The OT Magazine – Mar / Apr 2022

THE

MAGAZINE Issue 45 | Mar/Apr 22 | Improving Independence

Health Anxiety OTs are perfectly placed to recognise and support people living with health anxiety

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COLU M N S

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PRO DUC T S

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CPD

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EVENTS

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About us

The Team

Editor: Rosalind Tulloch Staff Writer: Katie Campbell Designer: Fionnlagh Ballantine Production: Donna Deakin Sales: Danny McGonigle Contributors: Kate Sheehan, Esther Dark, Ian Taverner, Margaret Spencer, Natalie Diab-Bale, Maia Fergus-O’Grady, Sally Callow, Joanna Sale

This month’s issue...

I

s it safe to say that we are approaching the end of the COVID era? I don’t want to “jinx” anything by saying this but it feels like we are getting back to some sort of normality. However, two years of restrictions, lockdowns, face masks, fear and isolation from loved ones, will no doubt come with repercussions.

Get in touch 2A Publishing, 20-23 Woodside Place, Glasgow, G3 7QL 0141 465 2960 ot-magazine.co.uk The OT Magazine @ot_magazine enquiries@2apublishing.co.uk

Disclaimer

The OT Magazine is published by 2A Publishing Limited. The views expressed in The OT Magazine are not necessarily the views of the editor or the publisher.

Reproduction in part or in whole is strictly prohibited without the explicit written consent of the publisher. Copyright 2022 © 2A Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved. ISSN-2056-7146

With this in mind we take a look at health anxiety and the natural increase of this throughout the pandemic. Following two years of constantly worrying about our health and the health of loved ones it can be hard to simply switch that off. When does it become too much worry?

OTs are well placed to recognise when concerns over health can be having a detrimental effect on a person’s life and can help support them to manage this.

The design of accessible kitchens has developed hugely over the last few years and future-proofing homes using accessible kitchens is of vital importance. We hear from some of the leading experts in accessible kitchen design on page 28.

Ian Taverner is the author behind Cookfulness, a cookbook designed for people living with chronic illness. Recently he has collaborated with Bath Centre for Pain Services to introduce a creative therapy programme that incorporates food and cooking to help service users manage their pain.

Read more about this great programme on page 16.

We also discover more about Kent and Medway Recovery College, take a look at powerchair football, and hear from ME/CFS patient advocate Sally Callow about her latest petition to allow patients to record harmful effects experienced from non-pharmaceutical interventions.

If there is anything you would like to read more about in the magazine please don’t hesitate to contact me at ros@2apublishing.co.uk.

The OT Magazine, Editor

SUBSCRIBE TODAY Further your career and enhance your CPD by subscribing to The OT Magazine

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What’s inside 07 What’s New

Bringing you up-to-speed with all the latest news from the health sector

13 Purposeful and

Meaningful

Kate Sheehan muses on the value of activities to individuals

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14 Eating Disorder

Awareness

Esther Dark explores how OTs can support people living with eating disorders

16 Cooking up a Storm Ian Taverner explains his new programme with Bath Centre for Pain Services

19 Product Focus The latest must-have products on the market 4

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25 Day in the Life Margaret Spencer takes us through a day in her life as a consultant occupational therapy practitioner

26 Kent and Medway

Recovery College

Learn more about these peer-supported spaces

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44 Shake It Up Sally Callow explains why she’s campaigning for a central collection of data regarding harmful effects of non-pharmaceutical treatments for ME/CFS

47 Wearing the Future As wearable technology becomes more mainstream, its applications increase dramatically

Product

Focus

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28 Accessible

Kitchen Design

The kitchen is the heart of the home, so making sure it’s accessible is a must

32 Health Anxiety How occupational therapists can support people living with health anxiety

35 Product Focus More of the latest must-have products

39 Left in the Cold What help is available for people struggling to meet their energy bills?

52 The Power of

Powerchair Football

We learn more about a sport that’s growing in popularity in the UK

56 Paediatric Products Innovative products for younger clients

61 OTs at the Heart

of Change

Joanna Sale examines what could be in store for OTs in 2022

64 Events Calendar Essential dates for your diary -magazine.co.uk

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We explore what’s happening in the healthcare sector, from new products and services to inspirational stories

What’s new?

RCOT ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF 2022 FELLOWSHIP AWARDS The Royal College of Occupational Therapists announced which members had been awarded Fellowships earlier this year - their highest award given in recognition of an occupational therapist’s contributions to their profession.

This year saw six occupational therapists earn the award, including familiar face Kate Sheehan, director of The OT Service, a regular columnist for The OT Magazine.

Recognised alongside her were: Dee Christie, chair of the Elizabeth Casson Trust; Jo Adams, emeritus professor of Musculoskeletal Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty

CENTAUR ROBOTICS TRIALS NEW WHEELCHAIR WITH HOUSING CHARITY Motability provider Centaur Robotics has partnered with the ExtraCare Charitable trust to help further enhance the former’s futuristic new wheelchair through its use by residents of the trust-run retirement community.

The partnership will see Centaur Robotics’ self-balancing twowheeled mobility aid, the Centaur, used by the residents in hopes that it will allow the designers to further

of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Southampton and visiting professor, University of Liverpool; Julia Scott, former chief executive and secretary, British Association and Royal College of Occupational Therapists; Paul Devlin MBE, occupational therapy service lead, Southeastern Health and Social Care Trust, The Ulster Hospital, Belfast; and Samantha Shann, director and occupational therapist, The OT Service UK and President, World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT).

Recipients of the award are nominated by RCOT members,

enhance the already innovative technology.

Chairman of Centaur Robotics Eric Kihlstrom said: “Centaur Robotics and ExtraCare share the same goal. We are both committed to helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives. Staying mobile and independent as we age in place is key to that.

“Our collaboration with ExtraCare will allow us to analyse the types of journeys people living in retirement communities make and how slimmer, more agile personal electric vehicles like the Centaur can be used around and inside people’s homes.

“Mobility scooters are too large and are often left outside where they can obstruct corridors and fire exits.

While many rely on them to get around, they have a negative image which deters potential users.

who are encouraged to nominate colleagues each year for the Fellowship Award or a Merit Award, the latter of which recognises special contributions made towards the profession. Unfortunately, there were no nominations for Merit Awards this year.

Information on how to nominate colleagues for next year’s Fellowship and Merit Awards will be released

by RCOT in June 2022. The OT Magazine wishes our most heartfelt congratulations to each of this year’s recipients and thanks them for all the work they have done to advance the profession over the years.

“The Centaur looks good and is designed to combat the stigma which accompanies so many mobility devices. We also hope our work with ExtraCare will create an affordable service option opening up access to users from all social and economic backgrounds.”

Shirley Hall, ExtraCare’s head of Research, Innovation and Customer Insight said: “We are aware of issues in our locations around use of scooters and wheelchairs and are seeking new ways to resolve them.

“We’ve been working with residents for several years on how to store them, and how they are being used in the communal areas. The Centaur has the potential to be another solution for us and our residents. We are excited to trial it in some of our locations, to get resident feedback, and to ensure we continue to innovate in our setting.” www.

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EXETER SCHOOL GIFTED MECHANICAL THERAPY HORSE Vranch House, a specialist school for disabled children in Exeter, has been gifted a mechanical therapy horse after reaching out to the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF).

Kate Moss from Vranch House told Devon Live: “Children are supported on the horse in a controlled manner to execute various positions including sitting astride, side sitting,

The horse will allow the team at Vranch House, including physiotherapists and occupational therapists, to take part in hippotherapy, and was gifted to the school with a ceiling track hoist and other equipment. Physiotherapist Kirsty Scales reached out to the MCF to apply for funding for the horse, which can also be used to teach people how to ride horses but will be used in a therapeutic setting at Vranch House, and the Foundation supplied the £33,777 to make the purchase.

Dedicated to supporting disabled people, Naidex offers those in attendance a glimpse at the massive range of mobility, accessibility and independence solutions and technologies available to disabled people, their carers and healthcare providers from across the world.

As well as showcasing indepdent living solutions, daily living aids and much more, Naidex will be home to hundreds of exhibitors and speakers, as well as interactive

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“The hippotherapy sessions will be led by one of our experienced physiotherapists, but where appropriate, the sessions will also involve the patient’s occupational therapist and speech and language therapist to work on a wide range of physical and communication skills.

“We would like to thank the masons very much for their very kind grant to Vranch House which has allowed us to purchase a mechanical horse, hoist and accoutrements, which will enable us to carry out hippotherapy with our special-school pupils and paediatric outpatients.”

Registration opens for Naidex 2022 Registration has opened for this year’s Naidex, which will see over 9,000 visitors flock to the Birmingham NEC over 6 and 7 July.

backwards facing and 4-point kneeling to target different muscle groups and optimise physical function.

features like the Mobility Test Track and Accessibility Summit.

will have the opportunity to meet The OT Magazine team, who will be present at the event as one of Naidex’s partners for 2022. Trade professionals will be present at the event showcasing and demonstrating fantastic new products, too.

Healthcare workers will also have opportunities to enhance professional development through CPD-accredited seminars, and

To learn more about this year’s Naidex, and to register for free tickets, visit their website: Naidex.co.uk.

ULHT DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP PRODUCES FIRST OT GRADUATE

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust celebrated their first occupational therapist to graduate from a trailblazing new degree apprenticeship standard.

Rebecca Cooney, who joined the Trust in 2017 as an occupational therapy assistant, was the first member of staff to gain her degree through this route, having begun training in 2019. The apprenticeship aims to increase the number of fully qualified occupational therapists and physiotherapists to combat local and national staff shortages of allied health professionals.

Rebecca Cooney said: “My journey

at ULHT began in April 2017 when I started as a senior occupational therapy assistant, within the orthopaedic and surgical team. I was supported and encouraged by my team in applying for the new apprenticeship that was going to start after only one year of being an assistant within occupational therapy.

The OT apprenticeship started in April 2018 and I was privileged to be part of the first cohort nationally.

I was moved to the medical team within Pilgrim Hospital and I was allocated a mentor.

“During my time within work during the course, I slowly built on the

theory I learnt at university and put this into practice. Over the time of the course with the support of my mentor Hollie I was able to develop my competencies in completing OT assessments, interventions, discharge planning and managing my own caseload. I will now be focussing on completing my preceptorship programme to continue to develop myself further in Occupational Therapy.”

Hollie Andrews, team lead occupational therapist at ULHT, and Rebecca’s mentor said: “Rebecca has worked so hard over the last three years, pushing herself to the limits at times, to overcome some of life’s unexpected hurdles along the way, showing resilience and determination.

“Rebecca is now applying her new and widened knowledge, skills and practice as an occupational therapist within the Surgery and Orthopaedic Team. We are really delighted to be able to offer this learning opportunity to team members like Rebecca so that we can retain and develop our already amazing staff members.”

MANDATORY COVID Looking VACCINATIONS TO for an END IN MARCH The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Sajid Javid has confirmed that mandatory COVID vaccinations for health and social care workers in England will end on 15 March 2022 following a public consultation held last month where nine out of ten respondents supported removing the legal requirement for vaccination amongst healthcare workers.

The rules came into place last November for care home staff, and for frontline NHS workers in England in regulated settings from April as a response to the climbing number of COVID cases related to the Delta

variant. Despite the new change in law, Javid told Parliament that he still considers it “a professional responsibility for health and care staff, and others who work in the health and social care sectors, to be vaccinated,” however.

Recent figures show that 77% of NHS staff have received their three COVID-19 vaccinations, with 92% double-vaccinated. 95% of social care home staff have received two doses of the vaccine, while 89% of home care staff have received at least one dose, per figures given to Parliament by Javid in early March.

