Postural Care
Understanding the impact of posture and positioning for someone with profound and multiple learning disabilities
**The Scottish postural care strategy Your Posture Matters is here!**
This strategy aims to inspire service provision across Scotland to work together; a collective ambition to minimise body shape distortion for all individuals with a movement difficulty.
Coverage of the launch of Your Posture Matters
STV interviewed Kate and Jenny asking why postural care is important and what they hoped the launch of Your Posture Matters will mean for the future of people with PMLD. You can watch the interview and read the article here.
” I had been involved with physiotherapy since Kara was 6 months
old. I thought I knew enough about postural care – I was wrong!”
Kate, Kara’s mum
What is postural care for people with PMLD?
Posture is the shape our bodies form when sitting, lying, standing or moving. Many of us can adjust our position if we begin to feel uncomfortable, experience pain or recognise our position could be harmful.
People with PMLD move in less symmetrical movement patterns leading to a weakness and asymmetry of different parts of the body.
It is important to understand just how distorted someone’s body shape can become if the correct interventions are not put in place. This distortion can have a life threatening and life limiting impact. Some of the complications can be difficulties with breathing, eating & drinking, experience of pain and high risk of skin breakdown.
A useful guide to knowing if the person you care for could be vulnerable to body shape changes is by referring to the Mansfield Checklist.
What can you do?
Postural care is about having the right knowledge to position the person you care for in a gentle way that helps protect and restore body shape. By understanding how to achieve good positioning you can help to minimise any long-term changes.
Speaking to physiotherapists and occupational therapists is the first place to start. Ask them to help you understand the physical needs your child has and how best to minimise body shape changes. Healthcare professionals will carry out an assessment and, where appropriate, will suggest a programme of exercise and equipment which will help with positioning and function.
Partnership working is integral to achieving good postural care. Everyone who spends time with the person needs to know the importance of postural care and how to achieve good positioning.
What can PAMIS do?
PAMIS is working in partnership with Simple Stuff Works to provide accredited training to families across Scotland. We can also deliver training across the health and social care workforce including the next generation of practitioners. You can find more information about our introduction to postural care courses here.
We are members of the Scottish Postural Care Forum and the Scottish Postural Care Education Forum, supporting families to have their voices heard in the development and delivery of the Scottish postural care strategy Your Posture Matters.
Postural Care – what a difference a day a day makes
Watch an extract from our Postural Care film featuring family stories. This film has been produced by family carers, PAMIS and NHS Lanarkshire Allied Health Professionals. You can find the full film here.