Edith Cowan University's occupational therapy undergraduates gain confidence using manual handling equipment with Unicare
Manual Handling Equipment Training
Edith Cowan University, Joondalup
Friday, 12 August 2022
Our thanks go out to Melanie Day, Occupational Therapy (OT) Lecturer at Edith Cowan University (ECU), for inviting Unicare Health again this year to provide Manual Handling Equipment training to 60 Occupational Therapy undergraduates starting their residential aged care placements.
Residential aged care placements form an essential and vital part of a student’s OT education at ECU. It provides an opportunity for students to apply their occupational therapy knowledge, work ethics and skills in a professional workplace.
Through these placements, students get the skills they need to successfully transition from school to work, while also experiencing the demands of the industry. Students must complete 1,000 hours of work placements, clinical fieldwork and practice education. These are mandatory experiences to prepare students for their future work as an OT.
Manual Handling Equipment, also known as lifting and handling equipment or patient handling equipment, plays an integral role in enabling older people maintain their independence.
In a residential aged care setting, manual handling equipment is widely used to enable residents to move safely and comfortably, such as from a bed to a wheelchair, or from a wheelchair onto a toilet. When used capably, manual hanlding equipment reduces the risk of accidents and injury, improving carer and resident safety.
Annette Terranova, Unicare Health’s Clinical Educator and Trainer, taught students about the fundamentals & clinical benefits of commonly used manual handling equipment in aged care.
Using Unicare Health’s range of manual handling equipment, such as the Quickmove Standing Aid, Ansa Salsa Standing Hoist, Oxford Journey Standing Hoist, Ansa Sonata Lifting Hoist and Oxford Advance Standing Hoist, Annette explained the similarities and differences of each, and discussed how they should be applied to different resident requirements.
Students were taught how to appreciate Australian Standards related to lifting slings, how to inspect the integrity of slings, and how to apply different lifting and transfer techniques to ensure safe patient transfers.
Annette also demonstrated how to read safety labels embroidered on slings, how to measure residents for slings, and how to properly connect slings to hoists.
When it came to lifting hoists, Annette discussed the different types of yokes and frames as well as powered options.
She also discussed the importance of having brakes on/off during transfers as well as the differences between electric leg spreads and manual leg spreads and when they were necessary.
She also showed students how to use a lifting hoist to lower and lift someone off the floor.
Students were assigned activities in groups so that everyone got an opportunity to learn how to use the many kinds of commonly used manual handling equipment for aged care.
By taking turns to play the role of an occupational therapist and then a resident, students were better able to comprehend how these pieces of equipment offer a safe transfer solution for both parties.
Llew Pollard, Customer Relationship Manager at Unicare Health, assisted students in understanding how these pieces of equipment helped to facilitate safe patient transfers by sharing real-world experiences.
At the end of the session, Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Unicare goodie bags were given out as rewards for completing all of the practical activities.
Thank you
Unicare Health would like to thank Melanie for inviting us to be part of ECU’s OT program again this year. We enjoyed a fantastic time with your OT students and glad to be told how beneficial this education has been.
The first step to a successful placement is confidence, willingness to learn, and a growth mindset. As the preferred equipment partner to Occupational Therapists and major Residential Aged Care Providers across Western Australia, we are proud of our collaborative role in developing competent OTs through clinical education and practical experience.
“As WA’s leading equipment partner to Occupational Therapists across the state, we unicare about providing clinicians with the knowledge and skills they need to become intelligent about equipment. We are thankful to be able to contribute towards building a capable generation of therapists to work with us in our quest to improve aged care.” #morethancare