OT job?

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VIRTUAL WARDS LAUNCH TO ALLOW HOME RECOVERY Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust are providing patients in south west London the opportunity to recover in new “virtual wards” which allows them to stay in the comfort of their own homes “with their own teabags and their own pillowcase”.

The initiative, which was brought in to support COVID patients, allows patients who meet certain criteria specialist care through technology, which both offers them the opportunity to recover in familiar settings and frees up additional capacity within the hospital. Patients are regularly monitored by staff, through contact and wearable monitors which allow the team at Kingston Hospital to check in with

them remotely, while also working with GPs, community nurses, occupation health practitioners, and other health professionals.

Consultant physiotherapist Salina Harvey-Porter, who leads the respiratory virtual ward at Kingston Hospital, said: “Our patients come into hospital and we make sure they are safe and we are now able to give them the option of going on to the virtual ward.

“They are finding that really liberating because they are not stuck in the hospital in a frightening and unfamiliar environment. They’re able to take control of their health and understand it better in the comfort of their own home with their own

NEW VEHICLE PAYMENT FROM MOTABILITY The Motability Scheme has recently introduced a new payment to help its customers. This New Vehicle Payment will be awarded to both existing and new customers and will be up to the amount of £250 for anyone leasing a new car or wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV).

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For customers leasing a scooter or powered wheelchair through the Scheme there will be a £100 payment awarded.

These payments will be offered to all customers who take delivery of a new vehicle product in 2022 and the payment will be made

teabags and their own pillowcase.

“They get to speak to our team every day if they need to and they still get seen by specialist clinicians, so they are being looked after by the hospital in a safe, convenient, comfortable environment.

“We don’t put a patient on to the virtual ward who is at a high-risk, they are not designed to replace emergency care, but to support lowrisk patients to be cared for at home.

“There is absolutely no pressure for patients to go on to the virtual ward. We always make sure a patient knows how to use the monitoring kit and they can practice using the kit before they leave the hospital.”

following delivery of that product.

The quickest way to receive this payment will be through an online payment straight to the customers bank account.

The Motability Scheme provides worry-free affordable motoring to disabled people and their families throughout the UK and this payment has been introduced to help support their customers during a time where fuel prices are skyrocketing and daily living costs are soaring. motability.co.uk

DELICIOUS AND NUTRITIOUS MEALS Delivered straight to the freezer

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Kate Sheehan Director, The OT Service

The OT Service provides high quality advice, consultancy and training to manufacturers, retailers and service providers. It also provides occupational therapy clinical services in housing and equipment to case managers, solicitors and private individuals via its handpicked network of occupational therapists.

For more info email kate@theotservice.co.uk

PURPOSEFUL AND

MEANINGFUL I

was recently away with friends, some of whom I have known for 40 years. We always go away for a late new year weekend and spend the time chatting, visiting museums, art galleries and lots of restaurants, cafes, and tea shops. It is our first one for two years and it certainly improved my mental health enormously. Virtual meet-ups are never quite as good.

of meaning in the activity they were engaging in; how social contact is so important to us as human beings and that having a group of people you can chat with was as vital for our mental health then as it is today, and that the purpose of the activity, sewing, can bring you together in a group to create something of value and meaning.

This year we went to Norwich, and I went into a quilt exhibition. The first exhibit was a bedcover made by a group of female patients in a psychiatric hospital in 1961 as a wedding gift to their occupational therapist. The note next to it stated: “The OT department was set up in 1959 to provide opportunities for women to leave the ward and have the chance to socialise and practice traditional hand skills like weaving, basket making, knitting, and plain sewing of domestic textiles. The therapy aimed to introduce life outside the institution, particularly for women who had been in the hospital for many years. It was used as a possible step towards living more independently and to create a space in which to socialise.”

Do we think about what has meaning and purpose to our clients? Do we really listen and talk to them about what is important to them and adds value to their life, or do we have our “therapist” goals, which are neither meaningful nor purposeful to them?

It really made me think about our profession; this was sixty years ago when large psychiatric hospitals were the norm and a significant number of women were incarcerated for years for such things as, being pregnant out of wedlock, for being a “bit nervy”, or for having a learning difficulty. What really struck me was the importance

was part of this process, together we needed to make sure that the things that had meaning to her were achieved at the same time.

Returning to the quilt I came across in the museum, I was intrigued by the subject matter on the individual squares, many of them being activities that are still important to many of us today. The pandemic has shown us the importance of activities, such as gardening, painting, music or just having a cup of tea with a friend, we must never lose sight within our profession that often the activities that add value to an individual are not the therapist goals, but should be taking priority in a profession that is clientcentred.

For example, on visiting a new client my referrer instruction was to “support the client in her discharge home from hospital as soon as possible, she will need a wet room, ramps to the front door and widening of the kitchen door”.

On discussing what my client’s goals were, she stated that they were being able to feed her rescue chickens, to garden and to still be able to cook. These were the things that she loved to do. Although discharge

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Eating Disorder

AWARENESS WEEK 28 FEB – 6 MAR 2022

CAMHS eating disorder lead practitioner Esther Dark explores how occupational therapists can utilise their skills to recognise and support people experiencing eating disorders

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he theme for this year’s Eating Disorder Awareness Week centres around improving education for medical professionals and early intervention to improve patient experience and outcomes. Although Beat, the UK’s leading eating disorder charity, is targeting GPs in their campaign, I feel the profession of occupational therapy also has a responsibility to respond to this call of action. The Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) recently re-branded themselves, with a vision to show the world the true power of occupational therapy. Their five-year strategy urges occupational therapists to rise up and be bold to voice what occupational therapists do and what they can offer. Eating disorders present an opportunity to respond.

Eating disorders are severe mental illnesses with the highest mortality rate in comparison to any other mental health disorder, affecting up to 1 in 50 people in the UK (Beat, 2022). They are often associated with significant comorbidity and have far ranging psychosocial impacts on both the individual and their families.

Recovery is possible; however, evidence shows that early intervention is critical in improving the likelihood of individuals making a full and lasting recovery (Allen et al., 2020). Delayed access to treatment can influence the course and duration of the illness. However, only one third of eating disorder cases are detected by healthcare professionals (Keski-Rahkonen and Mustelin, 2016).

Occupational therapists are key in supporting individuals with eating disorders and their role has been well articulated in this field (Klockzo and Ikiugu, 2005).

Although occupational therapists make up a small fraction of the eating disorder workforce, occupational 14

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therapy practice is diverse, working across different settings, including primary care, where often eating disorders first present. This makes occupational therapists well placed to detect the warning signs of an eating disorder. Occupational therapy is theoretically underpinned by a client-centred framework, which moves beyond diagnosis, to seeing people as a whole.

The complexity of accessing treatment in eating disorders in the UK is convoluted and lengthy; unnecessary delays can often lead to a worsening in an individual’s health. As services are stretched, individuals are often prioritised based on severity markers, which are most often attributed to weight loss. A nonsensical approach, considering only 6% of those who present with an eating disorder are underweight (The Hearts and Minds Genes Coalition for Eating Disorders, 2021).

Lack of awareness, knowledge and skills can contribute to delayed access (Royal College of Pyschiatrists, 2019).

To bring about positive change, we need to encourage understanding and empathy so individuals feel they can talk about their difficulties and get support.

What does this mean in practice for occupational therapists? It could mean working to reduce stigma around eating disorders and challenging misconceptions. It could also mean up-skilling ourselves with CPD to improve our knowledge and understanding around eating disorders. Or it could mean being willing to ask difficult questions with individuals we suspect who may be struggling and most importantly, it means being open and non-judgemental to those who reach out to us for guidance.

It is important not only in our professional lives but also in our personal lives that we must be mindful of the language we use about our shape and bodies and be brave to speak out against harmful body shaming. We must be open to starting conversations amongst our work colleagues, family, and friends on the importance of accessing support for a probable eating disorder.

Our world is heavily influenced by diet culture and body management, under a guise of healthy eating and wellness. Therefore, we need to explore the motivations and meanings behind individuals’ occupational engagement.

The question is how will you rise up and be bold this year?

The question is how will you rise up and be bold this year?

For more information on this year’s campaign visit beateatingdisorders.org.uk.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Esther Dark is a CAMHS eating disorder lead practitioner, she is also studying a PhD, researching food and eating in eating disorders. You can follow her on Twitter @EstherDark3.

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COOKING UP A STORM Ian Taverner is the creator of Cookfulness, a cookbook designed for people living with chronic illness. He has joined forces with Bath Centre for Pain Services to launch a new creative therapy programme and here he shares what this programme will include

J

ust three short years ago, I was entering the Bath Centre for Pain Services (BCPS) to start a fourweek residential programme. I live with chronic fibromyalgia, arthritis, anxiety and depression and I had had to give up my career and large parts of family life as a result. There didn’t seem to be any way of getting any sort of quality of life back.

However, this programme was the beginning of a brand new and exciting chapter for me and my family. Back then I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams where I would be now.

As well as helping me understand, accept and live with my pain, the programme also sparked my creativity like never before. BCPS is an interdisciplinary team, within which the OTs work on value-led activities, starting with exploring what is truly important in a person’s life. Not a list of things to do, but connecting people with their value’s true meaning.

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This is a major reason everything began to make sense to me. A slow unwind of what life had become, followed by a slow rebuild of what life could be was just amazing. Redefining what it was I really wanted, and how on earth I could possibly get there was genuinely life-changing.

I wrote the cookbook, Cookfulness, to help others living with chronic illness find ways to get into the kitchen, really love to cook and get the massive therapeutic power cooking can bring. The success has been incredible and led to me being able to donate money to the Bath Centre for Pain Services, which was always my plan, even if it sold just one copy!

I have always retained a great relationship and communication with the staff in BCPS, so when we started to discuss my donation it very quickly became apparent that we could work together, using the funds to introduce something exciting that created even

more opportunities to explore values activities. The Ian Taverner Creative Therapy Programme was then born.

be starting to implement elements and will be building towards the full launch.

Working with the lead clinician and OT we have developed the activities strand to be even more creative and even more impactful for the adults and young adults on their programmes. Focusing more on identifying, developing, appreciating and unleashing their creativity.

We have designed it specifically to open up even more opportunities, learning and excitement as they work through their four-week programme.

I will be there for the launch with the Trust and, hopefully, be a part of the OT team when this exciting new project starts to go live with patients, helping to deliver it.

The areas covered are varied and include: 1 Cooking - this is right at the heart of the programme, involving recipes I’ve exclusively designed for BCPS. It includes shopping for ingredients, identification of costs and alternative options, this is combined with knowledge of nutrition and how to create delicious, nutritious, simple food.

2 Creating a garden - exclusively for patients to allow them to plant, nurture, grow, pick and cook with produce, building understandings of seasonality and food sources, all directly linked back to the rest of the programme.

3 Sensory experiences – patients will be tested and tantalised, introduced to new flavours and textures through games and quizzes.

4 Music - understanding its real power, both positive and negative, creating and discussing the importance of playlists for each group and individual that they can develop and grow post programme in capturing new positive memories.

5 Mindful photography - stop, pause and observe thoughtful and beautiful.

6 Characterisation - of pain, feelings and emotions.

7 Art - visualisation and capturing of life with chronic pain, opportunities and values.

HOW THE PROGRAMME WILL HELP First and foremost, it has to complement the existing incredible programmes in helping patients live better lives with their pain conditions, giving the values activities another power up button. It is all about building confidence, building belief, building togetherness, building understanding and exposing patients to exciting experiences and opportunities, allowing them to continue to express themselves and learn how to apply that to their lives when they leave the programme.

