Prescribing seating for cognitively impaired users: exploring the risks
When prescribing seating, our aim is to meet the needs of the service user by prescribing a chair that will provide the right level of support, enable safe, easier assisted or independent transfers, reduce risk of pressure injuries and enable them to obtain and maintain a good sitting posture in the provided chair. However when a service user has a cognitive impairment and has poor risk awareness, additional risks are present. In this session we aim to outline some of these possible additional risks and how to overcome them to ensure the service user and their carers/family remain as safe as possible when the service user is seated in a chair that is there to meet their needs.
Learning Outcomes
- To outline clinical reasoning for chair provision to a variety of service users
- To increase awareness of risks to users with cognitive impairments/poor risk awareness when assessing and providing specialist seating.
- To out line some of the risk factors and interventions that can reduce risk to service users.
Meet our Experts
Jenny is a senior occupational therapist. She qualified in 1997 and completed her MSc in Neuro-rehabilitation in 2007. She has worked in Neurological Rehabilitation at the Battle Hospital in Reading, and the Rivermead Rehabilitation Centre in Oxford which became part of the Oxford Centre for Enablement in 2000. She moved into the Specialist Disability Service at the OCE from where she joined the Oxford MND Centre in January 2007.
Since August 2009 Jenny has been funded full-time by the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association to develop NHS wheelchair services across the UK, to improve wheelchair provision for people living with MND.
Since qualifying in 2006, Debra has worked as an occupational therapist in both community and in-patient environments. After three years on a mixed NHS and social care rotation, Debra moved to Brent local authority, where she worked for 5 years. In 2014 Debra split her role between managing her own caseload in the private sector and Barnet local authority’s equipment provision service. Debra now runs our seating assessment training programme.
People who watched this also watched...
Integrating assistive technology and specialised seating
Discover the powerful synergy between assistive technology and specialised seating systems in this practical and informative webinar. Designed for therapists and carers, this session will demonstrate how integrating tools can greatly enhance mobility, communication, and independence for individuals with complex needs.
Using real-world examples and case studies, participants will learn how to choose and coordinate devices that work seamlessly together- without adding unnecessary complexity.
This webinar is ideal for therapists who are new to assistive technology as well as those experienced in seating provision who want to expand their skills in setting up environmental control or communication devices.
Comfort versus positioning: What is the difference and can we have both?
In this 1-hour webinar, we will explore the clinical distinctions between comfort seating and posture-protecting seating systems. Through evidence-informed discussion and practical examples, participants will gain clarity on how seating choices impact posture, function, and long-term health outcomes.
We will examine the design features and intended use of comfort seating versus posture-protecting systems, and critically evaluate their implications for individuals with complex needs. The session will also support therapists in applying clinical reasoning to seating prescriptions, balancing comfort, alignment, and participation goals.
Clinical voices at the table: representation, regulation in practice and HIQA readiness
In this webinar, Shane explores the vital role experienced nurses play in influencing government policy, funding decisions, and regulation within the care sector. He examines the real-world impact of care and welfare regulations on nursing homes and clinical teams, shares practical, experience-led approaches to HIQA preparedness, and discusses the potential for a new cost-of-care funding model that aligns resources with individual clinical need to improve sustainability and equity across the sector.