Many hospitals use furniture and basic equipment designed many years ago, often bought on restricted budgets. Today there is an increasing number of exciting ideas and innovative solutions based upon an ever increasing understanding of the importance of good posture. Just as well since it’s clear that the consequences of bad posture is increasingly evident and needs speedy correction to benefit the huge and costly expense to the lives of our population and the health service.
Seating in hospitals has to accommodate the needs of the elderly and infirm. Many find difficulty in sitting and getting up from conventional chairs without assistance and frequently softly upholstered chairs are even worse. Whilst a one height suits all approach cannot work, nevertheless it‘s much easier to rise from a higher chair, and one with arms will help the elderly.
A chair having a sloping front, called a ‘waterfall’ in the trade, will provide comfort for a much larger range of heights than one without and not restrict blood flow from the lower legs, causing the heart to work harder, which could be a disbenefit to some with heart problems. Sitting higher and upon a firmer than usual and more carefully contoured base can also affect posture to assist lordosis, which is the hollow back seen on young children and reducing the slumped shape of the growing majority.
Movement and exercise is best for most of us, and not sitting in one posture for longer than twenty minutes. This may not be possible for the elderly or infirm, for whom support may be crucial if pain and distress is to be avoided.
Reducing the spread of infection requires seating and frames to have a bacterial resistant finish and be easy to clean. A means for the swift and inexpensive replacement of detachable upholstered panels is to be preferred in the event of soiling or damage.
Seating for a range of size and age of persons, with or without disabilities, must be available in waiting areas where both patients and carers may have to wait for long periods at a time.
A different but urgent need is for new mothers to be able to breast feed in comfort, embracing a new born child in the most comfortable position without the chair or support restricting essential bonding. Most wards have precious little space for the most currently available special chairs, many of which have no alternative role. Seats with adjustable supports could provide a very simple and inexpensive solution accommodating both normal sitting and the more relaxed posture for breast feeding.
Use of many currently used chairs can and does interfere with proper bonding, and at worst can cause pain and lasting discomfort to the mother who may well be discouraged from breast feeding altogether, but also a propensity for psychological damage to the child can result from a lack of initial child/mother bonding. This is clearly seen as a difference between children from the same mother whose post natal routine has been different. There is an obvious and widespread need for an innovative low cost solution for a suitable chair as most midwives will attest.
Toilet seats are not always associated with postural requirements. Most of us have no problems with the majority. In hospitals or for the elderly however most toilet seats are too low to sit upon or get up from in comfort. The same postural needs are as for regular sitting with the additional need for the user to be able to strain. This is not possible when seated higher. The solution is to have footrests located at the point of balance which is the norm, and often beneficial to enable a lower squatting posture, used in ‘the wild’, in camping and commonly in French toilets. This can be accommodated in hospitals but alternatives are usually needed in homes for the elderly where an over toilet seat is needed to swiftly fit onto or around a standard toilet seat. Again simple low cost solutions are possible but not often seen in the market place.
There are so many more hospital furniture needs. One design organisation having worked upon a large range of innovative and elegant solutions is the Renfrew Group of Leicester who have recently been awarded a prestigious design award by the MoH.
And there are so many more areas in need of an innovative approach to provide elegant, safe and immensely beneficial results. Design and production technology using new materials are available and in the UK we produce world class designers and have both the companies and the understanding to make immense strides and cost savings. As has been so commonly the case we lack the courage of supportive banks and investment agencies. The reason why so many brilliant UK companies are now owned by outside beneficiaries.
For more information
Anthony Hill DesRCA FRSA
Managing Director, AH07.com
www.aalborgdk.com
