Speaker: Sharon Sutherland, PT
Contact Hours: 16 contact hours (MN BPT Cat. 1)
Location: University of Minnesota, Children's Rehab Building, Room 202

About This Course

This interactive program will take participants through the journey that we are faced with every day as we are tasked with recommending optimal positioning, wheelchair seating and mobility solutions for our clients with more complex needs. Whether you are new to this wheelchair-seating world or have been prescribing positioning/mobility solutions for many years, this educational opportunity will leave you refreshed and excited about the possibilities. The concept of an ideal sitting footprint will be reviewed. We will look at common symptoms that we see every day in the wheelchair seated client and ask ourselves if we are really identifying the cause of the problem or simply reacting to the associated symptoms. We will discuss the 3 top questions that need answers related to identifying clients at high risk of seated related pressure injuries. Actual clients or case studies that show clients with more complex seating needs as well as interactive discussion will be utilized to navigate our way through this seating assessment and discovery process.

Course Objectives

• Identify at least 2 reasons for the supine evaluation as it relates to sitting
• List the components of the supine and sitting hands on assessment
• List the top 3 questions that must be answered when analyzing the risk for skin integrity issues when sitting
• Translate assessment findings into equipment parameters  (seat cushion and back support)
  
• Analyze off the shelf cushions and back supports using a simple checklist
  
• Discuss technology in the language of application, dosage (where applicable), and consequences (best practices)

Course Schedule

Saturday
Introductions; Overview of the curriculum; 
Brief informal discussion on 
Where everyone is at in their positioning skills, 
Fears around seating - what are they and why they exist?
Can seating or lack of seating be harmful? 
Trialling products & systems – pros and cons
This day would be mostly theory: getting the group thinking outside the box!
Goals of positioning. 
An optimal seating posture - Is there one?
Think about the “footprint” of seating…
Analyzing Postures & relating back to clinical cases: 
Identifying symptoms and analyzing the cause relative to positioning 
Best practices in the preservation of skin integrity for the seated client -
The Hands on Seating Assessment - acknowledging the realities of working in varying circumstances. 
Practical break out – Arrive prepared to lie on floor or on towels or mats if available

Sunday
Translation of Assessment Findings to Product Parameters - Generic and product specific as desired by participants
Selecting a seat cushion – how much do we or should we consider the science?
Back Supports – Considerations for prescription
What role does pressure mapping play or does it?

Speaker Biography