Exploration of Factors Related to Wheelchair Postural Improvement in Long-Term Care Residents After an Individualized Wheelchair Intervention
By Hsieh, Chih-Chin; Hu, Ming-Hsia; Lee, Shyh-Dye; Wei, Shun-Hwa; Assistive Technology, Vol. 23, No. 1, pp. 1-12Publication Date: 2011
Study investigated the kinematic postural effects of an individualized wheelchair intervention for residents in a long term care facility and explored factors related to wheelchair postural improvement. Participants were 27 wheelchair using nursing home residents aged 65 to 94 years, 16 of whom were women. Participants were randomly assigned to a 14 member intervention and a 13 member control group. The tools used to measure static and dynamic posture while seated in a wheelchair were a goniometer and a palpation meter. Individualized wheelchair accommodations for the intervention group were selected by a therapist specializing in assistive technology. A lightweight manual wheelchair was recommended for most of the participants. Accessories selected included safety belts, cuff straps, foam seat cushions, and solid seat inserts. The most recommended wheelchair components for the group were two-piece foot rests to flip up or swing away, and detachable leg rests for transfer. Results failed to demonstrate a significant effect after individual wheelchair interventions; however, further examination revealed that interventions significantly correlated with an improvement in anterior and posterior head tilt while seated in the wheelchair. Other factors such as age, gender, presence of neurological disease, and the transfer score on the Barthel Index were found to be related to wheelchair postural improvement.
Published by: Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) (Website:http://www.resna.org)
