Tag Archives: physiotherapy

Patient Handling – The Risky Business of Nursing

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A recent study has found that health care professionals are the group most likely to be injured at work. The CDC, the US’s health protection agency, found that patient handling was the main cause of these injuries. Studies have also found that manual handling accidents account for half of all sickness absence for NHS staff, leading to 1.5 million lost working days costing the NHS £400 million per year.

Everyday, thousands of nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists and other healthcare professionals perform patient handling tasks. This may be general handling tasks, such as transferring a patient from a bed to a wheelchair, or during rehabilitation exercises. These physically demanding tasks can be made easier with the right tools, making it safer for patients and caregivers.

Many healthcare professionals are already using Dycem Non-Slip every day to make patient handling and movement easier and safer for all. The unique gripping properties of our Dycem non-slip products can help enable health care workers to move clients safely and keep them in place, avoiding the need for repositioning. Dycem Non-Slip products are available in a range of colours, perfect for providing visual cues and contrasting colours for those with visual impairments.

Safe patient handling with Dycem Non-Slip
Safe patient handling with Dycem Non-Slip

Popular ways that Dycem is used to help with patient handling include:

• Using on the floor to provide grip and to prevent feet giving way
• Helping with sit-to-stand activities
• Using on wheelchair footrests and seats to prevent clients slipping down
• Placing under a wobble board and under foam for balance activities so that clients don’t slide and fall
• Using Dycem as a marker on the floor for patients to walk in tandem gait
• Placing under a sliding board and transferring patients from bed to beside commode
• Using on parallel bars to provide extra grip, stability and visual markers
• Using Dycem to keep hold of patients when mobilising, providing excellent grip for hard to hold onto areas.
• Using Dycem reel material on grab bars for transfers
• Using on beds and under pillows to prevent slipping and help with positioning
• Using Dycem for upper extremity weight baring exercise to help hands to stay in place

Training is effective in preventing injuries and tools like Dycem can certainly help provide stability and safer handling. We would love to hear any ideas or comments on how Dycem is helping you with patient handling.

View the Dycem Non-Slip product range here .

Study sources:
http://www.apta.org/PTinMotion/News/2015/6/24/PatientHandlingInjuries/
http://www.leicspart.nhs.uk/Library/PatientHandlingUpdateHandout2012.pdf

Perfectly Positioned

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Dycem non-slip netting
Dycem non-slip netting

Dycem non-slip material is the ideal solution to getting and staying in the most comfortable sitting position. Occupational Therapist Jen agrees! Read about how she solves this problem in practice –

Achieving the perfect sitting position is never easy and difficult to maintain for long periods.  It is important that we sit in a good position to avoid pain, deformities and problems with breathing and digestion.  Gravity, fidgeting, tiredness, muscle tone and fabric texture are all contributing factors to someone moving out of their optimum position.

Many of us can adjust our position independently and return to sitting comfortably, but there are some of us who can’t.   For those who can’t move themselves back independently, there is a continuous search for a product that stops them moving into awkward, uncomfortable positions.

One solution is to use Dycem.  It can be a real asset in helping to overcome the challenge of slipping cushions, supports and body parts!  Dycem can be placed under, between or on top of cushions, on armrests, backrests and footrests to stabilise either the cushion or body part.  It can also be positioned on the floor to stop feet slipping.

Dycem reel material or netting can be cut to the required size and therefore used discreetly if needed.  There are a variety of colour options to either contrast or blend in with the furniture depending on the individual’s need.  Both the reel and netting can be washed, repositioned and reused, making them a cost effective solution to seating problems.

Being able to sit comfortably is vitally important for social, psychological and physical reasons and Dycem can help in being able to achieve the optimum sitting position.

Steady as he Goes

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Dycem Noes-over-Toes non-slip Mat
Dycem ‘Noes-Over-Toes’ Mat

This week, we chatted to Chartered Physiotherapist Adam Page about how he uses Dycem products in his line of work –

As a physiotherapist within the stroke setting I have used Dycem’s Non-Slip products with great clinical effectiveness. From dense hemiplegic strokes to mild alterations in an individual’s strength or grip, the non-slip products have been functional to all my patients.

Recently I have been using the Dycem Non-Slip mats during treatment of a 57 year old gentleman whom had suffered a stroke resulting in moderate left sided weakness and mild cognitive changes.

Having been previously very active and mobile, our therapy goal was to maximise his rehabilitation potential by having him up and mobilising with assistance within 7 days of admission.  Such an ambitious goal would by many be considered unrealistic, even unsafe when considering the limited staffing on our wards. However, through the use of Dycem Non-Slip we were able to achieve it.

Maximising the mats bright colour to inform visual attention we placed a number of them on floor as a cue for the patient to place his feet during mobilisation. Whilst two of us supported the patient’s upper limb, the lower limb was secured with use of the non-slip mat. Secondary to reduced strength, a patient’s affected leg will often slip from under them during sit to stand and mobilisation, unless secured by another member of staff. However by simply placing the Dycem non-slip ‘Nose-Over-Toes’ mat under the effected foot, a secure lower limb resulted.

By using a number of mats the affected leg was supported from slipping over the entire distance mobilised. Whilst a number of different coloured mats ensured easy instruction by the therapist for foot position, the alternative texture with its roughened boarder helped to inform sensory feedback during movement.

Easily wiped clean and reused, these non-slip products are of an absolute necessity to any physiotherapist wanting to maximise the rehab potential of their patients.

Are there any other Physiotherapists out there who use Dycem?