CAOT-BC Assistive Tech & Seating Practice Network Meeting - (free for members, $20+ tax for non-members)

Date: November 2, 2017

Time: 12:00pm-1:00pm Pacific Time

Location: Webinar

Topic: Permobil "Forward Thinking" Updates

Presenter: Brenlee Mogul-Rotman, OT Reg(Ont), ATP/SMS, National Clinical Education Manager, Permobil Canada

Description: This year, in an effort to provide an opportunity for continuing professional development for practitioners in BC who may not have access to regular education sessions related to wheeled mobility and seating, the Assistive Technology and Seating Practice Network will be offering an opportunity to each of the major wheelchair manufacturers for an "update" session. These updates will occur at every second meeting, rotating through the manufacturers and will include a brief (20 minute) presentation from the manufacturer, followed by a question and answer session. These sessions do not constitute an endorsement of the manufacturer’s products by CAOT-BC, and are simply an opportunity to provide information to interested practitioners.

For our first update, Brenlee Mogul-Rotman, the National Clinical Education Manager for Permobil Canada will be joining us to highlight the feature of Active Reach on the Permobil power wheelchairs. Active Reach (anterior tilt) shifts the entire seating system forward by raising the rear seat to floor height while maintaining front seat to floor height. Functional reach of the upper extremity is significantly improved and the client can independently perform activities of daily living such as hygiene/grooming (wash hands, brush teeth, etc.), cooking (providing improved access to the kitchen (cabinets, refrigerator/freezer, microwave, stovetop, sink, etc.) and other daily reaching tasks. Active reach not only enhances function, but allows the individual to combine the feature with seat elevation to increase access to the environment, social engagement and overall functional ability. Anterior tilt has many physical benefits including pressure redistribution, lessening the risk of upper body overuse injuries and more.

The benefits of Active Reach will be the focus of the presentation with evidence based clinical rationale provided. The use of seating components (cushions, back supports, secondary seating devices) to ensure safety and full use of Active Reach will be reviewed as well.