Complex Seating Workshop - From Assessment to Prescription

Clients with postural asymmetries will often require complex seating solutions. The challenge of ensuring appropriate prescription and set up of these solutions is ever present and must be addressed to achieve optimum outcomes for our clients. How do we provide balance across the goals that relate to function, posture and skin protection when dealing with asymmetric (non-reducible) deviations? What can we do to increase our chance of getting it right? Where do we compromise?

This interactive and intermediate level workshop has been designed to assist therapists supporting people with complex postural presentations who are likely to require complex seating solutions. The learning process will be facilitated by step-by-step demonstrations and real case study discussions where participants will have the opportunity to learn, develop and/or improve assessment and prescription skills to ensure postural and functional goals for their clients.

Learning objectives:

• Understand posture and postural deviations.
• What are the main principles, guidelines, and best practices for complex wheelchair seating?
• What is MAT assessment and why is it paramount?
• Considerations/strategies for balancing postural and functional goals.
• How to translate findings into equipment
• Develop practical skills to put the knowledge presented into clinical practice

Joana is the Clinical Educator Manager and the R&D Clinical Lead for Medifab. She completed her degree in Occupational Therapy in Portugal and soon developed a passion for Posture Care and Wheelchair Seating & Positioning. With 15 years of experience, predominantly postural needs, Joana takes pride in her flexible capability in reaching good clinical outcomes by considering the individual needs, wants and expectations of those she works with. Joana is based in Australia where she primarily assists clinicians by sharing her knowledge and expertise through education and mentoring programs. Furthermore, she has a positive influence on the development, supply, and training of Medifab’s extensive range of products.

She is a specialist in her field and has presented at a variety of national and international conferences, around the world.

Host or Publisher Monica Stead