Evie’s story: Enjoying the garden in the company of friends

Description of case:

Evie is a 25-year-old woman who has a primary diagnosis of Friedreich Ataxia, which is a neurodegenerative movement disorder. In more recent years, Evie has experienced increased difficulty in transfers, mobility and many day-to-day tasks due to the impact of this condition.

Evie is now a full-time wheelchair user and uses a self-propelled, manual wheelchair which provides her with a level of independence. Until recently she used to sit on the sofa at regular intervals throughout the day to rest from the wheelchair, however this no longer provides the level of support that is now required.

Evie’s Occupational Therapist advised that Evie is a keen artist and has a real eye for detail and design. When shown the Configura Advance with its postural support options, Evie reportedly commented that she quite liked the look of the Advance chair in comparison to other specialist chairs she had seen.

Main issues:

Evie’s Occupational Therapist has been working with her to provide appropriate interventions as her needs have changed. As her condition progressed, she has increased difficulty maintaining a good posture, with an increased risk of falls; for example when she coughs, her whole body comes forward if not adequately supported and then she struggles to regain a good position. Transfers were also difficult. The Occupational Therapist has recently provided a new mobile shower chair, a Neater Eater (assisted feeding device), ceiling track hoists and the Configura Advance chair, set up to provide enhanced postural support.

Outcomes:

The modular design of the Configura Advance chair allowed the chair to be set up according to Evie’s seat height, depth and width.

The backrest function was reclined to accommodate her fixed hips. This along with the footplate, true tilt-in-space function and the individual wings on the postural backrest provided her with support exactly where it was required, to not only provide correct pelvic positioning and a well-supported, upright posture, but also a high level of comfort, maximising Evie’s ability to maintain high functional levels when in the chair. A lap strap was also used to ensure that she maintains a safe and appropriate position in the chair.

Another highlighted benefit of the Configura Advance chair is the portable function which enables Evie to safely access her garden where she can sunbathe comfortably in the summer months. She very much enjoys being surrounded by her friends, who can now sit on the sofa whilst she sits in the Advance chair, drinking cocktails.