24-hour posture and pressure management for Occupational Therapists
When we look at postural management, we need to consider a person’s posture over a 24-hour period, including where they sleep, sit, stand and walk.
Most of the time service users who require support with their posture will have limited mobility and spend a large amount of time in sitting or lying positions. When looking to provide intervention for seating, there needs to be consideration of the person's posture when they will not be using that seating - for example in bed or when using the toilet or shower. The effectiveness of intervention in just one area of posture will be limited unless all other areas are included.
This succinct and yet substantial guide details what 24-hour posture and pressure management is and how it is relevant to occupational therapists. It further underlines why clinical reasoning is essential in terms of its purpose, benefits and application in the real world of prescribers and authorisers.
You can read this guide cover to cover or you can look up specific chapters to give you details on a specific subject related to the practice of OT’s in 24-hour posture management. At the back of the booklet, you will find some examples of models of practice, assessment documentation, and models of clinical justification. You can use these as they are or adapt them for your own style or service.
Meet our Experts:
Jenny Rolfe
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.
Debra Dunitz
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.
Heidi Sandoz
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. She is currently the part-time Tissue Viability Services Lead for Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust.