High-dependency care chair: organising the 24 hours between seating, rest and care

Organising the day before choosing the chair avoids asking a single product to do the work of the bed, wheelchair, hoist and care plan. Sollevita can bring together seating, rest and some care activities, but it must be placed within a wider home system.

This guide concerns situations in which the person takes little or no part in many daily activities and the caregiver has to coordinate meals, rest, personal care, position changes and the return to bed.

Defining the goals of each time slot makes the functions relevant. At breakfast the table may be needed; during personal care, the height; in the afternoon, rest; for indoor moves, the trolley; on the return to bed, a transfer surface.

Respecting the person’s pace, tolerance and preferences prevents the care station from becoming an obligatory place to stay. High dependency does not remove the right to choose position, room, activity and rhythm when the person can express themselves.

In short

• The chair should be one station of the day, not the only surface used.
• The 180° bed position, vertical lift, Push Head, removable side and trolley have different roles at different moments.
• A 24-hour timeline helps identify repeated transfers, long periods and activities carried out in an unsuitable position.
• The presence of high dependency often requires other aids and a professional assessment of transfers.
• Comfort should be checked together with cleaning, caregiver access, technical checks and the ability to change room.

Before organising the whole day, it helps to understand which need should take priority between standing up, rest and transfers.

Start from the day, not from the list of functions

Writing down the waking time clarifies the first critical step: does the person stay in bed, get transferred to a wheelchair, or can they reach the chair directly? The answer determines the space, aids and people required.

Describing the meals shows whether Sollevita needs to come close to the table or whether a separate side table is needed. The removable armrest is only valuable when the tabletop underside and the position of the knees are compatible.

Recording the rest periods distinguishes a short break from the need for a flat surface. The 180° bed position can reduce a transfer, but it does not automatically replace the bed for the whole night.

Indicating personal care reveals whether the caregiver works bent over or needs lateral access. Vertical lift and a removable side can be relevant, while other functions remain secondary.

A 24-hour timeline

Filling in the timeline lets you see how many times the person changes station and why. Each row should indicate the goal, the configuration, who assists and the planned alternative.

Seating and rest are not the same activity

Sitting to eat requires stability, access to the table and head support consistent with the activity. A heavily reclined position can be comfortable for resting but unsuitable for a meal.

Resting for an hour requires continuous support and the ability to change position. Tilt-in-space (the tilting motion) and reclining perform different movements and must be adjusted according to the person’s tolerance.

Lying flat at 180° can offer a break without going straight back to the bedroom. The person may still need the bed for clinical management, night-time sleep, specific surfaces or care that is not compatible with the chair.

Returning to a seated position must be part of the plan. A movement that comfortably reaches the flat position but is not understood by those assisting can create an avoidable technical dependence.

Personal care at an accessible height

Bringing the face and trunk to a more comfortable height can reduce some bending during shaving, hair and dressing. The person must be stabilised and informed before every adjustment.

Freeing one side can bring the caregiver closer and simplify passing clothing or protective items. The opposite side can stay in place when it provides useful support.

Protecting and cleaning the cover after care is part of the routine. Double removability, washable fabrics and removable components ease maintenance without turning the product into a sterilisable clinical surface.

Distinguishing home care from healthcare activity avoids improper use. Dressings, management of medical devices and complex hygiene must follow the plan and the appropriate competencies.

Indoor moves and transfers: reducing unnecessary steps

Moving Sollevita towards the table can avoid the transfer onto another chair when the route is even and the trolley is intended for the person on board. The movement must be slow and guided.

Using the wheelchair remains necessary for journeys, the outdoors or spaces where the chair is not suitable. The two aids can work together within the same day without being absolute alternatives.

Placing the bed and chair side by side can ease some transfers, but high dependency increases the likelihood that patient hoists, slings or several assistants are needed. The stretcher function does not remove this assessment.

Reducing the number of transfers can be valuable, but it must not prevent the activities and position changes indicated by the healthcare team.

First-party case: a day with seven station changes

Detecting seven moves between bed, wheelchair, kitchen chair and armchair shows a fragmented routine. Two transfers serve only to reach the table, one to receive a shave and one to take an afternoon rest.

Reorganising the day with Sollevita can allow the meal, care and rest in the same station, reducing some moves. The bed and wheelchair, however, remain necessary for the night, the bathroom and going out.

Measuring the result means counting the transfers eliminated without reducing participation or comfort. The case should be presented as an organisational example, not as a promise valid for every family.

Cleaning, technical checks and continuity of service

Cleaning the most-used areas every day requires simple access and the fabric’s instructions. Complete removability of the cover is particularly important when the chair is used for meals, rest and care.

Checking the cables, control pad, battery and the space under the chair reduces avoidable problems. The caregiver must know which checks they can carry out and which faults require service.

Identifying components and spare parts before purchase protects the continuity of the station. In high dependency, a technical stoppage has greater organisational consequences than a chair used occasionally.

Planning an alternative station in case of a fault prevents the family from depending on a single device without an emergency plan.

Indicators for understanding whether the new organisation works

Counting the transfers carried out each day makes it possible to check whether some moves have been eliminated for a useful reason and not simply given up. The person must continue to take part in the activities they want.

Measuring the time spent on preparing the meal, on care and on rest shows whether the station has made the routine more streamlined. A shorter time is not always better: what matters is that the action is predictable and sustainable.

Recording episodes of discomfort, sliding or difficulty using the controls helps to correct the configuration and sequence before they become habits.

Asking the caregiver which activity remains the most tiring avoids assuming that the most visible function has solved the main problem. The priority can shift after the chair is introduced.

Reviewing the timeline with professionals when mobility, skin, head control or seating tolerance change keeps the project consistent with the person.

Preparing an alternative plan for a blackout, a fault or the absence of the usual caregiver makes the system less fragile. The family should know where to let the person rest, who to contact and which transfers not to attempt without assistance.

Keeping the timeline near the routine of the controls eases the handover and lets the service quickly understand how the product is really used.

When the chair should not be the main station

Recognising a low tolerance to seating requires the healthcare team’s opinion. Pain, instability, offloading indications or respiratory needs should not be managed by changing position on one’s own.

Recognising the need for specialist surfaces avoids calling a comfortable seat “anti-pressure”. Cushions and positioning programmes must be prescribed or advised according to individual risk.

Recognising that the environment does not allow safe movement can lead to choosing a different solution or to modifying the room before the chair.

Recognising the caregiver’s limit is part of the assessment. A person on their own should not take on tasks that require equipment or several operators.

Next step

Write out a typical day from 7 to 23, indicating the activity, the station, the person who assists and the aid used. Highlight the three steps that require more than one person: the Sollevita team will assess where the chair can complement, not replace, the care system. Update the timeline after the first two weeks and after every significant change in the routine, in the person’s abilities or in the caregiver’s organisation.