The chairs in a hospice get an awful lot of use especially in a day hospice where people are coming and going every day. Seating in a hospice needs to provide support, aid with pressure relief and should be easy to clean. We have provided plenty of seating to hospices over the years with our OSKA Regis and OSKA Oasis being most popular. Here’s what to look for when choosing hospice seating:
Support and positioning
Find a chair which can keep people comfortable for varying lengths of time and in different positions. Rise and recline chairs can be adjusted to suit your residents needs as well as the tilt in space function which helps prevent pressure ulcers from forming by redistributing the body weight through a bigger surface area.
Some individuals may require different back support depending on spinal condition or lack of strength. Our chairs come with a range of back cushions to choose from. For someone who finds themselves leaning over to one side, try the lateral cushion which provides more support and helps hold them more central within the chair. The benefits of improving postural support include helping with breathing, circulation and digestion.
Easy clean fabric
As mentioned above, these chairs will get a lot of use so ensuring they are able to be cleaned thoroughly between residents is crucial for infection control. We offer a range of fabrics which are easy to clean, durable, waterproof, prevent the growth of bacteria and aid in the prevention of pressure ulcers.
Motors
Choose which motor you want for your chair. Think about how the chair will be used and how the movement of the chair can improve the residents comfort. Below describes the single motor tilt in space and dual motor tilt in space, both available on the OSKA Regis and Oasis chair.
The Single Motor Tilt in Space mechanism allows the leg rest to rise, slightly changing the seat angle, but always ensuring that a constant back angle of 90º is maintained as the chair moves through to recline. This constant angle prevents back shearing.
The Dual Motor Tilt in Space mechanism offers a much wider range of sitting and resting positions as the back of the chair can be moved independently to the leg rest. The Tilt in Space mechanism also maintains a constant back angle of 90º as the chair reclines, preventing back shearing.
Cushion adaptability
Cushion flexibility is ideal in providing tailored comfort to each resident as well as aiding in pressure ulcer prevention and infection control. Ensure cushions are removable and interchangeable. This way the cushion can be separately removed and repositioned for the individual’s comfort. With each cushion having removable covers, they are easy to remove for laundering.
Robust
Healthcare seating is an investment, therefore buying something that lasts is key. For example, castors are beneficial to the staff and resident and are ideal for manoeuvring the chairs around your care environment but they will get a lot of use so ensure the castors are robust and can withstand regular use.
Chairs need a lot of consideration before you make any purchasing decisions to ensure you get something that is appropriate for your residents that will last. For help on choosing the right chair for your hospice contact our pressure care experts.
