Yvonne de Vries
Seating & Positioning Consultant MPG, Australia

This paper examines the long-term impact of custom made inserts, sidelying and sleeping/positioning systems. MPS and its predecessor Greystanes Children’s Home have been providing individually moulded positioning systems to their clients for over 10 years. At MPS we make three different types of positioning systems. Fully moulded, partially moulded and systems that are adjustable. A questionnaire has been sent to the users to analyse both short-term impacts and long-term benefits.

Some 60 questionnaires have been sent out to the clients. A smaller number of these clients will be re-assessed to investigate changes in the range of motion and a possible effect on reflux in the more severely disabled clients.

Questionnaire:
• There was a 60% return rate of the questionnaire.
• 95% uptake rate when supplied with a system.
• Systems used most of the time with a preference for use at night.
• Less than 1 % had lots of problems placing the child in the system. 28% experienced some difficulties.
• 84% of the systems are used at home.
• 69% are used for more than 7 hours a day.
• 89% feel that the child/client is comfortable.
• 55% feel that the child’s/client’s posture has improved.
• Only 24% felt that the range had increased. Three of six clients that have been remeasured after using the system for at least six months reported that there was no change. The other three reported that they didn’t know.

All six had an improvement in the ROM. (See case studies.) This is obviously not the right question to ask parents/carers.
• 37% have not seen a therapist in the last 3 months or more.
• 66% reported a decrease in hospital admissions.
• 52% reported a decrease in reflux. No one reported an increase in reflux.
• 92% are reasonably satisfied with the positioning system.
• 87% would purchase another of our systems.