24-Hour Postural Care Consultation Services

What does the 24-Hour Postural Care Project do?

Our project provides consultation and training to Vermont providers working with children and young adults with complex movement disorders.  

We provide consultation on:

  • Analyzing posture over a full 24-hour day

  • Assessing body symmetry and other outcomes like pain and sleep

  • Implementing sleep systems 

  • Evaluating positioning in different equipment used during the day

  • Setting positioning goals for each activity throughout the day

  • We identify those in need of 24-Hour Postural Care by discussions with and training of local providers.  Our process starts with a routines-based intake meeting to better define the needs of the individual team and family.
  • We support teams to learn to measure body symmetry and other outcome measures such as pain levels and quality and quantity of sleep through modeling, coaching and training.
  • We provide consultation to teams to trial sleep systems and other positioning equipment.
  • We train teams and families in use of new equipment.
  • We monitor the team and family’s implementation of new equipment and support teams to re-measure on a regular basis to measure progress.

 

Unsupported sleep position:

A child lies on a bed with their hips, elbows, and knees all facing different directions

Supported sleep position:

A child lying in a bed, supported by therapeutic pillows that keep their body in position

We consider posture across all 24 hours and utilize nighttime hours to increase body symmetry and to help minimize the distorting effects of gravity. The use of a sleep positioning system to create a symmetric and supported sleep position can improve body shape, decrease pain, and improve sleep for both the child and caregivers.

We offer consultation based on the 24-Hour Postural Care Pathway. A care pathway is a step-by-step guide that helps healthcare providers deliver consistent and effective care for specific needs. The 24-Hour Postural Care Pathway provides a clear plan for assessment and intervention to achieve the best results for the family. Care pathways ensure care is tailored and coordinated to meet each individual’s needs.

The 24-Hour Postural Care Pathway consists of five steps:

  1. Identify
  2. Measure
  3. Equip
  4. Train
  5. Monitor