Wheelchair Service Delivery Training: Basic

The aim of Rehab Skills Lab’s courses is to provide healthcare professionals with the skills and knowledge to provide comprehensive wheelchair services based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) Guidelines for the Provision of Manual Wheelchairs in Less-Resourced Settings.

The Basic Professional wheelchair service delivery course teaches participants how to match the environmental, functional, postural support and durability needs of wheelchair users, who have basic postural support needs, with the appropriate wheelchair features.

This typically includes persons with amputations, orthopaedic lesions, spinal cord injuries below T12 as well as those who have suffered strokes or are elderly.

Only a child whose neuro-musculo-skeletal development was normal until age six or  seven, and who does not need additional posture support, can be seated using basic seating principles.

The learning objectives of the course will help you:

• Understand the human rights approach to wheelchair service delivery;
• List the steps of comprehensive wheelchair service delivery;
• Assess for, prescribe and fit manual wheelchairs and cushions for users with basic postural support needs;
• Manage basic pressure care and postural support;
• To be familiar with different types of manual wheelchairs, their features and adjustment options; and
• Gain an understanding of different types of foam cushions.

Methodology

An interactive five-day course that includes:

• Theory;
• Practical sessions; and
• Clinical work with wheelchair users.

Entry requirements

• Candidates should ideally be physiotherapists, occupational therapists, orthotist/prosthetists, nurses or doctors;

Therapy assistants and non-medical personnel can be accommodated. However, as the course is developed for professionals, it is recommended that they are accompanied by one of the latter who can support them.

CPD points: 35 clinical and 1 ethics