Dependency and high chairs

Dependency or high dependency chairs are required by people who suffer from a severe loss of mobility and who typically have a number of medical issues requiring high levels of care or treatment. Patients suffering from acute dementia can often be candidates for this kind of chair.

Dependency chairs are special chairs that are not only used to ensure a patient's comfort, but also to allow them to be moved around and handled and dispensed with treatments by their carers. This means that their design assists both the patient and the carer.

A patient requiring this kind of chair will normally be highly dependant upon others and will spend several hours a day in the dependency chair. For this reason the chair will have important features intended to make long periods of seated immobility as comfortable as possible.

Features of a dependency chair

Chairs of this kind are designed around two important characteristics.

The first is adjustability of position. This means that most (if not all) of the body supporting components of the chair will be adjustable so that the torso and limbs can easily have their positions altered. This is extremely important for someone who may be unable to move their own body and it results in dependency chairs having position and inclination adjustable backrests, headrests, upper and lower leg rests and often the facility to convert the chair into a bed chair. These movements may be controlled remotely or manually.

These chairs will also have a design that includes side supports to prevent the possibility of a patient falling (sideways) out of the chair.

The second important characteristic of a high dependency chair is pressure relief. Anyone who is seated in a static position for long periods of time can suffer from pressure sores and circulation problems, so a pressure relief system is a critical feature of these special chairs. Most dependency chairs will use air pressure systems that employ an electric pump to vary the air pressure in the cushion areas. By using this facility the pressure applied to different parts of the body and limbs can be varied periodically for maximum comfort.

Other important attributes of this type of chair include the nature of the surface materials which need to be waterproof yet breathable. This ensures that the contact zone between the patient and the chair does not result in heat build up which can lead to discomfort and contribute to pressure ulcers.

The final feature of these chairs is their flexibility when it comes to carer, doctor and therapist interaction. Most patients who require a dependency chair will need periodic (and probably regular treatments) that can involve massage and manipulation to help circulation and keep the joints working. For this reason most dependency chairs will convert into a bed chair and the arm supports and upper body side supports will fold away or disassemble to give the practitioner full and unimpeded access to the patients body. This type of chair will have lockable castors, it may be height adjustable and it will generally have a demountable tray that can be used for meals, drinks etc.

High dependency chairs are found in hospitals, nursing homes and rehabilitation centres and they can be used by patients who have a high level of home care. They generally cater for patients up to a maximum weight of approximately 260 pounds.

For dependency or medical beds, see this medical bed page.

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