Page 29 - Mobility Management, July/August 2021

independence, mobility device, lifestyle, age and future needs.” Laurence said she has four criteria when considering custom seating: “Number one: The client’s shape can’t be supported by
modular [seating]. That could be [due to] orthopaedic deformity. The second: where [due to] tone or movement, whether volun- tary or involuntary, the hardware of modular just won’t hold up. We need to build a more robust system, whether that’s through seating or adding dynamic [components] into the chair. The first thing I look at is whether by movement or tone, they’re blowing everything apart.
“Number three is where the environment needs to be robust and simple: Long-term care, a group home or somewhere there’s multiple hands touching the system, and we need to make sure that it doesn’t get reinterpreted by caregivers. The fourth is when somebody needs a very minimal or a very specific support. You can support the person in modular, but if we do custom, we can probably cut the system in half.”
It’s More Adjustable & Flexible Than It Seems
Laurence notes that last criterion is a bit of an outlier, as custom molded seating might conjure up images of huge, boxy systems. But Laurence said it doesn’t have to be that way.
“I want to see the client first,” the said. “The seating should just be supportive. I can get laterals that are only an inch thick with
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custom, and with no hardware exposed, nothing that’s going
to rub against somebody. That’s remarkable when we’re trying not to have an abrasion on somebody’s inner arm, or when we need to make a lateral 3" wide because it’s become an armrest or arm block: We can do that. That’s the cool part about custom: You can get the support where you want it. And the sky’s the limit: You can have it as big or small as you want. Custom is only limited by your imagination.”
Some forms of custom seating today are more adjustable by design. Symmetric Designs refers to its Free Form Seating as modular custom seating because it can be created to fit a client now, and then can be adjusted to accommodate changes in weight, growth, or posture. “Modular custom seating systems provide
the most flexibility to adapt to changing needs,” Hannah said. “Modular systems usually consist of independently adjustable components or modules that can be positioned and locked in place. This allows for an adaptable system with more efficiency. The ability to add or remove shell support and the ability to adjust the contour provide a system that can adapt with the client and result in better short- and long-term postural outcomes. Built-in adjustment results in lower costs and better outcomes.
“There really is no substitution for a hands-on assessment and fitting with skin checks to ensure a functional support is provided to the client. Built-in adjustability of the equipment is
MOBILITY MANAGEMENT | JULY-AUGUST 2021 27 7/29/21 1:41 PM