The programme will not be remaining static either as we will be continually assessing, tweaking, and adding, to make sure it stays as relevant and impactful as possible.

I have almost gone full circle, from being a patient in 2019, through to now helping design and deliver this amazing new creative therapy programme back to new patients. Almost full circle as I never close the loop really, there is always work to do and it takes a lot of focus and effort to manage day-to-day life still, but knowing I have helped create this makes me incredibly proud.

I am also in discussions with a major hospital in London discussing helping them to implement cooking therapy for their patients who live with chronic pain conditions across a variety of illnesses, which I am incredibly excited about.

Ideally, I would love to work with more and more hospitals, organisations, charities on bringing the therapeutic joy of cooking and creativity to their patients too. I am a living, breathing example of what this can bring and my passion now is to help others find that too.

Working with health professionals around the country to achieve this is a dream that just a few short years ago felt undeniably impossible. Now it is becoming reality.

Finally, an enormous thank you to Hannah Connell, clinical lead for chronic pain speciality and consultant clinical psychologist, and Kim Connell, OT at BCPS. Their faith and support of me goes back a long time and has helped get me to where I am today. Their desire and passion to bring this amazing development to life is inspiring.

If you are interested in hearing more about the work I am doing and how I may be able to help you, please do get in touch. I am on all social media platforms @cookfulness and have a dedicated email address cookfulness@gmail.com.

A lot of this will be about understanding emotions, thoughts and feelings throughout, how they respond physically and mentally and how they can use creativity to help as a key part of building a better quality of life for them and their families.

Learning how to build some of the creative skills and experiences they will use in day-to-day lives is crucial.

Learning that life can include some fun again.

The plan is to formally launch this in June, where there will be a celebration of BCPS’s new premises as well as the creative therapy programme. Before this we will

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Product FOCUS Every issue we bring you the latest products from across the market to help you improve the lives of your clients.

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SMOOV ONE

This innovative device is an electric drive that can be added to a user’s wheelchair when they need some extra power. It is simply docked on to increase mobility and range, and is operated easily via an ergonomic control unit that can be mounted anywhere on the wheelchair. It can reach a speed of up to 6mph and a range of 12 miles. rehab.invacare.com 2

PASHMINA CLOTHING PROTECTOR

For any patients who are conscious of spills at the dinner table or who have difficulties eating and swallowing, consider this attractive pashmina-style clothing protector.

It offers a fashionable and elegant solution for protecting clothes during mealtimes and it has an absorbent layer in the middle and a waterproof back layer to ensure complete protection. shop.alzheimers.org.uk

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MANTA HAIRBRUSH

This soft, flexible hairbrush has a unique ergonomic handle that allows for easy and gentle grip for anyone living with arthritis or weakness in their hands. The hairbrush is gentle on hair, allowing the user to brush effortlessly through any type of hair, thanks to its soft composition. The non-slip grip reduces the chance of dropping the brush and the Flexguard technology ensures that hair is not pulled, tugged or broken. justmylook.com 4

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ADAPTIVE TROUSERS

These soft, comfortable trousers are designed with poppers down the full side seams of both legs to allow anyone who has undergone surgery, or who struggles with dressing, to dress and remove trousers easily.

They also include loops inside to help to pull them on, they are stylish and comfortable and will make life easier for wearers and carers.

Sparkies Us on etsy.com 5

SIXTH DIGIT 2

This clever device is a wearable stylus that fits onto the user’s last two fingers allowing users to operate touch screens on smartphones, tablets, remote controls and other appliances. The pack comes with three different sizes to allow users to find the best fit and the stylus tips can also be used to press buttons and switches, vastly improving independence. activehands.com

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DIGITAL CLOCK WITH PHOTO FRAME

This digital clock combines a digital display that can be set to show four different combinations; ‘day of week/part of day’, ‘month/day of week/year’, ‘day of week/hour’ or an alternating format between all three.

It also has a photo frame above the clock to allow a familiar photograph to be placed there too. shop.alzheimers.org.uk 7

TA-DA CHAIR

A lightweight walking stick that transforms into a tripod seat at the touch of a button. It is a supportive walking stick that gives users confidence knowing they have a seat incorporated to allow them to rest when needed. It also comes with an over the shoulder carry bag for easy transport.

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healthcarepro.co.uk 8

NIMBLE

One of our favourite products, the Nimble is a very simple yet effective tool for anyone who has trouble opening packets or packaging.

The thimble style device slips onto a user’s finger and the small, safe blade slices through packaging easily, ensuring users will not injury themselves when opening packages. activehands.com

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Now it’s true Get your Permobil on the Motability Scheme today For more information: T. +44 (0)1484 722 888 customer_support_uk@permobil.com permobil.com

Want to share your work as an OT? We want you to get involved with The OT Magazine

H

ave you ever considered sharing your work as an occupational therapist with The OT Magazine? It may sound a little scary to some, but it can be a great way of spreading the word about a project you have implemented, or how your daily role impacts the lives of your patients, or the importance of working seamlessly with your multi-disciplinary team.

We are always looking to hear from OTs directly about the incredible work you are doing to help patients live their lives as independently as possible, and we want to hear about all the creative ways in which you do that.

Perhaps you work in a role emerging area or an unusual setting that many OTs have not worked in before – by sharing your experiences you will be educating your peers and raising the awareness of your specific area of OT.

GAIN CPD Writing about your role and submitting it to The OT Magazine for publication can also be included in your CPD portfolio. The OT Magazine is CPD-certified, and we will happily provide you with a pdf of your article once the magazine is published for you to include in your portfolio.

DON’T BE AFRAID You do not have to have any prior experience of writing, we are a very relaxed bunch at The OT Magazine and we are always on hand to help. It is not academic papers we are looking for, we simply want to hear about the first-hand experiences of your role, what challenges you in it and why you love doing what you do. For example, if you implemented a gardening project for a group of patients, tell us why you did this, how you did this and how it has benefitted those involved with it.

LEARNING Occupational therapy is a never-ending journey of learning, and by sharing your work you are contributing to that journey for someone else. You do not know who may read your article and take inspiration from it for their own role – your words could spark the idea needed to help other OT teams create an innovative project of their own.

HOW DO I GET INVOLVED? Getting involved is easy! Simply email ros@2apublishing.co.uk with a short paragraph of what you would like to write about and you will be sent some guidance to help you get started. This may include questions, word counts and deadlines, but if you have any queries during the process we will be available to help you.

The OT Magazine is all about sharing the amazing work of occupational therapists and we look forward to hearing from many of you.

Occupational therapy is a never-ending journey of learning, and by sharing your work you are contributing to that journey for someone else www.

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n i y a d A aret g r a M ncer Spe and wide

s the on share t e r rtakes a e g d r n a u M she ltant roles consu a s varied a basis rapy a daily al the n io t a occup ioner practit

What is your current role?

I work as a consultant occupational therapy practitioner, and I’ve been delivering professional supervision for twenty years. I do this alongside my other roles of RCOT Chair of Trent Region, delivering relationships and sexuality workshops in partnership with Love2MeetU, a dating agency for people with learning disabilities, reviewing publications as part of my role within the RCOT Publications Group, and my latest invitation to join the RCOT External Reference Group for supervision and guidance.

Describe a typical day...

My day starts at 8am when I check my emails. Then I have a zoom call with the co-author of our book and the publisher from McGraw Hill to finalise what the cover will look like and review our final edits of the second edition of ‘Surviving your Placements in Health and Social Care’ for AHPs. Publication date is this spring, so all deadlines now are crucial.

After that, I see my first supervision of the day, a case manager who uses the supervision space to reflect and review all the clients on their case load. Over the years I get to know the clients so I can follow

Each month ..

we talk to a differen occupati onal thera t pist to see wh at a typic al day is for the ma a little mo nd explain re about their role.

. . f o e f i l e th t e r a g r a M r e c n e p S their progress and celebrate their achievements with the therapists.

Then it’s more emails and tweets as I keep up with my social media, reviewing relevant new reading or training courses which could be useful for any of the people I am working with. I also work with counsellors and staff from Inquest, a charity who investigate state-related deaths and send check-in emails regularly.

Region Committee team, who are supporting the CPD event that I am delivering this evening for the regional occupational therapists called “Recording your CPD for the HCPC audit made soooo easy!”

Everyone starts to log on and the training session begins after a few technical hitches. The session, which is sold out, goes smoothly, with a request for a repeat session later in the year.

1.30pm, and a phone call to the Cayman Islands where it’s 8.30am, so the start of the working day for the independent occupational therapist. We review the range of group work that has been planned and delivered this month explore online training opportunities and discuss any new referrals.

What’s the hardest part of your role?

4pm marks the end of the day at a Therapy Farm, a non-profit organisation - time to review the pathway for the service during the supervision session with the occupational therapist who delivers Animal Facilitated Therapy.

Discussion of potential funding, volunteering, and future projects is always sobering but upbeat and creative.

What’s the best part of your role?

Later, I log on to Zoom and have a catch up with the amazing Trent

The hardest thing is that there are not enough hours in the day. I am so lucky because as the old adage goes: “If you find a job you love, you will never have to work a day in your life…”

The absolute best part of my role is working with all the amazing people I encounter through my job.

I have the privilege of working in so many different areas, the NHS, charities, the independent sector, and independent occupational therapists running their own companies all wanting to deliver the best occupational therapy service they can.

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Kent and Medway RECOVERY COLLEGE Natalie Diab-Bale and her team share the supportive environment fostered at their Recovery College

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ost occupational therapists reading this magazine, whether you are a student OT, a practicing OT, or an OT returning to work, will have an awareness of recovery colleges; what they do, the way they do it and how they can support communities.

According to ImRoc 2021, there are currently a total of 85 recovery colleges in the UK; 77 in England, two in Scotland, five in North Ireland and one in Wales.

Recovery colleges provide peer-supported spaces where people can improve their health and wellbeing opportunities in a shared and safe learning environment.

They work around specific guiding principles, some being that they are ‘open to all’ and that they ‘coproduce’ their service and provisions with a valuable

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collaboration between those with lived expertise and those with clinical or learned expertise.

Recovery colleges have been able to justify their effectiveness over the past few decades through robust evaluations. The expansion and delivery of such wonderful provisions is continuing to grow, and they are now in a better position to respond to the needs of their local communities, including individuals and stakeholders. Considering the enormous strain on many statutory services and a reduction in funding for some third sector provisions, many recovery colleges are able to offer meaningful, sustainable and empowering resources and self-care information to their communities, which can improve health, wellbeing and quality of life.

The colleges’ style, ethos and practices challenge typical medical model ways of working. For example, they have resisted the emphasis on hierarchy and have a more inclusive structure in regards to decision-making.

There is less focus on impairment, the environment is

all about what people can do rather than what they can’t. Communities and students share knowledge and experiences which often nurtures self-efficacy and wellbeing.

Kent and Medway Recovery and Wellbeing College began as a pilot in 2019 evidencing its worth through student feedback, evaluations and outcome measures.

Its success meant that a five-year business plan was put in place to roll out the college over the whole of Kent and Medway, agreed by Kent and Medway Partnership Trust (KMPT, NHS), in line with the integrated care partnership localities.

Admittedly, the timeline for this changed due to the setbacks we all observed during the pandemic. However, the college has gone from strength to strength under enormous challenges, such as limited capacity and high demands, especially during the pandemic. Having such a passionate and recovery-focused leader, who is also an occupational therapist, to inspire and support us, meant we were provided opportunities to develop our confidence, skills and autonomy and to roll out meaningful provisions across the county in a safe, contained and graded way.

