Objective

A total of 27.6% of elderly people can not transfer from supine to sitting position. This driving plan consists on an anterior flexion and rotation of trunk to bring center of mass near the edge of bed.

With ageing, we observe modifications like more requests of upper limbs and less turn side.

The aim of this study is to compare influence of two assistive devices in the supine to sitting transfer: SAM, a new bed rails and the lifting pole.

Patients and methods

Patients more than 65 years, after consent signature, were lying in a medical bed with lifting pole or SAM after randomisation.

Each patient is asked to sit up in the edge of bed in two consecutive attempts. During the second transfer they were filmed. At the same time, a pressure sensor sheet, arranged between buttom and mattress, was recording the evolution of center of mass.

The main criterion is the success of the transfer. Secondary criterion is the time to do the transfer and the evolution of the center of mass.

Videos were looked by two persons to assess success or failure and time.

Results

Thirty-eight patients were included among which 19 used SAM. Seventeen patients made a successfully transfer with SAM against 13 with lifting pole. Time to do transfer was not significatively different with the two devices (12.5 s with SAM versus 12 s with lifting pole).

The center of mass evolved in previous for 90% of patients with SAM in particular during the first five seconds. While with the lifting pole, the center of mass evolved in posterior, in particular in patients who have failed.

Discussion/Conclusion

The ergonomic of the used device seems to influence the driving plan. The clinical evaluation thus has to accompany the research and development to help to find the best clinical and indicator criteria of assistive devices evaluations.