Elizabeth Hallows: Physiotherapist

Acrylic nails...I worked with a lady this week who insisted she could manage all her care tasks with long false nails. Her employer, the person who needs help, was supportive of this decision. I watched....she had to twist and deviate her hands and fingers to grasp the slide sheet and hyperextend her fingers to operate the hoist. I felt it was certainly awkward and potentially unsafe for both people. We discussed this, and the infection control issues of the increased bacterial contamination..(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/pubmed/12244528) and they both said, yes, but we're not going to change. Sometimes, you just have to give your advice, record what you've advised, and step away. Frustrating.

Lots of people to thank from the last few days...Gary from Osprey Sling Company Ltd, Dave from Handicare Stairlifts UK. Tim from Invacare UK via RKS Occupational Therapy Services Ltd, Louise from Jiraffe and Paul from Careandindependence. All very experienced reps with knowledge and skills in demonstrating and assessing. Your time and help is really appreciated!

I’m really pleased that my excellent associate is returning to work in a few weeks time. It’s been full-on without her. Working more hours than is ideal has a knock-on impact on other areas of life...birthdays have been forgotten, half the weekend is taken up with doing very little in order to recover, house renovation has slowed down...life feels flatter. I am really looking forward to a better work-life balance very soon...including more time with this one...

This is a video about treating clubfoot, a condition that we’re familiar with in our family. There’s so much more information available now than there was 15 years ago... I remember our first appointment with our tiny baby when he was less than 2 weeks old, and not realising we’d come home with his feet and legs in casts. Please share with others who’d find this helpful.

Busy week working with a great group near Shrewsbury at Shropshire Partners In Care, focussing on assessing the moving skills of our clients, identifying ways of helping them and then using the best recording systems which are effective and comply with accepted standards.

Asking delegates to evaluate training course is tricky...we can end up with slightly less useful information than we'd anticipated, often related to the food! I recently used a numerical scale, asking delegates to score their starting and end points for 4 specific statements, from 0 to 10. Here are the averaged results from 40 delegates on a recent run of 3 day manual handling risk assessment training sessions:

I've been working with people who are "plus-size" recently. The practical difficulties that they're facing are complicated and it can seem that if we resolve one issue, we create another. Considerations have included: inability to lie flat as it causes respiratory distress, anxiety, management of the "pannus", safe working load of all equipment, dimensions of the furniture, the need to manage the risks to those helping them....and above all using the same respect and courtesy that all of us deserve. Information from the CSP shows that physiotherapy is beneficial for this group of people...let's hope so!

..busy working this month with Persona Care and Support in Bury. We’ve had good discussions about some of the more tricky issues around linking our clients, assisting on steps and stairs and what to do when someone is falling. We’ve focussed as usual on balanced decision making...what’s best for the client and best for the worker, and identified practical hints and tips.

We've had a clear out at home of childrens' books, and have donated them to The Back Dane Trust. The trust has a cottage in the beautiful Wincle countryside, on the Cheshire/Staffs border and offer breaks and holidays to disadvantaged people, refugees, people with disabilities and pretty much anyone else who could benefit from spending time in nature. Please share their page with anyone who might be interested.

Had cake!!!

..sometimes, when planning a training session, you find yourself re-reading information you thought you knew...this week I re-read the HSE's advice about manual handling people and found something I'd missed before...there are so many people who believe that the advice on what to do when a client is falling is to do nothing...and yet...this is what the HSE says: "Properly positioned, the helper may prevent a fall or allow a controlled slide". Good. Thanks to the HSE for this common-sense advice.

This event is a great opportunity for anyone working with people with disabilities. Some good speakers too😉

It's a busy week...today with the lovely people at St Ann's Hospice, Manchester, UK. Hospices are amazing places...reminders of the need to live every day. They receive no government funding and the support that they provide to people at very difficult times is invaluable.

I've just delivered tailored training to a great group of Paediatric Physios and OTs in Wrexham...looking at the implications of the various laws and guidance in their work within schools and with families, and then using their excellent movement-analysis skills to work out good methods to lift, roll and hoist children. Lunch in the Welsh sunshine too!

Physio friends...I'm looking for published evidence relating to the frequency of physio needed by children with cerebral palsy. Do any of you have any references? Many thanks in advance.

..last day working with people from Link4Life, Skylight Circus Arts and Hollingworth Lake Activity Centre, supporting them in making activities inclusive for everyone.