PWC seat cushion woes

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dkcarl62

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DX UMND/PLS
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03/2015
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mi
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Novi
I have been struggling for months now, trying to find a pwc seat cushion that is comfortable for me. I’m working with the seating clinic at UoM that supplied the chair. They given me at least 8 different samples to try and none of them are comfortable to sit in for long. The length of time varies, but I start to be in pain within 2 -4 hours in the chair.

I don’t understand why this is so hard! They tell me that they want me to sample a cushion before they order it, but of course they only have so many available sample cushions from various suppliers to give me to try.

I don’t know what to do to get this resolved. Like I said – I’ve been at this for months now – at least 6. They bring out a cushion, I try it, it doesn’t work, I complain, weeks go by before I get another cushion to try..and the cycle repeats.
Thanks for you input!

Deb
 
That's just weird.
I've been full time on my ROHO for about a year now.
 
My husband likes his ROHO too
 
Demand to try a 4" ROHO that has a pressure setting gauage attached. If you are heavy make certain that the cushion is wide enough to float your weight. I gained a lot of weight after going on the vent and was having severe pain, instantly resolved when I got a new chair with a larger cushion. You may benefit by having a ROHO rep test the amount of pressure and location by putting a pressure sensitive mat under you in your chair. It hooks to a laptop for immediate results. I am a ROHO user since 1990 and couldn't be happier with their products and service. No pressure sores in spite of 14 to 16 hours in my chair.
 
Roho, suits me fine too.
Chally
 
ROHO makes 6 categories and multiple sub categories of seat cushions (according to their website). What exact cushion do your u have and who helped you pick the right one for you?
 
Diane, I'm not a big women. About 130#. Where do I find a roho rep? Do they make house calls?
 
Deb, the Quadtro Select, which comes in 3 heights, is the one you likely want. What Diane is alluding to is that the taller cells in the 4" one allow for more immersion, which should allow for more comfort. The downside is that it's harder to reposition you/yourself because you are more "sunk" so it's more up to the chair.

When you do these cushion trials, are you moving/being repositioned/using tilt to shift your weight? No cushion substitutes for that necessity.

UM should def have a Roho rep and demo product, since Roho is now part of Permobil.

Best,
Laurie
 
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The roho quattro 4" seems to work best for me. I use mine even when not in my chair. It annoys people sitting behind me, but hey, deal with it. It needs to be properly adjusted, when it is it's like sitting on balloons.
Vincent
 
Laurie, "trials" consist of nothing more than the pwc tech dropping off a cushion and saying - "Here, try this". Minor instruction on how the air adjustments work if they have them. I have tried cushions with air cell technology, but they haven't been Roho's. The problem occurs over time. I need to sit in a cushion for 2+ hours to know if its going to start to hurt or not. I think you might have touched upon the problem tho. UoM is a Pride supplier. Everyone thru their seating clinic gets Quantum. If Roho is part of Permobil, so my quess is they don't have a roho rep?

What to do now?
 
The seating people should be able to get you a ROHO to try. It can be trial and error and retry to get the right amount of air in it, so insist that the cushion be the newer model that has the attachment for determining the right pressure. It doesn't sound like your "specialists" are much help and I really doubt they know anything about adjusting a ROHO since they haven't given you one. Do they even know that it is meant to replace the entire cushion of your chair? The ROHO should sit directly on the metal of the chair seat section. It is helpful for use in a recliner or other chair, but is best without other padding under it. The main thing is that you don't sit "on" a ROHO, you sit "in" it! Too much air and you are sitting on a rock. Begin by pumping the cushion full, then leaving it sit with the valve open for a while to remove some air. Then close the valve and sit on the cushion. It will still be too inflated. Have a helper put one hand under the boney part of of your left or right "butt bone", palm down. Open the valve and slowly let the air out until your helper can press down with his fingers and just begin to feel the solid seat base. It isn't a perfect method but a little faster than just repeatedly letting air out. Remember that if you are already sore, the test of a ROHO won't be the same as if your bottom wasn't already on its way to pressure sores. Even so, you should feel the difference. The seating center can get a ROHO rep to visit you at home and do the pressure mapping there if you continue to have problems. The rep won't be just handing you new cushions to try without any instruction. He or she will get to the "bottom" of your problem and will get you a ROHO cushion that works for you.
 
I find the stock Permobil seat that came with my primary wheelchair to be very comfortable for long periods (8 hours at a stretch). I have a Roho in my backup wheelchair (thank lgelb). It is even more comfortable.

Note that I am still pretty mobil, being able to get out of the wheelchair throughout the day. That is probably why the stock Permobil seat works for me now. I don't think it would work if I was in the wheelchair full time. I am confident the Roho will work for me when I am in the wheelchair full time.

Steve
 
I appreciate all of the feedback you are providing! But I do ask that if you have a Roho - please tell me which one! It makes a difference to know which one you are all finding to be comfortable. I'm assuming that your cushion was covered by insurance? Medicare?
 
Hi dkcarl62

I hear you loud and clear. It took me a while to find a good cushion that allows me to sit comfortably in my wheelchair for 12 to 14 hours every day. When you have the kind of difficulties you have described you will need to call the seating specialist at your Center and explain your current problem and then ask for seat pressure mapping evaluation while seated on a properly inflated sample ROHO cushion installed on your PWC, to determine what cushion is best for you. Without an objective evaluation you might not be able to find a comfortable cushion because of your seating position (pelvic tilt) or bony prominences that are causing pressure points in your seating.
If that doesn’t work ask your center’s physical therapist to call around to find a facility that does have a wheelchair seat mapping service and a seating specialist. As many others, I find ROHO to be most comfortable when properly inflated. I would recommend getting a cushion with ROHO’s Smart check System to ensure that inflation is ideal since the inflation pressure changes over time. You may also find it helps to regularly shift your weight from your seating area to your back by using the tilt-in-space feature in your PWC. You may find the websites below to be useful.

Best wishes

Eliot


Pressure Mapping Reveals the Complete Picture for Seating and Positioning Solutions - Rehab Managment

https://roho.com/category/products/cushions/smart-check/
 
My wife has the Roho QUADTRO and is quite comfortable. She also uses it her individual couch.
Anyhow, she is not able to spend many hours in the wheelchair because we don`t have the TILT function (we are now getting one with this), so not sure if that`s same case with you.
Saludos
Lucas
 
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