title: Patient safety during assistant propelled wheelchair transfers: the effect of the seat cushion on risk of falling.
abstract: This article is a report of a study of the effect of the seat cushion on risk of falling from a wheelchair. Two laboratory studies and simulated assistant propelled wheelchair transfers were conducted with four healthy female participants. For the laboratory studies there were three independent variables: trunk posture (upright/flexed forward), seat cushion (flat polyurethane/propad low profile), and feet condition (dangling/supported), and two dependent variables: occupied wheelchair (wheelchair) center of gravity (CG), and stability. For the simulated transfers there was one independent variable: seat cushion (flat polyurethane/propad low profile), and one dependent variable: perception of safety (risk of falling). Results showed that the wheelchair CG was closer to the front wheels, and stability lower for the propad low profile cushion compared to the polyurethane cushion, when the participants sat with their feet dangling. During the simulated transfers, sitting on the propad low profile cushion caused participants to feel more apprehensive (anxious or uneasy) compared to sitting on the polyurethane cushion. The findings can contribute to the assessment of risk and care planning of non-ambulatory wheelchair users.
authors.affiliation: Health and Safety Laboratory, Buxton, Derbyshire, United Kingdom. olanrewaju.okunribido@hsl.gov.uk
authors.forename: Olanrewaju O
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Okunribido
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009038:Motion; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D009735:Nursing Homes; D061214:Patient Safety; D012308:Risk Management; D014910:Wheelchairs; D055815:Young Adult