Abstract
Purpose: To investigate the impact of sitting on mechanical lift slings on seat interface pressure of older adult wheelchair users.
Subjects: Twenty-two long-term care community-dwelling older adults (mean age = 80 years, SD = 9.76 years).
Methods: Within-subjects observational study of wheelchair-seated subjects with and without a mechanical lift sling.
Results: No statistically significant differences in pressure parameters were found.
Conclusions: Further investigation of the impact of sitting on mechanical lift slings in wheelchairs is warranted. The result of this study does not provide compelling evidence to overturn the current clinical recommendation of sling removal for long duration sitting.