postural support for adult

Lovatic24

Member
My cousin has trouble sitting properly in the car. She has trouble sitting in the car for long periods of time. She slouches down so that her back is on the seat bottom and her legs are on the head rest in front of her and she is completely comfortable that way. But it is completely unsafe.

She is 5'5" and 140lbs.

I was wondering if there is something out there that colud support her trunk and/or head while in the car or if there was some kind of harness that would help keep her sitting up.

Any suggestions would be helpful!
If you need any more info, I will try to find it out for you.
 
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nannykates

New member
Are there any special needs at play here? I'd probably encourage her to try sitting criss cross applesauce which can be more comfortable for people with a weak trunk.
 

Keeyamah

Active member
Aspergers, mild spinabifida, and low tone. She always sits with her legs crossed or up on something.

Would trying a styrofoam cooler or perhaps a sleeping bag as a foot rest help her? The reason I suggest those is they are a less painful projectiles if they were in a crash.

I know there are special needs harnesses out there, I'm just not sure what/where they are and what weight they go to.
 

AustinMusic

Active member
I think the idea put forward by Keeyamah is excellent and definitely worth trying.

I know there are special needs harnesses out there, I'm just not sure what/where they are and what weight they go to.

If for whatever reason some kind of footrest does not work and some form of seat is required, an E-Z-On Vest or harness might be a solution. We have used the 103Z and 102 model vests which both provide excellent support. While both are easy to use, the 102 model vest has the added benefit of being able to be left installed in the vehicle (unlike other vests). Below is a photo of how we have ours set up:

E_Z_On_102_Vest_Installed_zps7d7ce693.jpg


Once seated the user simply closes the front buckles and connects the crotch straps similar to a regular car seat.

The only downside to using an E-Z-On Vest or harness, is that it will require the installation of heavy duty tether anchors which on occasion can prove slightly tricky. As the occupant is 140lbs, this would definitely be required. For more on installing heavy duty tether anchors, this thread might prove helpful.

I hope this helps!
 

Lovatic24

Member
If she used the seat belt for safety but had the harness just for support, could they just hook it to latch? Like wear it under the seat belt?
 

AustinMusic

Active member
If she used the seat belt for safety but had the harness just for support, could they just hook it to latch? Like wear it under the seat belt?

That’s a good question!

I don’t believe E-Z-On have designed their vests to work in this way so my initial reaction would be that it is not possible. That said, it is worth emailing them because they do offer a mounting system for use in wheelchairs which is essentially the principle you mention - although from reading the instructions I don’t believe the wheelchair mount is approved for use in ‘non-wheelchair’ scenarios. Their customer service is really good; they can be emailed at info@ezonpro.com.

If they say their products cannot be used in such a way then I suggest checking out the Moore Support Vest from BESI-Inc. The vest is very similar to the E-Z-On model and is designed to work with the seatbelt over the vest and also uses the standard vehicle tether anchor. From looking at their website and the instructions there are however a couple of possible drawbacks.

First, while it clearly helps those who are prone to falling sideways or forwards, it may not be ideal for those who slide down the vehicle seat. There appears to be no attachment points at the wearer’s hips to stop such movement or crotch straps. I could well be wrong of course - I have no experience with the product at all so the only way to find out would be to try it out if possible.

Second, the vest closes behind the wearer. While this feature is helpful for those who might not understand they need to stay safely seated, it could prove a little bothersome if not required because the vest would have to be put on and taken off outside the vehicle and thus could not be left installed on the seat. Furthermore, it is unlikely the wearer could put the vest on by themselves and would require help each time it was used. This may not be a problem at all (and certainly wasn’t for us when we used the E-Z-On 103Z vest) however it does make it a little less efficient for each journey.

I hope this helps. If you need more information I'd be happy to try and help.:)
 

Lovatic24

Member
Thanks! I looked at the moore harness but, yea, buckling in the back isn't gonna work. :(
Do you know of any other harness type things? Or companies?
 

AustinMusic

Active member
Thanks! I looked at the moore harness but, yea, buckling in the back isn't gonna work. :(
Do you know of any other harness type things? Or companies?

The only other US product I can think of that may work is the Merritt Churchill Booster Seat. This is a booster seat that works with the vehicle seatbelt but can be fitted with various accessories – such as a trunk support vest – according to the needs of the passenger. The weight and height limits of the seat are 175lbs and 72inches respectively.

While I have hardly any knowledge of the seat, I understand from other posts they can be very expensive to purchase and more often than not insurance is used to obtain one. The retail price of the Churchill is currently listed as $1,095.00 with support the vest listed at $0.00. Is purchase via insurance an option for you?

The other possible disadvantage is that being a physical booster seat (similar to a standard booster seat) it would need to be removed if another occupant wishes to use the same vehicle seat. While I don’t know how easy/awkward the Churchill is to lift and move, it might be worth looking into this if the seat is required to be frequently swapped in and out of the vehicle.

Other than the Churchill Booster the only other products I can think of that may help are those from a company here in the UK called Crelling Harnesses. However, from looking at the website they may not be able to ship to the United States for insurance reasons. Nonetheless if any of their products look like a solution, I would send them an email to clarify their policy. There might be a form which you can sign and return which overcomes this issue and would allow you to order, but I can’t confirm this. They can be contacted at info@crelling.com.

Other than the above, I’m afraid I don’t know of any other seats, vests or harnesses that would help.

I don’t know if you have contacted them yet but if for any reason the installation of the heavy duty tether anchors for the E-Z-On vest is a sizeable factor in your decision, I believe E-Z-On offer custom solutions to such issues where possible. A few years ago, another forum member had a bespoke product made by E-Z-On which did not require the installation of the heavy duty tether anchors. The details can be seen in her post. I cannot say whether this is possible or not given the number of factors involved (vehicle design, E-Z-On policy, product required, etc..) but I would certainly talk to E-Z-On about the possibility of something similar.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions about the E-Z-On Vest.
 

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