Specialist Indoor Seating - More than a Furniture Decision

When considering indoor seating, it's easy to focus on aesthetics, comfort or how a chair fits within a living environment. However, for many individuals with complex postural, neurological or mobility needs, specialist seating is far more than a furniture decision. The right seating solution can play a critical role in supporting posture, managing pressure, improving comfort, promoting participation and enhancing overall quality of life.

Whether used at home, in supported accommodation, aged care environments or clinical settings, specialist seating should be selected based on a comprehensive assessment of an individual's physical, functional and clinical needs. Features such as pressure management, positioning supports, tilt-in-space and adjustability can have a significant impact on health outcomes, independence and day-to-day wellbeing.

In this article, we explore the key considerations that make specialist indoor seating an essential clinical intervention rather than simply a place to sit.

What is Specialist Seating?

Specialist seating solutions are designed to meet the unique postural, mobility, and medical needs of individuals requiring postural care and support. These seating systems enhance comfort, promote proper alignment, and help manage pressure-related risks to health, making them essential for both clinical and home environments.

Specialist seating plays a critical role in rehabilitation, long-term care, and overall wellbeing. Features such as adjustable positioning, tilt functions, and seating surfaces that offer pressure redistribution qualities help promote quality of life for people with conditions like cerebral palsy, spinal injuries, and neuromuscular disorders.

These solutions support clinical goals by improving individual outcomes through safe and supported postures for engagement and functional independence.

The right solution should also simplify daily care routines by supporting carer health and wellbeing during transfers and repositioning. Ergonomic designs and easy-to-use adjustments ensure comfort for both the user and the carer, making long-term care more manageable while enhancing the user’s quality of life. 

Posture, Positioning and Pressure Care

Posture and positioning directly affect the pressure exerted on the body by the contact surfaces of a seating support (Sprigle, 2011). Therefore, both postural and pressure care must be appropriately addressed for each individual. Prolonged high pressure on the skin can compress or stretch the underlying tissue, significantly increasing the risk of cell death.

Managing the risk factors of pressure injuries requires a multifaceted approach; one part is ensuring the correct assistive technology is in place to support posture with optimal pressure management, this includes ensuring equal weight distribution along all contact surfaces.

This can be optimised with features such as the following:

The CareFlex seating range features the Reflexion system to offer optimal pressure care.  The upper layer of Vasco, visco-elastic memory foam, reacts to body heat and moulds to the user’s shape and body contours. Vasco distributes weight and helps to reduce point pressure loads. The base layer of Reflex foam has excellent rebound properties, allowing it to withstand extreme and prolonged compression, significantly reducing any impact on quality or integrity. Reflex foam provides support and flexibility for the Vasco upper layer.  Consequently, interface pressure is reduced on the contact surface; body weight is distributed more evenly across the whole surface area. This has been proven to promote improved circulation and lessens the risk of developing pressure injuries for those at low to medium risk.

WaterCell Technology®

CareFlex WaterCell Technology® provides a high level of dynamic pressure management. It supports posture by providing a stable base of support while maintaining comfort and effective pressure management. 

WaterCell Technology® works through responsive contouring by allowing the seat cushion to contour naturally and effectively around the user’s body. The properties of the three layers, visco-elastic memory foam, high-elastic reflex foam, and WaterCells, work in synergy to provide continuous pressure care without affecting stability and function.

• Visco-elastic memory foam: conforms to the user’s seating surface (buttocks and thighs), promoting even weight distribution and reducing areas of high or uneven pressure.
• High-elastic reflex foam: able to withstand prolonged compression from the user’s weight while maintaining responsive support to vulnerable areas.
• WaterCells: a highly dynamic fluid that reacts to changes in movement to ensure full contact is maintained between the user and the supporting surface.

For more information on the clinical benefits and outcomes of the CareFlex WaterCell Technology®, reach out to our clinical education team at education@apexmobility.com.au.

Dynamic Air Cushion

Available as an optional component of the CareFlex chairs, the dynamic air cushion offers the next level of pressure care for users with high to very high-pressure care needs. This cushion provides both static and alternating air cells for individuals spending longer periods in the chair.

The multi-stretch, waterproof and vapour permeable qualities of the cover not only reduce friction and shear during movement or repositioning, but also controls moisture build-up, enhancing overall patient comfort and wellbeing.

Seat Tilt for Postural Stability and Pressure Care

One of the key features of CareFlex seating solutions in this range is seat tilt. Tilt is a function that changes the orientation of the chair without changing the seat to back and seat to lower leg angles. Posterior (or backward) tilt supports the optimisation of both posture and pressure care to achieve clinical goals.

This function can be utilised to alter the user’s position to redistribute pressure and combat fatigue without compromising other postural supports. Posterior tilt aids in using gravity to assist with posture repositioning and the distribution of pressure away from the pelvis for a period of time to protect skin integrity. A small amount of tilt, under 15°, can be used to adjust pressure distribution through the back (Aissaoui et al., 2001), and a greater degree, up to 20°, can start to reduce pressure under the pelvis (Michael et al., 2007).

For more information on finding the right balance between optimal tilt angles and user safety, reach out to our clinical education team at education@apexmobility.com.au.

NOTE: The use and appropriateness of tilt needs to be determined for each individual. Contraindications and precautions exist for the use of tilt for individuals with swallowing difficulties. A comprehensive assessment is a crucial step to selecting the most appropriate specialist seating solution.