Falls Prevention with @clareRCGP on Twitter

February 11, 2013 3 Comments


Holistic care

As regular readers will know, my main practice interest is in mental health, however, all OTs are trained in both mental and physical health. Providing holistic care to the people I’m working with is enhanced by this training. For instance, in mental health services for older people, falls are as relevant as in orthapaedic OT, so it’s always useful to revisit other practice area specialities and share knowledge within the profession. 

Professional Development

With this in mind, it is always a pleasure to get drawn in to chats on Twitter about areas of practice that use knowledge that would otherwise become rusty due to lack of use: and it’s an exciting challenge for me to revisit my knowledge of falls prevention and to participate in #fallschat recently, on Twitter. 

I was excited to be asked by Dr Clare Gerada (who had attended a workshop on falls prevention) to contribute to her weekly RCGP Blog about falls prevention. I sent her my “Ten Top Tips for Falls Prevention”, repeated below. 

My 10 Top Tips for Falls Prevention:

  1. Make sure the hallway and stairs have working lights- if possible, replace with low-energy light bulbs and keep lights on overnight. 
  2. Wear slippers with an appropriate heel, so that they stay firmly on the feet.
  3. Regular, gentle exercise can help reduce risk of falling and also fear of falling. Exercise such as Tai Chi is particularly helpful at improving balance. 
  4. Check out signs that a person is unsure on their feet such as “furniture walking”, or clear dirty marks where walls are used for support. Having grab rails installed at key sites around the home or at the entrance to the home can be arranged by local community OT services.
  5. Fasten any torn bits of carpet or lino down- gaffer tape is ideal for this, if an older person can’t afford to replace floor coverings.
  6. Tripping over the edges of rugs is really common- either remove rugs, or fasten down the edges to reduce this risk.
  7. Medication management- GPs are well placed to review medications and watch for interactions, non-compliance etc.
  8. Check for use of alcohol- which increases falls risk and may  interact  with medications, or even be used to self-medicate undiagnosed depression.
  9. Poor foot care can be a reason for not wearing slippers, and can contribute to falls. GPs can check if a person would like a Chiropody referral, if foot care is difficult for an individual.
  10. Multi-disciplinary teamworking can solve many issues- so don’t be shy about asking for help! Occupational therapists, physiotherapists and chiropodists can be really useful contacts for falls prevention.

A Few Falls Facts: 

  1. A fall at home that leads to a hip fracture costs the state £28,665 on average (726 million a year in total). This is 4.5 times the average cost of a major housing adaptation and over 100 times the cost of fitting hand and grab rails to prevent falls (Heywood et al 2007).
  2. The provision of a home safety programme and exercise programme delivered by occupational therapists was found to reduce falls significantly (Campbell AJ et a, 2005).
  3. A community based occupational therapy based falls prevention service cut the number of falls among older people by half according to evidence published in the BMJ“

(from COT website available at 
http://www.cot.co.uk/ot-helps-your-client/falls-prevention
)

Can I use the “Top 10 Tips” as a resource for my work/ care setting?

The “10 Top Tips and a Few Falls Facts” post is available as a free-to-use PDF that you may print off and use in your care setting (or as a reminder when visiting an older relative?) please see the following link:


http://binscombe.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/10-Top-Tips-for-Falls-Prevention.pdf

Further learning

I was delighted that the post was so warmly received by many health professionals and carers, who said they would be interested in using it. I was also pleased to hear further information from professionals with expertise that I don’t possess- from Optometrists, Pharmacists, Telecare consultants and Cardiac Doctors- who all had further info to share. I bookmarked Tweets that contained further links, so that I could share them with you, here.

8th Feb from @Vision2020UK: Really good stuff from the @CollegeOptomUK re vision and falls well worth talking to them 
http://bit.ly/m2ZCyx 
 Top 20!

8th Feb from @helen_whiteside: NECESSARY drugs increase falls risk too- need reg. review/monitor. ref selection 4 ur doc Google scholar search for medications and falls

8th Feb from @ClarkMike: Falls tip -make sure any daily living equipment is well-maintained and meets your needs – secondhand could be poor quality/unsafe

8th Feb from @ClarkMike: Falls tip - #telecare can turn on lights when you get out of bed or raise the alarm if you fall or don’t return to bed

8th Feb from @ClarkMike: “Falls tip- telecare and falls- Exploring the use of Telecare  

10th Feb from @cardiacdoc1: “Don’t forget this… The overlap between syncope and falls in the elderly“ Shaw and Kenny (1997) The overlap between syncope and falls in the elderly. Postgrad Med J. 1997 October; 73(864): 635–639.

Lessons learned

Obviously, no quick “Top 10 Tips” guide can ever be a substitute for good multi-disciplinary assessment and intervention to prevent and manage falls. I thought our experiment in crowd-sourcing tips from the was a big success. It stimulated discussion among healthcare professionals who self-select to collaborate on Twitter, and was widely spread through their networks. It was critiqued as being quite basic, but the point of it was to show how small actions can help to keep someone safer at home- it was never meant to be a piece of post-graduate medical education.

And yes, next time, I’ll be sure to add in tips about how regular sight checks, telecare solutions, and underlying medical explanations can all add to our understanding of falls prevention! Perhaps we could see similar guides produced by others with more education about these areas than I?

Filed under Commons, CPD, Evidence based practice, Interprofessional practice, Physical health, Twitter Tagged with , , , , , , , ,

Checking my cissexual privilege #transdocfail

January 27, 2013 2 Comments


The current situation

We’ve recently been faced with our failings, as medical professionals, in the care of people who are LGBT*I. If you do a Twitter search under the #transdocfail, you’ll see how privilege and prejudice are colouring our interactions with people who need our help- and who are more at risk of mental illness and suicide than the general population.

As mental health professionals, its important to take action, but we sometimes feel confused about what that looks like, particularly if we feel we haven’t got anywhere or anyway of discussing it frankly. We often fear doing anything, in case we “get it wrong”, even though we recognise how important the issues are.

In the media, there are frequently blazing rows as some of the oppressive attitudes that people face are brought into the light- it’s been particularly clear of late in respect of trans* people.

Feminisms

There is a lot of current feminist discourse as the second wave feminists are giving way to the newer generation of feminists who approach issues with a mindset focused around intersectional analysis. This produces a tension between feminisms, where some people see their ideas threatened as people “call them out” on their privilege. Western, white, middle-class feminism has been traditionally seen as offering less for minority groups such as Women of Colour, or trans* women, so challenging ideas that hold us back from being a more inclusive movement can only be a good thing. Can’t it?

Privilege

A good definition is found on the geek feminism wiki: 
http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Privilege

Privilege is a concept used in anti-racist, anti-sexist, and similar anti-oppression movements.

Anti-oppressionists use “privilege” to describe a set of perceived advantages (or lack of disadvantages) enjoyed by a majority group, who are usually unaware of the privilege they possess. It is a term of art that may not align particularly well with the general-use word “privilege” or the programming term “privilege”.

A privileged person is not necessarily prejudiced (sexist, racist, etc) as an individual, but may be part of a broader pattern of *-ism even though unaware of it.

…Many people, when asked to check their privilege, respond with “So? Am I meant to feel guilty? I didn’t choose to be white/male/whatever.”

…

Possessing “privilege” in the anti-oppression meaning is not intended to imply that life is objectively easy, just that on that particular axis of experience it is likelier to have been easier than a person similarly situated but without that particular privilege.

A person who experiences lack of privilege on more than one axis is said to experience intersectionality.

I really haven’t got any more to add to that definition I think it explains it all very well.

My recent privilege

One of my privileges is that I’m a cis-woman. This means that I’m happy to identify as the gender that I was assigned at birth: I had genitals that strongly indicated I was a girl: my parents raised me as a girl: I grew up into a woman without ever sensing that perhaps I was a boy and the rest of the world had got my gender identity wrong. This is a privilege, when compared to people who identify outside the gender binary, or strongly with a gender that they have not been assigned. These people are called trans*

Feminists have found it hard to understand the trans* experience, and whilst I am appalled at some of the actions of people describing themselves as feminists, I have always considered myself to be more inclusive in my feminism. As the famous Tiger Beatdown post says,

My feminism is intersectional or it is bulls*it

Recently, I was called out on my privilege and unconscious cis-sexism. I’ve Storified it as an example, so that I remember in future how words that I use (and hashtags!) can hurt, and to be more mindful of my privilege.

The Storify can be found here: 
http://storify.com/claireOT2/checking-my-privilege-a-recent-example

Filed under CPD, Interprofessional practice, Reflection, Twitter Tagged with , , , ,

#JoharisWindow- public, real-time CPD on Twitter

January 27, 2013 2 Comments


The #nhssm chat: “What are you an avatar of?”

During a recent #nhssm chat, @MarkOneInFour started to explore what our presence in social media represented about our selves. We didn’t have time during the chat, but we did decide to explore the concept through the evening that followed. People very generously offered their feedback on how they viewed us, which was really helpful, because one can never really know how one comes across to others without specifically exploring it!

Personal reflection: if you ask for feedback, what if you get it?

It felt quite exposed to do this experiment- I wasn’t sure if anyone would respond, and if they did, what they would say about me! I was prepared to deal with any feedback that I got on the basis that it represented how I came across in social media- it didn’t reflect how people felt about me, personally, as many of the people responding don’t know me personally. I am a confident person, and I knew I had personal resources to keep myself safe during the experiment, including having friends and followers to call on for support if I felt hurt by any comments made.

Mental health warning: do you feel safe to hear feedback?

If anyone is interested in doing this experiment for themselves- just take a moment to check out that you’re okay with receiving feedback before you start.

