New wing for custom chair
Rosemary’s MS left her with an uncomfortable seated position in her usual easy chair. She was provided with a specialised, motorised tilt-in-space chair that should have provided all the support she needed to sit up comfortably. However, the design relied on using a harness that she found so uncomfortable that she couldn’t wear it. The challenge was to modify the chair so that she gained the support she needed to correct her posture without using the harness.
The Challenge
Rosemary spends most of her day seated in an easy chair due to her MS. But without support, her natural posture was leaning forwards and to her left which was awkward and uncomfortable. Her local authority purchased a specialised, motorised tilt-in-space chair that should have provided all the support she needed to sit up straight. However, it relied on a harness that she found so uncomfortable that she couldn’t wear it. The challenge was to modify the chair so that she gained the support she needed to correct her posture without using the harness. The chair manufacturer was unable to offer any additional customisation or any accessories that would provide the support she required.
The idea to solve the issue was to create some sort of additional support to her left side that would mean that, as she involuntarily leaned forward, she would be held gently in position. The existing chair was heavily over-padded that had the tendency to push her forward, which was the exact opposite of what she wanted.
The solution
The design concept was to create some sort of extended wing to the left side of the existing chair that accommodated an additional cantilevered cushion that Rosemary could lean against and which would provide sufficient support to hold her gently in the correct position. The purchased chair was not designed to take such a modification and, of course, we needed to make sure the modification was reversible and did not impact the warrantee so we couldn’t dismantle the chair or drill into the steel frame.
The first attempt relied on placing a wooden board behind the back cushion with a hinged wooden-framed wing and an additional vertical cushion attached. It worked after a fashion, but the sideways force that Rosemary exerted on the wing dislodged it from its position. The Mk 2 version consisted of a new back board sandwiched between multiple strips of 50mm wide velcro to provide a firm attachment to the chair. In addition a rigid steel angle was used to attach the new wing, which had been steamed and curved to the required shape. Finally a larger new upholstered cushion was attached to the wing. In addition the existing chair cushion had stuffing removed to allow Rosemary a more comfortable and reclined posture. To reinforce the cantilevered wing and absorb the sideways pressure Rosemary was exerting, an adjustable 50mm wide webbing strap was looped round the chair arm.
New back board with wing attached
New wing in position
Rosemary happily seated
The benefit
The challenge was simple to explain but the solution was far from obvious. Rosemary had an expensive new chair which wasn’t working and she couldn’t use. The new extended wing was an experiment that she and her OT were willing to try. With some luck and a bit of trial and error it has made all the difference to her comfort throughout the day.
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