The feedback we have gained from students has been really positive. One student commented: “Absolutely loved attending the college. I find that the courses are really well planned out and the facilitators are all very informative and patient. I have learned a lot, not just about other people but about myself as well! Thank you.”

We use an outcome measure called the CHIME which measures connectedness, hope, identity, meaning/ purpose, and empowerment. Those that attend our courses are considered to be ‘students of life’, not patients or service users who have impairments or need

Those that attend our courses are considered to be ‘students of life’, not patients or service users who have impairments or need “fixing”

There is less focus on impairment, the environment is all about what people can do rather than what they can’t “fixing”. This language in itself has unique connotations to the typical ways that people view themselves and others. As Einstein once said: “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live believing it is stupid.” Students attending our courses share their own personal experiences, wisdoms and skills with one another, not everything is focused on what they struggle with. This varies from some of the traditional medical model approaches that encourage this way of ‘being’ and ‘doing’.

Recovery college team members are employed for their lived experiences; both trials and tribulations, which encourages a broad and diverse workforce. They use their experiences and the tools that helped them to “stay above water” to enable other students to make sense of their recovery and wellbeing. Their presence as a paid facilitator often provides hope for those students who cannot hold hope for themselves at this point in time.

The team breathe, talk and model recovery, resilience and hope through their narratives and actions, which has positive impacts on their own sense of wellbeing, as well as their team and the students.

I am humbled every day to be part of such a supportive, inspiring and innovative team, one where we are encouraged to have open discussions around one another’s health and wellbeing needs, enhancing an authentic culture of transparency, equality and inclusiveness. The natural consequence of this means our health needs are met with compassion, flexibility and reasonable adjustments that enable us to thrive and enjoy the work we need to do, want to do, and gain great satisfaction from doing.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS This article was produced by Natalie Diab-Bale, occupational therapist and clinical coordinator for Kent and Medway Partnership Trust Recovery College, with collaboration and support from Pam Wooding, Julie Fuller, Kylie Cedarblad, Lee Robinson and the wider team of facilitators and administrators at the Recovery College.

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ACCESSIBLE KITCHEN DESIGN The kitchen is often described as the heart of the home, so ensuring it is completely accessible to a person’s needs is of vital importance. We spoke to some of the leading experts on accessible kitchen design to bring you some insight into the advancements that have been made in this area.

We hear from Mark Sadler from Ropox, a leading manufacturer of accessible kitchen solutions, Robert Newton from Symphony, one of the UK’s leading kitchen manufacturers including the Freedom brand of accessible kitchens, and Adam Thomas who is an independent design consultant, acknowledged as a world leader in accessible, multigenerational and inclusive kitchen design 28

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n the UK, one in five working people are currently living with a disability and they have a combined spending power of £274 billion.

Compared to 40 years ago, the technology available today is groundbreaking, and all accessible kitchens in

new build homes have to adhere to the 2016 Doc-M Building Regulations to ensure they meet the necessary safety standards. In addition to the Doc-M regulations, The Wheelchair Housing Design Guide (third edition) from Habinteg is another great source of information for accessible kitchen designers, manufacturers and OTs working in this field.

With approximately 14.1 million disabled people in the UK and nine million living in a multi-generational household, plus an aging population with one in five people being 65 years and over – the Freedom kitchen brand from Symphony combined with the rise and fall height adjustable worktops from Ropox cater to a huge demand for kitchens that are uncompromised

in both style and functionality and that can be used easily by every member of the family. These numbers are going to continue to increase over the coming years as our population continues to age and live longer, so as a society we need to be enabling people to live independently in their own homes for as long as possible. Building regulations have certainly helped shape the design of accessible homes and in turn wheelchair accessible kitchens.

Back in 1981 when Adam became a wheelchair user following a motorbike accident there were only two kitchen manufacturers that made any claim to be accessible and no retail accessible kitchen market. Sadly, retailers, designers and larger manufacturers did not see the financial potential of the disabled market back then.

Thankfully things have changed. These days some of the largest kitchen manufacturers are investing heavily in designing universal multi-generational accessible kitchens and associated equipment, and Freedom by Symphony and Ropox have been at the forefront of this.

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While it is great that companies like this are investing, unfortunately, many designers haven’t had any specialist training and therefore do not fully understand the ergonomics of accessible kitchens. If you adhere to the rules outlined in Doc-M the majority of disabled people will be able use the accessible kitchen and therefore cook for themselves. It is vital to know when to recommend certain products. For example, Adam has lost count of how many times he has seen someone turned down for a rise and fall worktop who have multiple sclerosis but are still ambulant. Many people with MS may initially use a perching stool therefore a rise and fall worktop is ideal for them and as their condition progresses and they become reliant on a wheelchair, the kitchen will still be suitable for them. It is all about future proofing the kitchen.

Being involved in the initial planning stage of a new build or building conversion is something Adam, Rob and Mark all feel should be addressed. It can make a huge difference if you can see the plans before any work is undertaken to ensure the kitchen area will be big enough to accommodate an accessible kitchen.

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For example, in Doc-M it states that in a one-bed, twoperson apartment the minimum worktop length should be 6130mm, however if you measure the three walls (if open plan) or two walls (if an L-shape) you might just have enough worktop length. However if you then factor in installing an oven, a fridge freezer and larder storage at the correct height you can’t get the 6130mm worktop space required. Door, window and boiler positioning is crucial, often if a door was moved by just 300mm one way or the other, the client and OT could have the worktop and kitchen they really need instead of having to compromise.

Furthermore, based on the regulations, 6-8 bed space houses should have 8530mm plus of worktop which is a huge kitchen. Over the years, accessible kitchens have gone from one extreme when there were no minimum requirements, to these fantastic lengths to achieve, but the problem is the house designers, architects and builders still aren’t designing properties big enough to comply with Doc-M so when it comes to the kitchen the design is nearly always compromised.

It may sound obvious, but when designing a property,

station is an induction hob which ensures there is no danger of students burning themselves.

Each NEFF ‘slide and hide’ oven has been positioned at a safe and accessible height to ensure all students can use them while the issue of storage has been addressed with tall pantry units that have internal drawers for plenty of pull-out storage. extension or changes to an existing building, think about where you are going to put doors, windows and the boiler (if applicable), as often plans mean that the only place to put a right angle rise and fall worktop is underneath the boiler which is something that should be avoided for safety reasons. Moving the boiler or window position at the plan stage is clearly much easier than at the kitchen design stage. The design team are then left struggling as a right angle rise and fall worktop as opposed to straight run is always the favoured option and works much better for the client as they can move things from the hob to the sink without having to move far, and this also complies with Doc-M.

THE FUTURE OF ACCESSIBLE KITCHENS

Looking ahead, Adam, Mark and Rob all believe the future of accessible kitchens is very exciting with assistive technology being at the forefront of many new developments. For example, NEFF recently announced plans for a range of voice-activated ovens, ensuring a client who has lost movement in their hands will still be able to turn the oven on, set the temperature and the timer. The NEFF system is linked via their HomeConnect technology to NEFF head office so any technical issues can be assessed remotely to ensure when an engineer comes out they have already diagnosed the problem and have the necessary parts if required to resolve the issue. For additional safety the oven can also be controlled via the HomeConnect app, allowing a relative to check when the oven was last turned on, and if they are concerned if it has been left on they can turn it off remotely.

“Prior to this investment we had very few resources in terms of an accessible kitchen, especially for our wheelchair users. For example, the staff would have to help with mixing ingredients if they couldn’t reach the worktop and when it came to using the oven, staff often had to take over. Washing up was another challenging task, especially for our wheelchair users as we would have to place a bowl of water in their lap which would result in water going everywhere. However, now everything has changed thanks to our fantastic new kitchen,” commented curriculum manager Lisa Talbot.

The students love the new kitchen, as do the staff as lecturer Laura explains: “The kitchen is just amazing!

Prior to installation, the students required a lot of support to complete tasks which they could have done independently if we’d had the correct adaptive equipment. But now the students can do so much more for themselves without me or any other staff members having to help, which is fantastic for their learning and confidence. The rise and fall worktops are a real game changer for us as now every student, regardless of whether they are a wheelchair user or not can easily set the worktop to their ideal working height. That is another great feature of the kitchen, from the worktops and taps, to the hobs and oven, everything is incredibly user-friendly.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION adamthomasconsultancy.com symphony-group.co.uk/brands/freedom ropox.co.uk

KITCHENS IN ACTION Barking and Dagenham College is a fantastic example of where Mark, Rob and Adam combined to design and supply a bespoke accessible kitchen which houses four individual work stations. The installation was managed by a Reading-based retailer of Freedom kitchens, Tara Neil Kitchens and Bedrooms.

The kitchen features four Ropox electric rise and fall worktop systems which have been integrated into Symphony’s popular Urban Indigo range with a white work surface. Each worktop has a shallow bowl sink with a heat resistant base, so they are safe and easy to use for wheelchair users whilst the waterfall edge on the worktop helps prevent spills and enables people to grip the edge of the worktop for stability if needs be.

Three of the stations have a traditional tap design with a fourth having a front access tap system to further assist students using a wheelchair, the finishing touch to each

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Health Anxiety How occupational therapists can support people living with health anxiety

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he last two years have been a rollercoaster of emotions for everyone. The pandemic has undoubtedly put our health at the forefront of our minds, each day posing a worry when leaving the house.

Our daily routines and regular activities were halted, and socialising was banned for fear of transmitting this invisible disease. Hand-washing songs were introduced, hand-sanitising was constant, cleaning surfaces became like a ritual and face masks became second nature.

COVID-19 was not the only thing that was spreading over the last two years, fear was also spreading throughout the population. Fear of catching COVID-19, fear of passing it on to loved ones, fear of unknowingly spreading this virus to people with underlying health conditions. A justified fear that helped keep us safe during a time of grave uncertainty, but that for many has had a more lasting effect.

As restrictions are seemingly coming to an end and the world is opening back up, despite the virus still being prevalent, many people are still feeling understandably worried and cautious about re-entering the world as we once knew it. A healthy amount of caution and worry over our health is only natural considering the pandemic, but there can be a point where too much concern over our health can start affecting our lives negatively.

Health anxiety, commonly known as hypochondria, has been a very real consequence of the pandemic, affecting more people’s lives than ever. If left unchecked, health anxiety can have a serious impact on the way people lead their lives, and occupational therapists are well-placed to both recognise the signs of health anxiety and to help people manage it.

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RECOGNISING SIGNS OF HEALTH ANXIETY Health anxiety can manifest itself without the person even being aware of it. As an OT, the ability to recognise the signs of health anxiety in a patient can go a long way to helping that person understand their anxiety and help to support them to manage their condition.

The NHS website lists the signs of health anxiety as follows: 1 constantly worry about your health 2 frequently check your body for signs of illness, such as lumps, tingling or pain 3 are always asking people for reassurance that you’re not ill 4 worry that a doctor or medical tests may have missed something 5 obsessively look at health information on the internet or in the media 6 avoid anything to do with serious illness, such as medical TV programmes 7 act as if you were ill (for example, avoiding physical activities) Worrying about our health has become routine throughout the pandemic, making it difficult to recognise obvious signs of a more serious anxiety. The above list can act as a base from which to decipher if health anxiety is affecting a person’s life.

Being sensitive to people’s health concerns is of vital importance, and understanding that there are many disabled or chronically ill people who live with genuine health concerns on a day-to-day basis and do not need their precautions undermined. For many disabled people, leaving the house, travelling on public transport, engaging in social activities or simply going to work, have always posed a risk to their health in some way and they have found a way to manage this before the pandemic was even in existence. It is therefore only natural that their anxiety will be heightened in these circumstances that we now live in.

