YES or NO » wheelchair

new wheelchair!

jennifer — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 01:27:56 +0000

Several days ago, Owen was kitted out with a demo wheelchair – the same one I discussed earlier in this blog. It’s called a Kids Rock dynamic wheelchair, and has a special spring-like action that engages when Owen becomes spastic or reflexive. If he thrusts (straightens at the hips while sitting), the hinge between the seat cushion and back cushion opens slightly – allowing him a bit of movement without causing instability. When he relaxes, the chair returns to its original position.

We’ve taken it home and will be trialling it for another week or so. I’ve had it with me in my place for the past week, and now his dad will try it for a week at his place. We’ll regroup at the end of the trial and decide if we like it. So far, my vote is yes. My only complaint is related to the fact that it has demo parts – the wheels are too big and Owen likes to rest his hands on them. If I don’t notice and start moving him, his hands/forearms rub on the turning wheels… potentially, highly problematic. I will order smaller wheels for the new chair, of course.

I also like that the movement doesn’t seem to interfere with his ability to access his switches. And if it ever does, the movement can be ‘turned off’ by moving a lever located at the back of the chair.

Once the trial is over, I will post another entry with our decision.

‘Kids Rock’ dynamic wheelchair

jennifer — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 18:57:25 +0000

Here’s the website for the wheelchair described in the previous post, in case fetching the youtube video is too slow for your connection:

http://www.kidsupco.com

back on track

jennifer — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 18:22:24 +0000

It seems Owen’s increased tone was in fact due to the clonazepam withdrawal. He’s back on his previous dose (after consultation with his physician) and almost instantly, he returned to his old self. What a relief! I feel much more confident about the quality of his communication assessment next week – he’ll likely be in a ‘regular’ state so that we can best determine what he needs.

For Owen, expressive communication will likely require some kind of physical involvement – a gesture, a mouse-click, an eye-gaze… So in order to support him for physical movement, he needs appropriate seating – or in his case, an appropriate wheelchair. His current one (Zippie by Quickie) has been ok, but with his fluctuating tone and spasticity, he tends to break the various metal pieces, like his side laterals and headrest. He pushes so much that the metal wears away over time and eventually snaps or wears through. Through Bloorview Kids Rehab (here in Toronto), we’re going to trial a new chair that is ‘dynamic’ – it moves with him. Should help prevent breakage, and will also support him better. (Typically, once the reflexive behaviour is over, he lands in the wrong position. This chair apparently will put him back the right way.)

Here is the promotional video for the chair, about 5 minutes long: