After a brain injury, your father or partner needs a chair that holds them steady and can change as recovery moves along. Several Broda chairs are built for that.
A brain injury can leave someone with weak balance or shaky, uncoordinated movement (doctors call this ataxia). Sitting upright for an hour can take real effort. Look for a heavy steel frame that resists tipping and supports set to his size. Tilt-in-space also helps: the whole seat tips back as one unit, so gravity does some of the work of keeping your dad in place.
Recovery after a brain injury rarely follows a straight line. A man who needs full support in month one may be pushing himself down the hall by month six, or the other way around. A chair with adjustable seat height, seat depth and leg supports can be reset by a therapist instead of replaced. Ask which parts can change later and which are fixed when you order.
A brain injury can affect memory, attention and planning. Equipment that is hard to figure out adds stress for your dad and for you. Tilt and recline controls that work the same way every time are easier to learn. Arm supports that adjust or move aside also make a sideways transfer from the bed simpler.
Prices are Broda's MSRP for the base chair. Size, options and accessories change the final price.
From $4,506.40MSRP
A fit while your dad needs full support. The seat tilts back as far as 40 degrees and the backrest goes all the way to 90. Broda also makes a WC19 package for it, crash-tested for rides to therapy in an accessible van.
Made for a recovery that keeps changing. Broda designs the Comfort Rehab so seat depth, seat height and back angle are quick to adjust. It tilts up to 45 degrees, can be self-propelled and has anti-tippers.
From $2,602.47MSRP
For when he is ready to move on his own. The Latitude sits low (14 to 19 inches) so his feet reach the floor and walk the chair along. Broda designs its gentle rocking to calm restless users.
From $3,878.62MSRP
Bath time asks for the most balance of the day. The Revive tilts back up to 12 degrees while he is washed, and its seat can tip forward 10 degrees, a Broda feature meant to assist him in standing up afterward.
Start with his rehab team. A physical or occupational therapist, or an ATP (a certified assistive technology professional who specializes in wheelchairs), can measure your dad and watch how he sits, leans and tires over a full day. Ask them to note which side is weaker and whether he slides forward in the seat. Plan on rechecks while he is in active rehab, because a chair set up at hospital discharge may not suit him by the next season. In Arizona, ADL's crew can deliver the chair, set it up and fit it at home.
Many families pay privately. Insurance or a public program may help when a doctor, therapist or ATP documents why the person needs the chair. Whether it is covered depends on the plan. Our written quote lists the exact model and options, so it can go straight into that paperwork. Facilities, care organizations and multi-unit buyers can ask us about partner pricing.
It depends on how much support he needs right now. Someone with weak trunk control or poor balance often starts in a tilt and recline chair. As strength returns, a rehab chair or a low pedal chair may suit him better. A therapist or ATP should guide the choice, and the answer can change during recovery.
Many people in that spot can. Pedal chairs sit low, so the stronger foot reaches the floor and pulls the chair forward, sometimes with the stronger hand helping on the wheel. Broda's Latitude, Encore and Sashay work this way. His therapist should confirm he can steer and stop safely before he rides alone.
Broda designs the rocking motion on its Latitude and Encore pedal chairs to have a calming effect, and the rocking can be switched on or off. Agitation after a brain injury has many possible causes, so whether rocking suits him is a question for his care team.
This guide is general product information, not medical advice. Chair features are described as Broda designs them. Choose seating together with the person's doctor, therapist or ATP.
Product photos © Broda Seating, used with permission. Broda® and model names are trademarks of their owner.
Call with the person's diagnosis, height and weight, and where they will sit most of the day. We will tell you which Broda chairs fit and send a written quote.
