Our seating services aim to provide clients and families with the best options to support independent mobility. This involves looking at both seating and wheeled mobility options.
Seating generally refers to supports a person may need to maintain a functional and comfortable sitting position. These supports can range from something as simple as a firm cushion to a complex system. Seating components go into a base which can include everything from an infant seat to a wheelchair.
Wheeled mobility bases provide alternative ways of getting around in your environment. These may include strollers, manual or power wheelchairs. There are other mobility aids such as walkers and crutches, but these are not prescribed through our Seating and Mobility Service.
Seating clinics provide assessment and recommendations for seating (positioning) and wheeled mobility devices including manual and power wheel chairs. Input from clients, families, therapists, teachers and others is valuable in making the most appropriate recommendations. Based on clinical recommendations, clients and families select the seating and mobility options that they feel best meet their needs.
Access to Services
Seating and Mobility Services (SAMS) covers the Southwestern Ontario Counties of Middlesex, Elgin, Huron, Perth, Grey, Bruce, Oxford and the City of London.
Already a client of TVCC?
Talk with your child’s therapist about your interest in a referral to the Seating and Mobility Service (SAMS). Together with your child’s therapist, fill out the Seating and Mobility Referral Form.
Not currently receiving any services from TVCC?
Fill out a TVCC Referral form
- Check the box for Seating and Mobility.
- Together with your community therapist, fill out the Seating and Mobility Referral.
- If you have copies of medical reports, these are helpful to us (a doctor’s signature is not required).
- If you don’t have a community therapist and you need assistance completing the questionnaire, contact us at 519-685-8700 ext 53395
What to Expect
Following a referral and necessary background information, an initial seating clinic appointment will be made. Initial appointments are one and a half hours long. It is helpful if you bring any current seating and wheeled mobility equipment. During your appointment, you will meet with one or more seating therapists and a seating technician. Here are some suggestions to make your appointments go smoothly (Seating Appointment Guide).
Identifying Challenges
We will begin by asking some questions to find out what you or your child is using for seating and wheeled mobility. We will also explore what challenges you are experiencing with this equipment and with seating and mobility in general. Together, we will consider your needs at home, school, work or any other place you think is important. We depend on input from clients, families, therapists, teachers and others in order to make the best recommendations/decisions possible.
Physical Assessment
Seating therapists will then do a physical assessment. They will evaluate areas such as tone, reflexes, strength, sensation, joint mobility and skin condition. An important part of the assessment is looking at function. This includes transfers and the ability to use a manual or power wheelchair. A seating technician will take measurements to determine what size and type of equipment will best suit the client. If customizations need to be made to driver controls/interfaces, our Rehab Technologist will also be involved.
Equipment
Whenever possible, you will be able to try out different types of equipment before having to make a final decision.
Our service offers both custom and commercial seating inserts. If custom components are required, they are custom designed and made by technicians at TVCC. Sometimes a combination of custom made and commercially available seating parts will be prescribed. Commercially available seating and mobility equipment is purchased from a vendor of the client's choice.
The estimated cost of customized equipment to be made at TVCC will be given at the seating clinic appointment. If commercially available seating and mobility equipment is prescribed, then you will need to contact the vendor of your choice for a quote.
We offer power wheelchair assessments and training. Special power wheelchair controls can be made for those clients whose physical abilities do not enable them to operate standard controls.
For More Information
Our office hours are between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, but you can leave a message on our voice mail at any time by calling 519-685-8700 (ext 53395) or email sams [at] tvcc.on.ca (sams[at]tvcc[dot]on[dot]ca)