Many people likening the symptoms of the most recent strain of coronavirus to “a bad cold” does not provide relief to those living with respiratory conditions or chronic illnesses. 36-year-old blogger Gemma, who lives with spinal muscular atrophy recently shared

her experience of shielding in an article for disability lifestyle magazine PosAbility. Gemma, who had been hospitalised for influenza two months prior to COVID-19 taking hold of the world, stated that she took little reassurance from the disease being referred to as “just like the flu”, explaining that her experience of shielding had been a difficult time.

“Let’s face it, being told in written text that you’re at a high chance of dying were you to catch a highly infectious virus that is currently spreading across the world is scary stuff. It’s nothing we’ve ever had to face before.”

Gemma’s sentiments ring true for many disabled people who have been shielding for the last two years, and this is something that must be taken into consideration when working with anyone who is experiencing anxiety about their health. Circumstances play a major role in a person’s concerns about their health, especially for those living with a disability, impairment, chronic illness or other health condition. They must attribute their own risk assessment to their own set of circumstances, and this should not be misconstrued as health anxiety.

MANAGING HEALTH ANXIETY If you do recognise the signs that health anxiety is affecting someone’s life adversely, it is important to help support the person to come to terms with recognising this. Recognition is the first step to helping a person manage their anxiety.

There are a variety of activities that people can practice to help alleviate their anxiety about their health, and as an occupational therapist you can help guide them to implementing changes or activities that will be most effective for the individual.

These activities may include keeping a record or diary of the occasions they seek reassurance on their health, allowing them to see on paper how many times this occurs, and this can then be something they work on reducing. Other techniques can involve using distractions through activities or writing down concerns and then rationalising them out loud.

Breathing and relaxation exercises can also be an effective tool when managing anxiety and you can find many apps nowadays to assist with this. Talking therapies or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) could also provide an avenue of support to live with health anxiety.

Recognition is the first step to helping a person manage their anxiety

As OTs you know the importance of providing personcentred care, and in these circumstances individuals will respond to different avenues of support, the important thing is that you are there to support them to manage their anxiety to allow them to live their lives to the fullest as independently as possible.

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Automatic Pill Dispensers and Medication Reminders Our products are widely used by Health and Social Care professionals for vulnerable older people and those with learning difficulties who need to be reminded of essential daily tasks such as taking their medication.

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PILL DISPENSER

The Pivotell Advance pill dispenser alerts users to their medication time through an alarm and flashing light. Only the correct dose is accessible at the correct time, whilst remaining pills are locked and out of sight. Their use often results in improved health, more independence, and better quality of life. pivotell.co.uk | 01799 550 979 2

EXTRA WIDE FOOTWEAR

Bursting with new styles and seasonal colours, the spring/ summer collection from Cosyfeet delivers great choice and comfort for individuals with extra wide or swollen feet. Recommending Cosyfeet to your patients couldn’t be easier thanks to a range of free resources for health professionals – visit cosyfeet.com/professionals to find out more. cosyfeet.com | 01458 447275

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BRUNO STAIRLIFTS

Bruno is a premier manufacturer of straight and curved stairlifts.Straight indoor stairlifts include the 30-stone high-capacity, high performance “Elite” and the classic reliability of the 21-stone “Elan.” Bruno’s heavyduty Elite curved stairlifts feature a bespoke rail for precision fit and ride.

Outdoor 30-stone stairlifts are also available. bruno.com | 0151 559 0732 4

RAFFAELLA GRAB-BAR

This sleek and stylish chrome-plated grab rail is a perfect support for installing in a bathroom where users need some stability. It incorporates a small basket for holding soap, shampoo or shower gel, and will provide a secure support bar to reduce the risk of falls in the shower or bath. architonic.com 5

LAVENDER WHEAT WARMER

This wheat warmer is designed to provide hours of relief from aches and pains, injuries, ailments, headaches and stress. Warmed in the microwave for just two minutes, the warmer can then be placed on the desired area to target the pain and discomfort being experienced. It also comes in various beautiful designs to suit any taste. bluebadgecompany.co.uk

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WUKA PERIOD PANTS

WUKA stands for “Wake Up Kick Ass” and is a female-led start up that has created the UK’s first reusable and leak-proof period underwear.

Customers can choose underwear from a variety of styles and according to their period flow. They are a great option for anyone living with an impairment or recovering from an injury as they make period management easier. They are also an eco-friendly option.

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HANDMASTER PLUS

Designed for helping strengthen the muscles in the hand, increasing grip and improving blood flow to the hand, wrist and elbow. The simple open and close exercises can be done anywhere and the handmaster plus can be carried in a handbag or pocket conveniently.

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HANDI-GRIP REACHER

The advanced capabilities of the Handi-Grip Pro allows this reacher to pick up even the smallest and most awkward items easily. The soft jaw grip allows for a secure pick up of most items from high or low areas, down narrow gaps or in hard-toreach places. The unique rotating head gives maximum visibility to retrieve an object without putting strain on the wrist. incontinenceshop.com

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Your professional hub for personalised independent solutions DLF ProAssist is an innovative online portal that is set to become the trusted source for assessors and prescribers of assistive technology.

Search for suitable products based on functional needs from a database of over 10,000 aids and adaptations and an archive of over 40,000 products Compare solutions from a variety of technologies Review evidence across a range of sources Read and submit clinical observations Choose from a range of outputs including Equipment Recommendations, Equipment Prescription Records & Clinical Justifications To find out more, request a demonstration or free trial login, or to enquire about subscriptions please call us on 0300 123 3084 or email enquiries@dlf.org.uk. Visit livingmadeeasy.org.uk/dlf-proassist DLF is part of Shaw Trust a charity registered in England & Wales 287785 and Scotland SCO398566 with company number 1744121

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Left IN THE Cold Rising energy prices have many of us on edge, but help for vulnerable people is available

L

ast month, it was announced that the energy cap would rise significantly as of April by a staggering £693 - a borderline catastrophic rise of 54%, with some reports stating that it could increase again after a review later in the year. Vulnerable people will be disproportionately affected by the rise: older people, chronically ill and disabled people, and people living close to the poverty line may be worried about how they can afford to heat their homes, or be rationing energy in a way that leaves them vulnerable to the effects of cold weather.

The thought of being unable to afford bills is terrifying for some, and the knock-on effect to other aspects of health and wellbeing can cause real concern, but there are ways to get help.

CONTACT THE SUPPLIER One of the primary pieces of advice given to people in the wake of the price rise announcements by all suppliers was that if you cannot afford your gas and electricity bill, you should contact them. If someone is in debt to their energy supplier, they will often allow this debt to be paid off in instalments, and are obligated to take into account how much you can afford to pay them, and how much energy you will likely use in the future. This will allow them to continue using power and chipping away at the debt, which can hopefully provide some relief, but if the repayment plan is still too much, the supplier may be open to negotiating the move to a

less costly deal, or may insist that a pre-payment metre is installed. However, it’s worth noting that Ofgem suggests that paying by Direct Debit usually works out to be cheaper, and - if it’s possible - it may also be cheaper to install a smart meter, but people who live in rented accommodation might not be able to get this.

SCHEMES AND BENEFITS There are an assortment of benefits and schemes available, especially for vulnerable and elderly people who may struggle to cover their bills. These schemes differ between the four nations of the United Kingdom, and vary quite a bit in how much they cover. The Winter Fuel Payment is likely the most well known: this benefit sees people who were born on or before 26 September 1955 a payment of between £100 and £300 to cover part of their fuel bills; the Warm Home Discount is a similar benefit which will see people who receive Pension Credits and other benefits get a £140 discount on their energy bill. The Cold Weather Payment can also see households receive a £25 payment for seven-day periods of cold weather that have occurred between November and March - this may be particularly handy after the winter we’ve just had.

REACH OUT Speaking to charities for help, advice and resources can provide valuable assistance: Turn2Us have a tool on their website that allows people to search for grants that can help them, and some other charities may be able to offer grants to cover part of the debt. Additionally, specialist debt charities like National Debtline can offer valuable advice and education on budgeting and debt management.

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Nutrition and Hydration Care?

Maia Fergus-O’Grady, registered dietitian with Wiltshire Farm Foods, explores how OTs can help ensure patients stay nourished and hydrated

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his 14 – 20 March sees the 10th anniversary of Nutrition & Hydration Week; a week designed to promote the importance of nutrition in maintaining the health and wellbeing of individuals within health and social care.

Poor nutrition can have devastating effects, including longer and more frequent hospital stays, poorer wound healing, and increased risk of falls. OTs are extremely well-positioned to spot the signs of malnutrition, and therefore have a valuable role to play.

The NHS has published a document called “10 key characteristics of good nutrition and hydration care”.

These key characteristics are paraphrased below, alongside suggestions as to how OTs could contribute towards their achievement.

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Screen all service-users to identify malnourishment or risk of malnourishment, ensuring actions are progressed and monitored.

Around 93% of malnourished individuals live in the community – many aren’t nutritionally screened using the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) on a consistent basis. As OTs, this is something you could potentially assist in monitoring, particularly if you notice any signs of malnutrition in your service users. Some of the more subtle signs of malnutrition include looser clothing and jewellery, empty cupboards, food rotting in the fridge, and changes in energy and activity levels.

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Create a personal care plan together with each service user.

OTs can get a real understanding of how service users live, often gaining valuable insight into their dietary preferences and habits. If relayed on to the relevant healthcare professionals within your multidisciplinary team, this could contribute to the formulation of a highly specialised care plan individuals are more likely to follow.

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Care providers should present information on the food and beverage options and nutritional guidance available within their service delivery.

OTs should be aware of the options available within their company or trust that help support an individuals’ nutrition and hydration needs. Knowing of meal delivery services and lunch clubs that operate in the local area, and where to find your organisation’s diet sheets could prove useful.

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People using care services are involved in the planning and monitoring arrangements for food service and drinks provision.

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Food and drink should be provided in a conducive environment for service users to eat well.

Not only can OTs be key spokespeople for service users when revising an organisation’s framework, but they may also have a good understanding of planning and monitoring arrangements at an individual level – do service users feel overwhelmed with their current care plan, or do they want further intervention?

Whether you work with in- or out-patients, it’s important to ensure that food is eaten in a suitable environment.

This will look different for each person; some may eat larger quantities with others – some may need to have distractions eliminated to eat well. OTs are also key in identifying individuals who may need eating aids to feed themselves, such as scoop plates and non-slip placemats.

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Healthcare professionals should receive regular nutrition and hydration training.

It may prove useful to ask the relevant colleagues in your trust to signpost you to the existing resources within your organisation or help coordinate training for your MDT; building a general awareness of the signs and symptoms of malnutrition and dysphagia (swallowing difficulty) is vital when working through your caseload.

Care providers should take a multi-disciplinary approach

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Services providing nutrition and hydration should be flexible and centred around the needs of the people using them.

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All care providers are to have a nutrition and hydration policy centred on the needs of users.

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Food, drinks, and other nutritional care are delivered safely.

How can you be more flexible in your role to ensure that service users receive good nutrition and hydration care? It might be refilling a service user’s glass of water, opening a yoghurt or nutritional supplement, or even simply ensuring that their food is visible and within reach.

Having an awareness of your own organisation’s policies and guidance is essential to be able to provide the best care to your service users, as regulations will differ nationally.

Despite a higher prevalence within the elderly, dysphagia is an under-diagnosed condition. OTs are well-placed to pick up individuals who may be experiencing dysphagia, but only if they have a good awareness of the signs. Choking, coughing on food and frequent chest infections are clear indicators, but others include food aversion and refusal, watering eyes, persistent throat clearing and perspiration during eating.

