Reducing Deconditioning in Frail Older Patients Through Adaptive Seating

The Challenge: Combating Hospital Deconditioning

For frail, older patients, time spent in hospital can unintentionally lead to physical decline. One of the biggest risks is deconditioning — the loss of muscle strength, mobility, and function that occurs when patients spend too long in bed.

Clinical teams that work with older adults have identified that even an extra day or two in bed can significantly affect recovery, independence, and discharge timelines. 

Despite ongoing efforts to encourage patients to sit out of bed, a key barrier remained: the seating available simply wasn’t fit for purpose. Many wards relied on static wooden chairs that were difficult to move, not adjustable, and often uncomfortable for prolonged sitting. 

For patients at risk of pressure damage or with complex positioning needs, this made sitting out for meaningful periods difficult — if not impossible.

Many Trusts have recognised that if they were serious about reducing deconditioning, they needed to improve the seating on offer to patients. 

Why the Avento Chair Stands Out

Key features included:

Height Adjustability — Staff can adjust the chair height to support safe transfers and improve patient positioning. 

Independent Backrest and Leg Rest Adjustment - The ability to move the backrest and leg rest independently means patients can sit upright with feet elevated — or adjust throughout the day for comfort. As one clinician reflected, no one sits in the same position all day — and hospital patients shouldn’t have too either.

Pressure-Relieving Cushions - Improved cushioning provided better pressure relief for patients at risk of developing pressure sores. 

Mobility - Unlike static wooden chairs, the Avento chair is on wheels. This seemingly simple feature had major impact, allowing patients to:

• Move to the day room
• Participate in social dining
• Spend time in dementia-friendly areas
• Even go outside for fresh air 

Central Locking Brakes - Instead of managing four separate brakes in tight ward spaces, staff can use central locking — improving safety and efficiency.

Compatibility with Transfer Aids — The chairs work effectively alongside existing moving and handling equipment, supporting safer transfers for more dependent patients. 

Infection Control Compliance — The chairs are very easy to clean between patients and approved by infection control teams. 

The Impact: Small Change, Big Difference

Increased Time Sitting Out of Bed

Since introducing the chairs, many wards reported that patients are sitting out for longer — and more comfortably. This is particularly important given data showing hospital patients can spend up to 80% of their day in bed.

Even small increases in upright time can:

• Improve breathing
• Support eating and drinking
• Enhance alertness
• Encourage mobility
• Accelerate rehabilitation

Clinicians at various Trusts have observed that patients who sit out more are more likely to recover quicker and get home sooner. 

Improved Social Engagement and Nutrition

The mobility of the chairs has enabled wards to introduce and expand social dining initiatives. Patients can now be moved easily to shared tables, even if they are not independently mobile.

This has delivered benefits beyond nutrition:

• Increased social interaction
• Reduced isolation
• Improved appetite
• Greater cognitive stimulation 

For older adults, particularly those with dementia, these social and environmental cues are vital.

Enhanced Staff Safety and Efficiency

The chairs haven’t just improved patient experience — they’ve supported staff wellbeing too. Adjustability and compatibility with transfer aids mean safer moving and handling practices. Central locking brakes and improved manoeuvrability save time and reduce physical strain.

Feedback has been consistently positive from:

• Nursing staff
• Therapists
• Infection control teams
• Tissue viability specialists
• Moving and handling advisors 
• Even family members have commented on the comfort of the chairs 

A Shift in Perspective: The Importance of Hospital Furniture

Occupational therapists are used to assessing furniture in patients’ homes. This project highlighted something often overlooked: hospital furniture is just as important.

The right chair can mean the difference between:

• Eating lunch upright or staying in bed
• Participating in therapy or declining function
• Maintaining independence or losing it

As one clinician noted, it sounds simple — ​“just a chair” — but it can determine whether a patient stands, mobilises, and ultimately returns home. 

Implementation and Partnership

The rollout process was smooth and responsive. Delivery timelines were faster than anticipated, with chairs arriving before Christmas. 

Here at Ocura, we provided:

• Prompt communication
• Staff training
• Rapid setup and implementation 

This ensured wards were ​“up and running” quickly and able to start realising benefits without delay.

Conclusion: Enabling What Matters

For frail older patients, hospitalisation can quickly erode strength and independence. Preventing deconditioning requires more than encouragement — it requires the right tools.

By investing in adaptable, mobile, pressure-relieving seating, wards have:

• Increased time out of bed
• Improved comfort
• Enhanced social interaction
• Supported rehabilitation
• Promoted faster recovery and discharge

Most importantly, they’ve enabled patients to do what matters to them — sitting upright to eat, socialise, and engage in daily life, just as they would at home. 

Sometimes, meaningful change starts with something as simple — and as powerful — as the right chair.