October 2010 - Volume 26, Issue 3

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cover of independent living journal

Extracts from the Independent Living Journal

October 2010 - Volume 26, Issue 3

 

Manual Handling

Lifting and Transfer Equipment for children

By Jane Fothergill, ILC Vic

Lifting and Transfer Equipment for children
The Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Act (2004) details the framework for legal requirements around manual handling. A Risk Assessment should be completed whenever appropriate. When clients are assessed as being able to participate in the transfer, they should be encouraged to do so.

Optimal outcomes are achieved by a combination of the use of appropriate assistive technology (AT), planning, timing and environmental modifi cation.
With the implementation of the ‘No Manual Lift’ policy the use of assistive technology (AT) has increased. Transfer by hoists should only be between one piece of AT and another eg bed to chair. Hoists and transfer aids should not be used as mobility aids.

 

Don't Wait For The Ouch

Lifting and transfer equipment for children

By Anna Everett, Sydney Children's Hospital

Ask any parent and they will tell you that parenting is hard on a person’s body. In this recognition, there has been a large increase in the range of products designed for making handling of babies easier.

It is increasingly recognized that new mothers often suffer back, neck and shoulder pain due to the lifting and manual handling involved in caring for their baby. This article describes a comprehensive approach.

 

Ceiling Hoists

Part of a sustainable care strategy

By Yong Moon Jung, Research Associate, Home Mod Information Clearing House, UNSW

With the implementation of the no-lifting policy, the use of mechanical devices has been recommended as an alternative to manual handling methods in health care practices.

Recently, increasing attention is being given to the ceiling hoist system as a safe and effective transfer method. This systematic review aimed to investigate the effectiveness of ceiling hoists and the advantages of them over other handling methods in lifting and transferring people with physical disabilities. Twenty-three articles were examined in this systematic review.

 

ILCA Assistive Technology Initiative

Taking the message out to older Australians

By Catherine Sheehan, ILCA Project Officer

The Independent Living Centres of Australia (ILCA), and the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) have initiated a project to assist older Australians and their carers to access information about products and services which will help maintain their independence.

The current ILCA website is not an accessible and comprehensive source of assistive technology information for older Australians and their carers. It functions as a direction site for users to each state ILC website and the state product databases for assistive technology products and equipment.