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Care providers should take a multidisciplinary approach to nutritional and hydrational care, valuing the contribution of all persons involved.

Healthcare professionals should receive regular nutrition and hydration training

Whilst the dietitian’s role is to assess the nutritional status of service users, it’s important to highlight how OTs can positively contribute to a patient’s nutritional status.

When HCPs work together as a team, actively engaging in an individual’s care, service users are more likely to not only have a good nutritional outcome, but clinical outcome too.

For more tips and advice on how to manage nutrition and hydration with your service users, listen in to Wiltshire Farm Foods’ podcast, Dietitian Diaries, from wherever you download your podcasts. The latest episode features insights from Age UK Senior Health Influencer, Lesley Carter, and Registered Dietitian, Sue Baic discussing the social implications of malnutrition. wiltshirefarmfoods.com

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6-7 July 2022 NEC Birmingham

Anything is possible

FREE TICKETS

Register Now www.naidex.co.uk @naidexshow

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NAIDEX RETURNS THIS SUMMER! Registration is open for the flagship event of the disabled community, which takes the stage this summer on 6-7 July at the NEC, Birmingham

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aidex is Europe’s most established event dedicated to supporting disabled people. An interactive two days showcasing a wide range of solutions and technology to improve mobility, accessibility, and independence. Naidex is for everyone, and welcomes anyone who is living with a disability, as well as anyone caring for or supplying to this amazing community.

For those working within healthcare, there is the opportunity to enhance your professional development with the CPD accredited seminar agenda, making the event not only enjoyable, but informative and educational too. Running alongside the Neuro

Convention, the event brings together the industry’s top educators and thought-leaders for you to meet and learn from, providing solutions that will help patients become more self-sufficient and independent.

Experience the latest independent living solutions and daily living aids, meet with hundreds of innovative exhibitors and awe-inspiring speakers, and most of all have fun! All this, along with interactive features such as the Mobility Test Track and Accessibility Summit, make Naidex the go-to event of the year.

The Naidex team can’t wait to welcome you to the NEC once again for what is set to be a fantastic event for the community, helping people understand that anything is possible.

Register for your free tickets at naidex.co.uk.

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SHAKE IT UP Sally Callow, founder of ME Foggy Dog and ME campaigner, has launched a petition to have a central system instated that allows ME/CFS patients to report any harmful effects that they experience from being prescribed non-pharmaceutical treatments, like GET and CBT. Sally explains why the central collection of this data is so vital for the ME/CFS community

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uantitative data on harms from nonpharmaceutical treatments is urgently needed to inform policy and research funding decisions for ME/CFS, long COVID, and many other illnesses.

The Shake It Up campaign was brought about by issues raised during the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence’s ME/CFS guideline review that was published in 2021. During the review, which took over three years to be completed and published, it was claimed by proponents of graded exercise therapy (GET) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) that there were no reports of harm from non-pharmaceutical treatments – of which both GET and CBT are.

This was news to the ME/CFS patient community in the UK who had been complaining to their GP practice, NHS Trust, ‘CFS clinic’, PALS, and Healthwatch about harms from these treatments for over a decade. This meant that thousands of complaints had been dealt with internally and not collated or counted centrally. The NHS has been marking their own homework and found themselves to be doing a good job.

The fact that there was no quantitative data to be used as evidence was also commented on during the review

The NHS has been marking their own homework and found themselves to be doing a good job 44

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...***** became completely bedbound, barely able to eat and talk, incapable of reading, listening to music, watching television or indeed tolerate any sound at all process. This is because patients have nowhere central to report harms to, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) “yellow card system” is purely intended for licensed products, such as pharmaceuticals and devices.

During the last few weeks of the guideline review, a member of the committee asked for patients to submit personal anecdotes/statements so they could see the harms for themselves. This was one of those statements submitted by a caregiver on behalf of a very sick ME patient. Their name has been omitted for anonymity.

I herewith, on behalf of *****, confirm that ***** went from having mild/moderate ME being able to potter about at home, do some light reading and conducting short conversation, to having very severe ME due to following graded exercise therapy (GET) as recommended by Consultant Rheumatologist.

Following the recommended GET, ***** became completely bedbound, barely able to eat and talk, incapable of reading, listening to music, watching television or indeed tolerate any sound at all. *****’s quality of life is non-existent, to call his existence a ‘living death’ is an understatement in that this description does not even start to cover the intense physical and psychological suffering. ***** is coming up for ten years spent unable to do anything but staring up at the ceiling and is in desperate need of help.

NICE have spent over three years reviewing scientific data and have reached the conclusion that exercisebased therapies should never be recommended to ME/ CFS patients as treatments or curative.

Extract from the NICE guideline (29 October 2021): Incorporating physical activity and exercise 1.11.9 Do not advise people with ME/CFS to undertake exercise that is not part of a programme overseen by an ME/CFS specialist team, such as telling them to go to the gym or exercise more, because this may worsen their symptoms.

1.11.14 Do not offer people with ME/CFS: • any therapy based on physical activity or exercise as a cure for ME/CFS NICE has now stated that this is purely for guidance and medical professionals can use their own clinical judgement but must be prepared to justify their decisions in front of the General Medical Council if challenged. By saying this, I believe they are aware that more patients will be harmed by non-pharmaceutical ‘treatments’ despite the new guideline. I have personally seen online posts from medical professionals stating that they will continue to recommend exercise to ME/CFS patients as otherwise they have no treatments to offer them.

Patients would prefer no treatments to being prescribed non-pharmaceutical treatments that may harm them.

This statement highlights why an independent reporting system is urgently needed. The NHS cannot continue to mark their own homework.

ME Foggy Dog’s Shake It Up campaign includes a petition titled “We Demand A New System to Report Harms from Non-Pharmaceutical Treatments”. It currently stands at 8182 signatures; we are petitioning Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid MP and NHS CEO Amanda Pritchard. I am asking supporters to also email their MP and Lord Kamall (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Technology, Innovation and Life Sciences at the Department of Health and Social Care) about the need for a reporting system for non-pharmaceutical treatments.

Thus far, Lord Kamall, Ms. Pritchard, and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) have replied to our correspondence and are continuing to direct patients towards the established complaint process - NHS, CCGs, and PALS.

The petition has now been running for over three months and I have received comments from members of other patient groups and they have explained how this system will benefit them too. I’m pleased to know this system will benefit many patient groups in the UK. Please support the Shake It Up campaign and sign the petition at mefoggydog.org/shake-it-up.

Patients would prefer no treatments to being prescribed nonpharmaceutical treatments that may harm them

One has to wonder why there is a reluctance to create a system by which very sick patients can report harms from non-pharmaceutical treatments when the benefits to patients, the NHS, and government are numerous.

Is it too cynical to suggest economic factors could be the main concern? Non-pharmaceutical often equals cheap treatments. Given that it is estimated that 46% of long COVID patients meet the diagnostic criteria for ME/ CFS, a patient community of around one million people is going to become a very expensive problem for DHSC and the NHS.

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Making life easier for disabled people

If you are a healthcare professional, you may have clients who would benefit from the freedom and independence that the Motability Scheme can provide.

To order your free information pack visit: motability.org.uk/advisors

To find out about the Motability Scheme visit:

motability.co.uk or call 0800 093 1000

Motability is a Registered Charity in England and Wales (No.299745) and in Scotland (No.SC050642). Motability is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Reference No.736309). All cars, scooters and powered wheelchairs provided under the Motability Scheme are leased to customers by Motability Operations Ltd, who operate the Scheme on a contract basis for Motability. Motability Operations Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Reference No.735390).

WEARING THE FUTURE

Wearable technologies can help people better maintain their conditions and keep their loved ones safe

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earable technology has become such a ubiquitous thing in the last ten years without us ever really realising it: many people wear smartwatches that keep us permanently tethered to our phones and give us information about our bodies, or activity trackers like FitBits to keep pace of how often we move around during the day. It’s allowed us fascinating insight into our personal health that we can glance at on the go: these wearables can track our exercise to the point where they can tell how many lengths we swim in a pool, or offer mindfulness on the go that helps us use accessible tech to integrate valuable moments of selfcare into our incredibly busy everyday lives.

Commercially available wearable technology has excellent uses - and with advances in technology, these uses could soon provide valuable and reliable clinical data, which is not often the case at the moment.

However, specialist wearable technologies could hold a wealth of valuable information for health specialists - occupational therapists included - while also greatly improving the daily lives of people the world over.

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Perhaps some of the most well-known wearable tech devices for medical purposes - to the wider public, at least - would be continuous glucose monitoring systems and insulin pumps, both used by people living with diabetes. Ex-Prime Minister Theresa May has been extremely open about her use of the Freestyle Libre glucose monitor that she wears on her arm, which then sends data to a smartphone or reader. These wearables are fantastic pieces of assistive technology, and can be extremely beneficial for patients or clients who may find aspects of living with diabetes difficult; for example, if they find it difficult to conduct a finger-prick test (which can be for a multitude of valid reasons) or if they find getting into the routine of monitoring particularly difficult. The integration of glucose monitoring into wearable technologies which are simply a tap away on our smartphones can help grossly simplify and streamline the process of monitoring and medicine administration, and can contribute significantly to risk reduction practices by electronically recording and monitoring vitally important data.

Wearable GPS trackers are almost the polar opposite: while glucose monitors can provide their own wearers with peace of mind and valuable information, global positioning system (GPS) trackers can provide other people peace of mind when it comes to knowing where a loved one is. People living with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia may find themselves going wandering; the Alzheimer’s Association notes that three in five people living with either condition will wander at least once, but often do so repeatedly. Wandering can cause significant danger to the individual: there is a risk of them putting themselves in danger - for example, crossing busy roads or falling - and can be a source of extreme distress for their families. Subtle, unobtrusive wearable tech exists that can easily help locate people who may be prone to wandering, although this should not be used exclusively to curtail wandering as it is not a preventative measure, of which OTs will of course be aware. Some GPS trackers, which can be popped on keys, in pockets, or attached with ease to clothing or bags, may also have something called geo-fencing, which is extremely useful as it will send an alert to whomever minds the tracker that the person wearing it has left a specified safe-zone which the user has defined.

Subtle, unobtrusive wearable tech exists that can easily help locate people who may be prone to wandering 48

Perhaps some of the most well-known wearable tech devices for medical purposes - to the wider public, at least - would be continuous glucose monitoring systems and insulin pumps

Outside of these specialised wearables, commercial wearable tech continues to grow more and more sophisticated, to the point where it may find valuable use in patient care. Many Apple Watches offer the user the option to take an echocardiogram, which is not an alternative to taking an ECG from a healthcare provider, but offers the wearer some insight into their personal health. As these wearables become more advanced, and tech companies invest more into them, commercial wearables will give the standard user more information about their own health, and give more tech-focused ways to optimise and manage their own healthcare, in line with advice and guidance from health professionals.

This year, it’s predicted that we’ll see things like smart rings and smart sunglasses come to market, while tech giants like Apple and Samsung are reportedly considering adding blood glucose monitoring to their smart tech. It will be fascinating to watch how these tech giants will produce commercial tech with a wealth of uses for healthcare professionals.

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Paediatrics All the latest from the world of paediatrics

SECTION pring has finally sprung: the days are getting longer, and the evenings are finally opening up for us to take part in glorious outdoor activities once more, like sports. It’s well known that physical activity has a host of benefits - both mental and physical - for everyone involved, but for disabled people there may be obstacles related to access that are in the way of them taking part in sports. The Wheelchair Football Association is working to remove obstacles that would stand in the way of children enjoying powerchair football, which you can read more about - as well as more

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information on the game itself - on page 52.

