International Ataxia Awareness Day

The 25th September is International Ataxia Awareness Day; the purpose of this day is to improve people’s understanding of this uncommon disease. Ataxia can occur at any point in a person’s life; its severity and progression can vary greatly. Ataxia stems from damage to the cerebellum, the section of the brain that coordinates movement. This is why Ataxia can affect any part of the body but the most common aspect it affects is a person’s motor skills, namely their ability to balance, walk or require precise level of movement. People with Ataxia will often need to rely on wheelchairs, walkers or scooters to stay mobile. These difficulties with movements can also mean that people with Ataxia can face problems when trying to go to sleep; trying to get into a comfortable position can be a stressful and physically demanding experience with significantly limited mobility, relying on the help of others to go to sleep.

Centrobed have a range of products that can assist people with Ataxia have a more active independence, a better night’s sleep and improved quality of life. For children growing up who have Ataxia and problems finding comfort in bed as they grow, the Quoddy would be able to provide effective care throughout their stages of development. The Quoddy is a height-adjustable fully profiling paediatric bed that has three different available sizes available that it can expand to, (60”, 66”, 72”) enabling it to grow alongside the child and maintain a high level of care and comfort. The Quoddy is designed to ensure its backrest and knee-break profiling are in the correct place and with no gaps to avoid the risk of entrapment. All of the profiling and height adjustable movements of the Quoddy are operated with an easy to understand and use handset. This handset allows a child with a condition such as Ataxia some level of independence to reposition in bed without assistance that is increasingly important as they grow and develop.

For people with Ataxia who have trouble getting in and out of bed, the Nile leg lifter will be able to safely transfer patients into bed with minimal stress and effort. Instead of needing to rely on the help of carers or nurses to be transferred in or out of bed, clients can use this electrically powered leg lifter to smoothly get in and out of bed independently. The Nile is height adjustable and comes with bespoke sizes and universal fittings for divan and community profiling beds. This means that regardless of the physical measurements of the client and their current bed, this leg lifter will be able to accommodate their needs.

The Arctic is a multi functional turning bed that can provide comfort and effective care for a range of complex needs including Ataxia. With a large variety of profiling and turning movements including independent leg movement that are all operated with a simple handset, the client can reposition themselves to find comfort with a few button pushes, decreasing the need for manual handling and increasing the safety of carers. One of the unique features of the Arctic is the option for an automated turning system enabling hands-free care. By pre-programming a series of movements at specific time intervals throughout the day or night catered specifically towards their condition, the client can have a comfortable, safe night’s sleep without any sort of outside interference required, improving the sleep, health and overall quality of life for clients and carers.