PRESS RELEASE

Release date: 28 April 2014

Decade long partnership is answer to pain in the back

A unique partnership built on innovation is helping two UK healthcare businesses to provide unparalleled support for people with serious back problems.

Specialist seating manufacturer Repose Furniture and provider of mobility assistance equipment Disable Aids have been providing innovative solutions to the growing problem of back pain in the UK since 2003.

It is estimated that many EU member states will see half their population diagnosed with a musculoskeletal disorder such as back pain by 2014, and millions of people throughout the UK are struggling to live with back complaints every day. The answer to coping with back pain can be found in this decade-long partnership. Chris Pearson, Sales Director at Disable Aids explained why his company, together with Repose, is so important for people with physical disabilities.

"We deliver Repose products to a network of care homes,and see for ourselves the problems people with back pain have when it comes to something as simple as sitting down. Some of these people will be sitting down for ten to twelve hours a day and need specialist back or lumbar support in their chair, and different rise and recline needs; or chairs that are easily transportable. We work closely with care homes to understand the seating requirements of their patients and pass this information onto the innovative design team at Repose."

Repose started 2014 on a high note after moving to larger premises in the Midlands and releasing a number of innovative new products to market that are aimed at helping those with back problems to cope with everyday life. It's not just those with musculoskeletal issues that require specialist seating; sufferers of arthritis, fractured vertebrae and brain injuries all need to be comfortable as they spend most of their time sitting down.

The decade long partnership between Repose and Disable Aids has seen such products as Repose's Rimini chair, created with tiered cushions that can be adjusted for comfort, the Chepstow, designed with lateral supports to help users hold a comfortable midline position, and Repose's most recent innovation, the Stargazer chair; a chair that converts easily into a bed, helping to solve the problem of short term bed provision in care homes and clinics, become regular items in care homes nationwide.

Disabled Aids has seized the opportunity to work with Repose to introduce Gelacell to its clients, pressure management technology that eliminates pressure points due its ability to contour in response to the transfer of weight and then return to its original position, reducing the risk of pressure sores that can lead to gangrene. Chairs can also be made of intelligent materials that can prevent cross-contamination and even the spread of MRSA, a bacterial infection that caused 656 deaths in 2011 and 2012.

Vital to the innovation seen in Repose's product range is the relationship it has with its national distributor network and the decade-long partnership with Disable Aids. Managing Director Lisa Wardley explained: "We work very closely with our distributors to fully understand what end users of our product require. There are various medical issues that attribute to a person requiring specialist seating and even more being recognised every month. It is important for us to speak to our distributor network; companies like Disable Aids, to aid our design innovation. These are the companies that have contact with users of our product and are the key to our constant product innovation. We are looking forward to the next decade of innovation, working closely with Disable Aids."

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Editor's Note:

Repose Furniture Limited is based in Brierley Hill, West Midlands, and designs and manufactures high quality specialist seating solutions, with a strong emphasis on practicality and performance.

Specialising in chairs for the healthcare and home sectors, Repose offers a range of products in both traditional and contemporary designs, but the strength of the business is in the provision of bespoke design and manufacturing to suit their clients' specific requirements.  Each chair can be made in a range of sizes, with different materials and fabrics, and a variety of multi-functions and accessories, with the emphasis on comfort and providing health benefits such as relieving pressure points.

Repose is a family business which has over 100 years combined experience in manufacturing mobility and specialist rise and recliners and complementary furniture.

For further information, please contact:

Nicola Pittaway, Bridge PR on tel: 024 76 520025, email:Nicola@bridgepr.co.uk

Lisa Wardley, Repose on tel: 01384 263363, email:lisa@reposefurniture.co.uk