Why Should Long Term Clients Be Transfered From Their Wheelchairs To Dinning Room Chairs When They Are Able?
I am giving a presentation to the CNA’s about this topic.All professionals know we work on overload so CNA’s cut corners by leaving the clients in their wheelchairs even thou they are able to transfer into a dinning room chair at the table. It comes down to new culture of the long term clients being treated with the upmost dignity and respect and the facilities are their homes. I would appreciate any input from you and how you feel about it and why
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Being able to sit in a “normal” chair for a meal has benefits other than just those of dignity; a transfer is also an act of repositioning, which serves as a great way of “off-loading” which helps to prevent skin issues.
Most important of all is the practical matter of comfort. People who are ambulatory rarely, if ever, realize how often they, even if ever so slightly, reposition themselves. Try sitting perfectly still for even fifteen minutes and you quickly realize the need to reposition those residents who can’t do this for themselves as frequently as you can.
There are loads of reasons.
Dignity – If the resident wants to sit on a ‘normal’ dining chair then they should be allowed to. You are effectively their personal assistant in that they pay your wages and you should do your best to see that they get what they want as well as what they need.
Pressure relief – By moving onto a different chair the resident is being repositioned and will be changing pressure points and therefore reducing te risk of pressure sores.
Comfort – The type of wheelchair given to most frail adults is totally unsuitable. You try sitting in one, with a saggy seat and loose back (as they are after a few months of use). Sit in it for 20 minutes or so, try not to wriggle and reposition too much because the residents will struggle with doing that themselves. You’ll find yourself siting either hunched up, or leading too far back. You won’t be comfortable and you’ll soon understand why a dining chair with a hard back would be a welcome change.
If the residents want to move to a dining chair then they should be given whatever assistance they need. If they don’t want to move then they should still be offered the opportunity and perhaps given some gentle encouragement.
If it’s possible then encouraging a more able resident to walk the length of the dining room to the chair will be good for maintaining their ability if they don’t get much opportunity to walk.