Powerchairs are fantastic for providing independence for children and adults alike, but they come with issues when it comes to transportation, especially when travelling abroad. With that in mind, we take a closer look at the Caretta Buggy from Baffin Technology Systems on page 58.

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Alongside this, we have our regular selection of fantastic paediatric products on page 55. As ever, if there’s anything you would like to see included in The OT Magazine, email ros@2apublishing.co.uk.

Read on to find out more...

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The Power of Powerchair Football The rise of powerchair football in the UK has opened up sporting opportunities for many young powerchair users

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here is no denying the power of sport. From the physical benefits it offers people, to the camaraderie of playing within a team, sport can be a great grounding for young people to develop skills and learn life lessons. Being part of a team can teach players social skills, the importance of communication, respect, resilience, accountability and leadership skills, all qualities that help children as they grow up and navigate the world.

Inclusive sporting opportunities are becoming far more readily available across the country, ensuring that children of all abilities can take part and reap the physical, mental and social benefits of sport.

Over recent years, powerchair football has grown greatly in popularity in the UK. In 2019, there were 107 affiliated powerchair football teams in England with over 1000 players training on a weekly basis. Additionally, there are a range of less formal turn up and play 52

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recreational opportunities for those who are new to the sport or just prefer a more relaxed game.

The FA works in partnership with the Wheelchair Football Association (WFA) and County FAs to develop the sport of powerchair football

in England. The WFA was formed in 2005 and is currently run by a group of voluntary trustees. The FA funds a full-time national powerchair football development manager, who is employed by the WFA to retain and grow participation levels.

THE GAME

Players are classified to play in national or international competitions and there are two eligible classes: PF1 (higher-level impairment) and PF2 (lower level of impairment). A team must have a minimum of two PF1s on court at any time and each game consists of two 20-minute halves, with four players from each side on court at any one time (including the goalkeeper), but they can be replaced by a rolling substitute system. To find out more, we spoke to current England international powerchair footballer Chris Gordon: “Living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), I have been using a powerchair since secondary school. I first became involved in powerchair football about 13 years ago and in that time the sport has changed dramatically to the point where in 2019 England won the European Championships and I was honoured to be part of the winning team. In the early days, players used standard powerchairs with a large tyre attached to the front which they used to kick the ball (which was huge in those days) but over time this was replaced with a frame. The problem with everyone using different powerchair models was some people had much better chairs so it was never a level playing field. However, this all changed with the launch of a purpose-built soccer powerchair by American manufacturer Power Soccer Shop for whom I now act as the UK distributor through my company G5 Sports Services”.

EQUIPMENT

Aside from the powerchair, one of the most vital pieces of equipment which every player uses is the system with which they control the powerchair. “Most of the players have muscle wasting conditions and often find that as their condition deteriorates, they struggle with the standard controls – especially when playing football. I was getting more and more requests to find a more suitable control system for some of the players so started doing some research. Initially, I couldn’t find anything that would help players control their powerchair, until I came across the guys at mo-vis and that was a real game changer.

Their Multi and Micro Joysticks are perfect as the resistance is so light even players with greatly reduced dexterity and strength in their hands can control their chair and fully take part in games”.

All mo-vis joysticks can be adapted to meet the needs of the individual and be fitted to almost all powerchair models. The joysticks can be connected directly to the powerchair’s electronics to enable the user to drive and control the functions.

The Micro and Multi Joysticks are very small proportional joysticks, designed for people with limited muscle strength and movement such as Chris’s team mates.

Requiring only 8.5 and 50 gr of force to move, they can be controlled by finger, chin and – in the case of the Micro Joystick – even the tongue or lip. They are highly recommended for people with muscle wasting or neuromuscular conditions such as SMA and muscular dystrophy.

“The skill levels of some of the players with the most limited hand strength and dexterity should not be underestimated. I have tried on numerous occasions with little success and I would challenge anyone to watch a game and then have a go themselves! It is hard to explain just what a difference the mo-vis technology makes to some of the powerchair football players I work with. For example, in my role as a player and coach at West Brom there is one player who could never fulfil his true potential when using a standard joystick and he would get extremely frustrated. I suggested he try a mo-vis control and the difference was unbelievable, he is no longer being held back by his equipment and both he and his parents have commented that the new comptroller has literally given him a new lease of life,” continued Chris.

To find out more about powerchair football visit thewfa.org.uk or contact the WFA’s national development manager, Adam McEvoy, via adam.mcevoy@ thewfa.org.uk. More information on the specialist football powerchairs available from G5 Sports Services is available from Chris Gordon on 07595 520 235 or by emailing chris@g5-group.co.uk For more information on the full range of joystick controls available from mo-vis, email visit mo-vis.com.

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Celebrating 37 years of innovation in the caring community

EPILEPSY - FALLS PREVENTION - DEMENTIA

MemRabel

®

Medpage has launched the latest addition to the popular MemRabel daily calendar clock range. The MR4 has 130 pre-loaded reminder graphics to select as timed memory prompts.

MR4

£69.95 including VAT

Medpage Limited T/A Easylink UK T: 01536 264869 www.easylinkuk.co.uk

Product FOCUS Every issue we bring you the latest products from across the market to help you improve the lives of your younger clients

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Kids

BEEHIVE STACKER

This cute little beehive comes with a pair of forceps to help kids develop their fine motor skills by using them to pick up the bees and pop them in their hive. It will help teach kids about colours, balance, concentration and hopefully spark an interest in learning more about the important lives of bees. kidly.co.uk 2

NANNA’S MANNERS CUTLERY

Designed to help toddlers aged 12 months and over to grip their fork and spoon when learning to eat with cutlery. The bright colourful handles are soft and grippy for little hands to comfortably hold and they will encourage the correct grasp and help develop pincer movement too. nanasmanners.com

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TETRAPOD WALKING STICK

Providing children with extra stability when walking thanks to the solid four legs that appear at the bottom of this stick. The swan neck design ensures user’s weight is directly above the stand to negate any wobbles, and the walking stick is lightweight enough for children to manoeuvre easily when walking.

There is plenty of adjustment to accommodate growing kids too. completecareshop.co.uk 03330 160 000

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MOVIN’SIT CUSHION

This inflatable wedge-shaped cushion is designed to help kids develop naturally good posture. The wedge shape of the base can be inflated to the appropriate angle to support the child and is comfortable for kids to sit on, as well as being easy to store and transport. essentialaids.com | 01273 719 889 5

SAFESPACE COSYFIT HIGH-SIDED BED

This high-sided bed offers children with limited mobility, or those at the risk of falling or hurting themselves in a traditional bed, a safe space to sleep. Ideal for use in the home, at school or in care settings, it is equipped with three padded side panels, one open front panel, and a mattress as standard.

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healthandcare.co.uk | 0207 720 2266 6

RAINMAKER

Creating noise through actions and movement is a wonderful activity for little ones, it helps develop an understanding of cause and effect, and this beautiful rainmaker will capture a little one’s attention instantly. Let kids wave, shake and roll this toy by holding the wooden handle and listen to the soothing sound of the beads cascading. kidly.co.uk

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UNDER THE SEA MESSY PLAY

Spark children’s imaginations with this under the sea themed messy play set. It contains 10 toys, coloured rice and chickpeas, croc tweezers to help with fine motor skills, a bowl and measuring scoop and a set of fact cards to help them learn about the animals that live in the sea.

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Messy Movers on etsy.com 8

ROUTINE CHART

Setting out routines in a visual manner can help a lot of children with additional support needs. This interactive chart helps to involve children in understanding their routines and activities throughout the day and includes tabs like; make bed, brush teeth, tidy up toys and bedtime, among many more.

Little Boo Learning on etsy.com

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ADAPTIVE STROLLING

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arents of disabled children who have complex postural needs often struggle to find suitable adaptive buggies and strollers to take their children out in. If a child uses a powerchair this can often limit the opportunities for travelling abroad or in the UK, due to challenges with transportation.

Powerchairs are bulky and substantial in size and weight, often making it difficult to transport. Families may have everything set up perfectly at home for their child’s needs, and may use a wheelchair accessible vehicle to get around. Travelling through airports, in taxis, on buses, or undergrounds, can pose significant difficulties, and this can deter families from travelling further afield or make life very difficult when they do.

Sourcing a folding stroller that can be transported easily and provide support, comfort and stability for their child would transform the lives of many families, and luckily we have discovered such a product available in the UK from Baffin Technology Systems, the Caretta Buggy.

The unique thing about the owner of Baffin, Marzena Komisarczuk, is that she has a daughter who lives with cerebral palsy, which gives her great insight into what families with disabled children need.

Her daughter Sylwia has been using a powerchair since the age of 12. Her grandparents live in Poland, so travelling to see them with a powerchair and trying to source a suitable vehicle to take Sylwia and her parents from the airport to their home in Katowice was never easy. However, in 2018, Baffin had started supplying the Caretta Buggy and Marzena knew straight away that it would make things easier as it has been designed to be easily folded to fit in a standard car boot, yet can be used by children and young adults between 130cm and 160cm (4’3” – 5’3”) in height with a maximum weight of 55kg (121lbs).

tested. Further comfort is provided by the headrest system which ensures the head is supported at all times and the height of the headrest, side supports and tilt function of the seat can all be easily adjusted.

Marzena set up Baffin Technologies with the sole purpose of sourcing suitable equipment for her daughter, but has turned into a successful and busy company that allows Marzena to help families like her own.

“When I speak to parents’ and explain the journey behind me setting up Baffin Technology Systems, I think they relax as they know I can truly empathise with their situation and the challenges they face on a day-today basis. I love my job and I know I am very lucky to be someone who looks forward to Sunday evening as I can’t wait to get to work on Monday morning and start helping more families benefit for the Baffin solutions which have changed my daughter’s life. Hearing about the positive impact we have on a child’s life makes my job incredibly rewarding and is exactly why I set up the company in the first place,” concluded Marzena.

For more information on the full range of products available from Baffin Technology Systems or to arrange an assessment, call 01788 892 056, email office@baffin.co.uk or visit baffin.co.uk.

“Sylwia still uses a powerchair when we are at home in the UK as we have a suitable vehicle so it is not a problem, but the Caretta makes life so much easier when we are in Poland and means Sylwia can really enjoy her time with her grandparents. The first time we travelled to Poland with the Caretta, everything was so much easier and it also meant Sylwia could go out for the day just with her grandparents as they felt relaxed using the Caretta,” explained Marzena.

Sylwia finds the Caretta very comfortable because she feels secure and is able to sit and change the seating position to recline or tilt. This feeling of comfort and security is replicated in her Baffin Trio standing frame which features Baffin’s patented and innovative Second Spine® Technology system and pioneering balance seat which have been designed to create and support optimal positioning of the user’s spine and pelvis.

The Caretta Buggy is the ideal adaptive stroller for children and young adults who require support when moving around or sitting. A five-point safety harness/ vest and straps stabilise the pelvis to ensure the user can be transported in comfort while maintaining the correct postural position at all times. In addition to being small enough when folded to fit in most standard car boots, the Caretta has also been crash

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OTs at the Heart of Change The current consultation on the Social Care White Paper carries with it high hopes for some significant changes in provision for UK social care. The review of the Disabled Facilities Grant may well throw up new opportunities and a focus that puts prevention first. Both will put the OT at the very heart of the changes. Joanna Sale, director of Dignity Access, assesses some interesting developments that should come to fruition in 2022

A

sk any OT if the provision for disabled or elderly people is adequate and I’m sure that the answer from everyone would be a resounding “no”.

