Olaf cot from Theraposture delivers peace of mind to parents of highly active Ella with Angelman Syndrome

Parents of three children, Lisa and Craig Court from Nuneaton lead full-time working lives and are the main carers for their disabled daughter Ella aged 16.

Ella has Angelman Syndrome which is a genetic disorder that mainly affects the nervous system and causes symptoms including developmental disability speaking problems, balance and movement issues, seizures and sleep difficulties.

Ella is also highly active and strong, so has a tendency to easily damage and break equipment such as her care cot, exacerbated by no sense of risk to herself. Hence at night, it is imperative that she sleeps in a specialist high-sided cot that keeps her secure and safe from injury.

However, all previous beds had not been able to withstand Ella’s activities until the family selected a variable height and profiling Olaf cot from Theraposture.

Lisa has been a Trustee of the Angelman UK charity since 2005 (previously known as ASSERT) and a fellow charity member first recommended Theraposture to her. The proven strength of Theraposture cots was reiterated by Newlife when Lisa approached the charity in 2017 at Kidz to Adultz up North.

Lisa attended this exhibition in Manchester to discover which supplier had the capabilities to build a cot that would withstand Ella’s activities. As Theraposture provides proven adjustable beds and cots for the Newlife Emergency Equipment Loan Service, the charity signposted Lisa to their exhibition stand.

Lisa needed a cot that was ‘Ella proof’ as she explains: “I began discussions with Steve from Theraposture at Kidz up North which led to a thorough home assessment. Steve was fantastic and really listened to our requirements and the need to keep Ella safe.

I explained a previous bed from another manufacturer had eventually collapsed due to Ella’s unintentional destructive behaviour which led to her crawling out of our home at night and into the street! Without any road sense, the consequences of this could have been catastrophic.”

Lisa continues: “Before the Olaf cot arrived from Theraposture, our previous beds had become unsafe. Ella had continually damaged the structure of the cots which had resulted in the need for repeated reinforcement. Luckily my husband is a PE teacher so joined forces with his colleague in the Woodwork department to repair and strengthen fittings. Nevertheless, the cot eventually gave way and left us in a really difficult situation.”

“Ella’s highly active behaviour meant Theraposture had to adapt the Olaf. Jeff, their Operations Director was fantastic all the way through and the technicians were all so pleasant. “

The family’s predicament was so desperate they decided to purchase a second hand Theraposture Hannah cot which was advertised in a Facebook group. This group was sharing advice on specialist disabled equipment and even though the cot wasn’t the perfect specification, it was in excellent condition and would keep Ella much safer than trying to improvise.

Theraposture understood the urgency of the situation as Lisa explains: “Our Hannah cot bought us some time but we still really needed the ideal sleeping solution for complete peace of mind. Understanding the potential risks to Ella, Theraposture’s Trusted Assessor report was compiled rapidly and I decided to apply for funding from Newlife during the Spring of 2018.

Our application was approved quickly however the charity had insufficient funds at the time so we had to wait until the summer for the cot to be ordered. We were so pleased to see it arrive.”

Theraposture deemed the Olaf as the most appropriate cot for Ella. It is a quality, handcrafted cot specifically designed for restless children and adults with excessive motor activity, who can sit up, pull to stand and need nursing or therapy in bed. High sides and specialist padding with soft windows provide a safe and reassuring space for users whilst allowing visual connection with external surroundings.

Ella’s Olaf has variable height functionality which will provide safe working heights for Lisa and Craig in the future when Ella may need personal care in bed.

The Olaf has low access for floor transfers and can be raised so that excessive bending is not required – of particular importance as both Ella’s parents have back issues from handling her. Currently, Ella can be ‘walked’ with assistance or independently crawl and transfer into bed.

The mattress can also be profiled for a variety of sleeping positions. However, at this time this technology is not required.

Nevertheless, the Olaf is future-proofed if Ella’s needs change which means the cot provides greater long-term value.

“You only discover if a company truly cares about its customers when challenges are faced. I cannot fault Theraposture for their dedication”

As Ella is prone to investigating and damaging fixtures and fitting, the Olaf provides a more appropriate solution as all of its moving parts and mechanisms are housed outside of the cot.

This means there is less change of motor housings being kicked apart and entrapment risks are eliminated. The durability, safety and aesthetics of the cot were so important to the Court’s when selecting their preferred cot, hence they selected Theraposture. They wanted a cot that would last and be suitable for all of Ella’s life. She is currently 15 stone and ‘chunky’ in stature, as her Mother describes, so a spacious solution was essential whilst not compromising the space in her specially converted accessible bedroom.

As part of Theraposture’s 14-day Suitability Guarantee and 100% commitment to achieving positive outcomes, Jeff Gardner, Operations Manager, worked closely with the family to make sure Theraposture understood exactly what was needed and how to prepare the bed so that it was ‘Ella Proof’. These modifications included adding additional external locking bars.

Lisa was so impressed with Theraposture’s level of service as she comments: “You only discover if a company truly cares about its customers when challenges are faced. I cannot fault them for their dedication as they understood exactly what was needed and delivered on promises – this included additional visits to check that everything was ok. Jeff was fantastic as he kept me informed all the way through and the technicians were all so pleasant when they visited.”

Now Ella’s Olaf is withstanding her active behaviour and the whole family have peace of mind at night. We can rest assured she is safe and we do not need to go into her room as much to check on her. When she was young, Ella would only sleep one hour a night and then would need entertaining the rest of the time… that was so tough. These days Ella still kicks, bangs and vocalises throughout the night but the sounds we hear are not those of distress, she appears comfortable and reassured in her cot. As we requested for it to be wider than a standard single, Ella hasn’t got the leverage to kick the doors as much which is reducing the wear and tear. Our Olaf has low-level windows in each door and a large window at the head end which will be used for her to watch TV more easily. The pink design details are pleasant and the grey padding is calming.”

The Court family are finally able to continue their busy lives in the knowledge that Ella is safe when in bed. Ella attends Oakwood Special School during the week and stays overnight at her local Respite Centre. Ella’s familiarity with the Olaf and its effectiveness in terms of safety have led to the centre ordering the same cot. When back at home Lisa knows the family will never have the worry of Ella potentially hurting herself again by getting out of bed unsupervised.

Lisa concludes:

“I hear some professionals question the appropriateness of high-sided cots in terms of deprivation of liberty. I would defy any therapist who said that these kind of products were not suitable for my child. We experience her challenging and active behaviour every day and know the Theraposture Olaf is the only solution to keep her safe and happy.”

Safety padding

Theraposture provides a comprehensive range of fabrics, colours and designs to ensure all children are safe. Its assessment process always recommends the most appropriate solution in terms of needs, wants and risks. Precision bespoke design and fitting ensure entrapment risks are eliminated and comfort is maximised.