Pressure ulcers - To sit or not to sit
In this session we will explore the critical clinical reasoning process around whether you can sit out of bed with a pressure area. To celebrate OT week and Stop the pressure week, we wish to recognise the importance of collaborative working.
This session will explore the risks of sitting and the risks of staying in bed. We wish to help clients make informed seating decisions to promote comfort, healing, function and overall well being.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand 24-hour posture and positioning
- Practical advice we can pass onto clients about managing pressure and preventing further damage
- Recommendations for alternative positions and equipment
- A review of current evidence
Meet our Experts

Heidi has been a Tissue Viability Nurse since 2002. Her interest and passion in the prevention and management of pressure ulcers began, however, in 1987 on registering as a nurse. She has worked in both acute and community care.

Nicky is a dedicated Occupational Therapist with over 16 years of experience, specializing in disability, posture, and seating. She has worked in both inpatient and community settings, and most recently served as a seating therapist within the HSE.
Useful resources

Pressure ulcers - To sit or not to sit
Take a closer look at the slides presented by Nicky and Heidi.
People who watched this also watched...
Concepts behind an evidence-based falls prevention programme for older people: Stepping On
Megan Swann is a Consultant Occupational Therapist Master Trainer and Co-author of the Stepping On falls prevention programme in Australia NSW. She has over 30 years of experience. Stepping On, an evidence based programme, aims to equip participants with the knowledge, strength and confidence to prevent falls, stay active and remain independent.
The programme whilst founded in Australia by two Occupational Therapists is also now in 17 states of the US and a manual has been written for Spanish speakers in the US: www.steppingon.com.
She continues to run and train allied health workers to become Stepping On facilitators.
Sleep and sleep hygiene for healthcare professionals
This session provides an overview of good sleep hygiene principles and explores how poor sleep can affect daytime function both physiologically and psychologically.
Participants will develop confidence in supporting sensitive and professional conversations around relationships, intimacy, and sleep. The session equips attendees with practical, evidence-based advice to help improve sleep outcomes in a range of settings.
Accora's clinical corner: sleeping in a riser recliner
This session brings together the key themes explored across our recent webinars on sleeping in a riser recliner. Over the past 3 months, we’ve examined the impact of sleeping in a riser recliner on sleep hygiene, comfort, confidence, transfers, mobility, pain management, and tissue viability.
This chatty, podcast-style webinar offers a relaxed and interactive space to revisit the most important clinical messages from the quarter. Attendees are encouraged to submit questions in advance and during the session, creating an opportunity to explore real-world challenges, clarify key concepts, and deepen understanding of best practice when supporting individuals who sleep in a riser recliner.
We will also highlight relevant intervention solutions and explore practical strategies for teaching and supporting others, and we will share our Sleeping in a Riser Recliner Guide with attendees after the session to support ongoing learning and application in practice.
Whether you joined us throughout the series or are looking for a concise and practical summary, this session will consolidate learning and provide actionable insights to apply in practice.
Please submit your questions here.