Local authorities have borne the brunt of budget and staff cuts but there is a new recognition that, in the words of Benjamin Franklin, “out of adversity comes opportunity”. The result has seen some creative new initiatives to bridge the communications and operations gap between social care parties.

The desire we have to live at home as long as possible (or to get back home after injury or illness) has never been stronger since COVID struck. Getting those who

find themselves in hospital, back home to a familiar environment as quickly as possible is well known to improve recovery. Indeed, there has been a lot of campaigning in recent years to reduce the burden on the NHS and social care system by keeping people comfortable and cared for at home. The loss of confidence in the care home sector has added to this by encouraging older people and their families to look at alternatives. This dovetails with the OT’s mission to help people get the most out of an independent life and the Royal College of Occupational Therapists has rightly launched an initiative to promote the significant role of the OT to a wider public.

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AN OUT-OF-DATE DFG It does appear to me that every local authority has a different approach to managing the issue and the DFG process is a good example of this, as there is no cohesive, cross-country wisdom. Best practice is often only shared by the individual initiatives of healthcare professionals themselves.

Clearly, it is a really important step that OTs now see themselves advising more and more on providing key adaptations before there’s a fall or a stay in hospital.

However, making these adaptations readily available is often hindered by the tortuous DFG application process which is often the only funding available for most people. Many feel that at 30 years old, the DFG is outof-date and often a postcode lottery as to timescales, which can take more than a year. A third of applicants drop out, probably because it’s so clunky and lacks the timeliness necessary for older people or people living with terminal illness. The current review may help this by raising the maximum limit, updating the methods of evaluation and means testing and giving more financial discretion to the local authority to provide solutions that work.

Let’s not hold our breath though as only in January, the High Court announced that the government’s National Disability Strategy, introduced with 100 pledges to improve the day-to-day lives of those with a disability, was unlawful on the grounds that there was an insufficient and poorly directed consultation. The government has a right to appeal but it does encourage us to consider whether the rights of disabled people are being sufficiently addressed in this caring society.

BED-BLOCKING CONTINUES TO COST

Growing waiting lists and bed blocking are also back in the news. Current figures from the NHS highlight that more than 10% of hospital beds are occupied by people who have been declared fit for discharge but who are unable to go home because they need community equipment or a home adaptation. This equates to 12,500 NHS beds stock at a daily cost of more than £6 million.

With this huge waiting list, the support and advice from OTs is going to be more needed than ever, with pressure to supply a quick fix for a long-term solution. Advising on equipment is equally important and as we know, there are many simple ways a home can be adapted to make life easier for the less mobile. In the long-term, more complicated adaptations can be made if necessary but in the short-term the quick wins will make the greatest difference.

“But when small adaptations and alterations such as grab rails and ramps, are insufficient, it all changes” says Phillip Mumford, managing director of inclusive design specialists, Cowan Architects. “You enter the realms of lengthy funding requirements, structural planning applications and unsettling disturbances in the house.

And in rental properties, there’s the added difficulty of persuading landlords to alter their property with the adaptations”.

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... wouldn’t it be great if landlords found it easy to offer a lot more?

LANDLORDS MAY NOT ALWAYS WELCOME ADAPTATIONS

The OT’s job in specifying the appropriate remedial work gets even more complex when landlords do not want to accommodate changes to their property.

The current law (the Equality Act 2010) states that landlords, when renting to a disabled tenant, are responsible for providing necessary, reasonable adaptations to make the property accessible and suitable to their tenant’s individual needs. This can include additional services or equipment but it does not extend to the removal or change of physical features in the property or the need to adapt communal areas.

“Instead of offering the minimum, wouldn’t it be great if landlords found it easy to offer a lot more?” asks Lewis Gopsill, who is Operations Director for the WashPod range of mobile, temporary disabled wetrooms.

“Increasingly, there are a few useful disabled adaptations that don’t require extensive reworking of a property and if more new builds were designed for lifelong accessibility, there would be less change required in later life,” says Lewis.

Equipment and innovations that don’t require extensive adaptation are so much more appealing to landlords and housing associations who must think of keeping their properties attractive for future tenants. For example, the range of WashPod temporary disabled wetrooms, which are robust enough for hoists but ‘pop-up’ in a day, was the result of an unlikely collaboration between architects and modular specialists. More examples of this type of lateral thinking will lead to a new set of answers.

Going back to Franklin’s words, we must find new collaborative ways of implementing a system that works in a timely manner, that put OTs at the heart of process, while giving them the range of equipment that adapts to their needs, budgets and timescales. This year will see the results from the DFG consultation, a rewrite of the National Disability Strategy and hopefully some real solutions that help landlords meet their disability requirements. Let’s hope that some of these improvements continue to help OTs provide some speedy answers that give those in need a future of independent living at home.

We are recruiting AJM Healthcare is a long-established provider of Wheelchair and Community Equipment Services to the NHS and Private Sector with over 35 years’ experience.

We are looking for people to join our team across the UK with a range of abilities and experience in various locations to conduct assessments in clinic, people’s homes, day centres or schools within the area.

What we offer – A competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience, Company pension contributions into a NEST Pension or continued contribution to a NHS Pension, Criteria dependant, Company mobile phone and laptop / tablet, Learning and development including CPD, Industry specific awareness training including expert clinical supervision and peer support, Free on-site parking, Eligibility to access to NHS perks and discounts from leading retailers and leisure outlets both online and in store, Access to our employee assistance programme from your first day.

Our current locations are –

For more information on our vacancies, please visit our careers page at www.ajmhealthcare.com/jobs/currentvacancies/ or send a email to careers@ajmhealthcare.org to request more information.

Portsmouth, Plymouth, Derby, Rainham, North East London, Park Royal, North West London, Waltham Forest, London, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, Milton Keynes, Lincolnshire

Working in partnership

Respect, dignity and compassion

Our people make us who we are

Promoting learning, development & innovation

OTAC 2022 Confirmed dates ®

Visit an OTAC® near you for expert seminars and exhibitors specialising in home adaptations and equipment.

OTAC® Leeds

OTAC® Newcastle

OTAC® Cambridge

Weetwood Hall Estate Wednesday 6th April 2022

Hilton Hotel - Gateshead Wednesday 4th May 2022

Hallmark Hotel Wednesday 15th June 2022

OTAC® Midlands

OTAC® Chester

OTAC® Reading

OTAC® Cardiff

Drayton Manor Theme Park Wednesday 29th June 2022

The Queen at Chester

by Best Western Wednesday 7th September 2022

Hilton Hotel Wednesday 9th November 2022

Copthorne Hotel Wednesday 7th December 2022

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IN THIS ISSUE we bring you this year’s round-up of events taking place in the OT calendar.

We take a look at the packed calendar of events and exhibitions that are lined up for OTs in 2022!

Get your CPD lined up for the year and plan the events you want to attend this year.

Kidz to Adultz Events Free exhibition dedicated to children and young adults with disabilities and additional needs, their families, carers and all the professionals who support them, the events are packed with exhibitors and boast a great CPD seminar programme.

Event dates: MIDDLE – 17 MAR, COVENTRY BUILDING SOCIETY ARENA, COVENTRY SOUTH – 17 MAY, FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE CENTRE WALES & WEST – 7 JUL, INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE, NEWPORT SCOTLAND – 8 SEPT, ROYAL HIGHLAND CENTRE, EDINBURGH NORTH – DATE AND VENUE TBC

kidzexhibitions.co.uk 29-30 APR

BAPO Coventry Building Society Arena, Coventry

OTAC Events The UK’s only free Occupational Therapy Adaptations Conference and Exhibition. At each event you will find expert seminars and exhibitors specialising in home adaptations and equipment, and invaluable CPD opportunities.

Event dates: LEEDS – 6 APR, WEETWOOD HALL ESTATE, LEEDS NEWCASTLE – 4 MAY, HILTON HOTEL, NEWCASTLE CAMBRIDGE – 15 JUN, CAMBRIDGE BAR HILL HOTEL, BW SIG, CAMBRIDGE MIDLANDS – 29 JUN, DRAYTON MANOR THEME PARK, MIDLANDS CHESTER – 7 SEPT, THE QUEEN HOTEL, CHESTER READING - 9 NOV, HILTON HOTEL, READING CARDIFF – 7 DEC, COPTHORNE HOTEL, CARDIFF

otac.org.uk

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The British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists will host their annual conference in April this year. It is packed with presentations, speakers and workshops to help educate healthcare professionals working in this arena. bapo.com

2022 Calendar 6-7 JUL

4-7 JULY

Naidex

UK Care Week

NEC, Birmingham

18-19 MAY

Naidex returns in 2022 for an independent living revolution.

Boasting a dedicated CPD seminar programme, a wide range of innovative exhibitors, interactive demonstrations and expert speakers, this year’s event promises to be unmissable. nadiex.co.uk

Residential and Home Care Show 2022 ExCel, London

NEC, Birmingham The first two days of this event(4-5 July) will take place online and the last two (6-7 July) will be in person at the NEC. The aim behind this exhibition is to unite the care community and address the biggest challenges facing it today, while celebrating the talent of all care workers and discussing change for the future. ukcareweek.com 11-13 JUL

This show is part of Health Plus Care, it will cover all the big, current issues for social care including personalisation, integrated care, safeguarding, raising quality, dementia, CQC ratings, new employment law, recruitment and retention issues, which technologies work and business development. healthpluscare.co.uk/residential

PMG Conference The International Centre, Telford PMG’s annual conference provides an educational, industry exhibition and networking events for professionals working in the field on posture and wheeled mobility. pmguk.co.uk

21 JUN

COTS 2022 Westpoint Arena, Exeter The Care and Occupational Therapy Show is the only trade show dedicated to care home professionals and occupational therapists in the south west of England.

Discover products and services on the exhibition floor, attend a variety of panel discussions and listen to keynote speakers who are internationally renowned experts in the field of healthcare. careexhibition.co.uk

6-7 JUL

23-24 NOV

European Neuro Convention

The Occupational Therapy Show

NEC, Birmingham Europe’s only trade event for brain and spine experts. Two days packed with workshops and expert industry speakers, the chance to gain free CPD, meet with suppliers and network with likeminded people that can share their knowledge and solutions to improve patient outcomes in the neurological sector. neuroconvention.com

NEC, Birmingham A vital date in the OT diary, The OT Show will return this year with an outstanding line-up of speakers, seminars and workshops. The show is dedicated to bringing OTs more CPD opportunities than any other event and the exhibition floor will be packed with organisations catering for the independent living market. theotshow.com www.

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EDGE services Exceptional Training with a Personal Touch Movin Handl g & Key Tr ing a Certifi iner’s cate Successful completion of the EDGE People or Children Handling and Risk Assessment Key Trainer’s Certificate courses will provide delegates with the up to date skills, knowledge and tools to teach others in safer people or children handling skills and to conduct moving and handling risk assessments.

• Healthcare Professionals All EDGE Services Trainers are nurses, occupational therapists or physiotherapists with at least ten years’ clinical experience and at least six years’ training experience.

• Professionally and Academically Accredited All our People and Children Handling and Risk Assessment Key Trainer’s Certificate courses are accredited by RoSPA Qualifications to Level 4 or Advanced Level 4. They are Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) Approved Learning Awards, certified by the CPD Certification Service and aligned to the Skills for Care Core Skills Training Framework (CSTF).

• Extensive Training Resources, Exclusive On-line Library and E-Learning Module Our training is supported by a professionally produced and fully illustrated 246-page course textbook, proposed documentation for onward training delivery, four video modules demonstrating over 45 moving and handling practical skills techniques, an extensive and exclusive on-line resources library and a user-friendly e-learning programme designed for front-line staff.

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