse and a general support worker .
We currently provide holistic assessments within 36 care homes across Rotherham ; this includes providing a comprehensive assessment of an individual ’ s postural and seating needs .
There is an increased prevalence of older people within care homes with complex postural and seating needs . A study completed by Shelstone ( 2015 ) reviewed the impact of specialist seating on quality of life and functional abilities of individuals with long-term conditions .
It was found that the benefits of specialist chairs – predominantly those with a tilt in space function – was improved comfort , relieved pain , maintained fatigue and supported rest , maintained activity levels and allowed independence .
The study outlined the awareness we require as occupational therapists to understand the impact of tilt in space seating for our clients and ensure they are provided with equipment that maintains quality of life and supports independence , despite deteriorating health and mobility .
Supporting clients with complex needs
Many of the clients we see within care homes are extremely frail and have complex
February 2023 OTnews 45