A Guide to Buy the Right Wheelchair Cushions
A wheelchair plays a vital role in the physical and mental health of the person using it. Selecting the right cushions for a wheelchair goes a long way in reducing common problems like the progression of deformities and pressure sores.
Why the Right Cushion Matters?
The comfort of the patient in the wheelchair matters. If the person is going to sit in a wheelchair for an entire day or long periods, you need to look for the right cushion. With the right cushion, the person can sit comfortably and interact with people and their surroundings safely.
To make things easy for you, here is a guide that helps you buy the right types of wheelchair cushions.
Selecting the Right Material
You have a wide choice in cushion material for wheelchairs. You can use foam, gel, air, honeycomb, and alternating pressure types of material. Each material listed here has some unique characteristics.
Foam – It is lightweight and offers a stable seating surface. It is a low-cost option for those looking for affordable alternatives. One of the drawbacks of foam is it loses shape quickly.
Gel– It can be used with a foam base and stays cool. One of the strong points of gel is better weight distribution. However, it adds to the chair’s weight that can add to the inconvenience of the person assisting the individual/patient sitting in a wheelchair.
Air– It offers adjustable firmness that can be controlled with the amount of air-filled cushions. Air cushions provide exceptional pressure relief. However, these cushions are prone to leaks, and daily checks become necessary.
Honeycomb– The honeycomb cushions keep you cool. It is lightweight and offers moderate positioning and pressure distribution.
Alternating Pressure– These are advanced cushions that come with automatic pressure distribution. They help prevent sores. However, their battery needs to be changed often for efficient functioning.
Do You Need Positioning Support?
Some people cannot sit upright in a wheelchair and need some positioning support. In these scenarios, you need to opt for wheelchair cushions with positioning support. The following cushions offer positioning support.
Contoured– These cushions have a posterior pelvic tilt. It causes the patient to look down when seated in a wheelchair.
Anti-Thrust– They have an anterior pelvic tilt. It causes the patient to look upwards when seated.
Wedge– These cushions slump forward and slide a little in your wheelchair.
Pommel– These cushions offer more support to the patient. These cushions prevent patients from sliding or thrusting their hips in a forward direction. The pommel cushion is designed to reduce the risk of falling from a wheelchair.
Sacral Cut-Out– Doctors recommend these cushions to people who suffer from high pressure on their tailbone. The cushion is designed to reduce stress on the tailbone. It also helps prevent sores.
No Lean- If the patients lean on one side when sitting in a wheelchair, you need to select a no lean cushion. These cushions are specifically recommended for people with pelvic obliquity. It can correct fixable obliquity in patients.
Amputee– This cushion is recommended for a person who needs support due to the right, left, or bilateral amputation.
To sum up, these are some of the critical factors that you need to focus on when buying wheelchair cushions.
