On the news today it says 50% of people in Britain will be obese in the next 20 years. This will have a big effect on their health. The knock on effect will be that more obese people will be needing care in hospitals, care homes, their own homes. Manually assisting larger people can be problematic and poses a risk to the staff working with them.Specialist knowledge and equipment and therefore training in its use will be needed.
Positive Positioning offers a half day course in 'safer handling in Bariatrics' where the objective of the training is that the participants will be able to carry out a comprehensive risk assessment for an obese individual and identify safer handling methods.
The course is interactive with the 'fat vest' borrowed from the local NHS library so the participants get a feel of moving carrying excess weight.
This course was delivered to the physiotherapists of Kingkraft in Sheffield. This course was very well received with comments like 'course was well tailored to our requirements' and 'very informative - just what we need to set us off with our risk assessment'.
At the weekend I went on the Foundation to Aquatherapy course with Jacqueline Pattman held at the Freeways Trust in Bristol. Run by the Aquatic Therapy Association of Chartered Physiotherapists this course was an excellent mix of theory and applying that theory in practice in the Pool.
I now have a greater confidence in applying the principals of buoyancy, resistance and drag in designing therapy programmes in water to promote, maintain or restore physical, physiological and psycho-social health whilst being aware of pre-exisiting health issues.
With this renewed excitement in aquatherapy I am going to work with clients in the hydrotherapy pool in Armley leisure centre in Leeds
www.leeds.gov.uk/page.aspx?pageidentifier=E4CA73EB9E73C23A80256E1A003673F7.
Clients with Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Spina Bifida, Aquired Brain Injury and many others can benefit form aquatherapy. I am looking forward to improving people's quality of life through the use of therapy in water.
if you are interested in this please contact me through the email link.