My Johari’s Window:

Arena

(known to self and others)

able, caring, energetic, friendly, sympathetic

Blind Spot

(known only to others)

accepting, bold, brave, clever, complex, confident, dependable, dignified, extroverted, giving, happy, helpful, idealistic, independent, intelligent, kind, knowledgeable, logical, loving, modest, nervous, observant, organised, powerful, proud, reflective, responsive, searching, self-assertive, self-conscious, sentimental, trustworthy, warm, wise, witty

Façade

(known only to self)

Unknown

(known to nobody)

adaptable, calm, cheerful, ingenious, introverted, mature, patient, quiet, relaxed, religious, sensible, shy, silly, spontaneous, tense

All Percentages

able (13%) accepting (9%) adaptable (0%) bold (9%) brave (4%) calm (0%) caring (27%) cheerful (0%) clever (9%) complex (9%) confident (18%) dependable (13%) dignified (9%) energetic (4%) extroverted (9%) friendly (27%) giving (4%) happy (4%) helpful (50%) idealistic (9%) independent (22%) ingenious (0%) intelligent (40%) introverted (0%) kind (4%) knowledgeable (45%) logical (9%) loving (4%) mature (0%) modest (9%) nervous (4%) observant (13%) organised (9%) patient (0%) powerful (9%) proud (4%) quiet (0%) reflective (18%) relaxed (0%) religious (0%) responsive (18%) searching (9%) self-assertive (36%) self-conscious (9%) sensible (0%) sentimental (4%) shy (0%) silly (0%) spontaneous (0%) sympathetic (4%) tense (0%) trustworthy (13%) warm (27%) wise (9%) witty (9%)

Created by the Interactive Johari Window on 27.1.2013, using data from 22 respondents.
You can make your own Johari Window, or view MeOT’s full data.

Personal reflections

As more and more people added feedback, Johari’s Window showed increasing congruence between my internal idea of how I come across, and the views expressed by the people who kindly offered feedback. This is an example of the “Wisdom of Crowds”


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wisdom_of_Crowds

It is also interesting to note how this could contribute to personal resilience in the face of criticism. It can be important to remember that the views of a single person don’t reflect the general way one is seen by everyone one encounters: sometimes, we’ve all experienced a personality clash. Perhaps this is of interest to people seeking 360 degree feedback- which may be more accurate with an increasing number of contributors?

Storify

I storified the conversation, see this link:


http://storify.com/claireOT2/johari-s-window-real-time-virtual-cpd-experiment

Grabchat

Some of the interesting comments wee made before we settled on a hashtag to help collate the Tweets. However, once they were collated under the #JoharisWindow tag, it was easy to grab the chat:

Involved

Top resources


http://kevan.org/johari?name=shirleydsc


http://kevan.org/johari?name=uk_james


http://socialinnovation.typepad.com/silk/silk-method-deck.html


http://kevan.org/johari?name=jonbolton


http://kevan.org/johari?name=fi


http://kevan.org/johari?name=amcunningham


http://kevan.org/johari?name=fionaarttwitter


http://kevan.org/johari?name=@ajax_63


http://kevan.org/johari?view=MeOT


http://kevan.org/johari?name=MeOT

Related tags

#socialmedia #some #hubmsi

See Twitter for more tweets, people, videos and photos for #johariswindow

@claireOT @shirleyayres @MarkOneinFour fancy giving me some feedback? Go to
http://t.co/WEzLelUO
 #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:29:11 +0000)
@uk_james @shirleyayres @claireot #johariswindow good tool – one of many in Social Innovation Lab Kent’s Method Deck
http://t.co/Zo4PKzO3
 (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:32:46 +0000)
@shirleyayres @claireOT done I like this tool! #johariswindow @MarkOneinFour (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:33:35 +0000)
@MarkOneinFour @claireOT @shirleyayres Done it! Also, now get what it is and how it works #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:37:14 +0000)
@shirleyayres Fascinating! Social Innovation Lab Kent’s Method Deck includes #johariswindow
http://t.co/ewrdKbqt
 HT @uk_james @claireOT (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:38:53 +0000)
@shirleyayres @uk_james @claireOT @MarkOneinFour starting to feel my age now realise I first used #johariswindow in 1975!(Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:40:49 +0000)
@claireOT @MarkOneinFour you and Shirley agreed on one word “knowledgable”- isn’t it funny? I didn’t pick it! #johariswindow @shirleyayres (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:41:20 +0000)
@shirleyayres @claireOT @MarkOneinFour I’m such a simple soul this is now my new most favourite tool – thanks Claire! #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:43:45 +0000)
@claireOT @MarkOneinFour done it! What do you think? #johariswindow @shirleyayres (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:44:41 +0000)
@shirleyayres @MarkOneinFour done – interesting the areas @claireOT & I agree on! #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:46:45 +0000)
@shirleyayres @MarkOneinFour @claireOT this ihas to be the *must do* activity of the evening! Love your feedback
http://t.co/KKGlwgdJ
 #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:50:56 +0000)
@shirleyayres @Ermintrude2 I’d love your feedback!
http://t.co/toQXSl0a
 #johariswindow HT @claireOT for discovering this tool! @MarkOneinFour (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:56:57 +0000)
@claireOT @MarkOneinFour it’s so interesting, isn’t it? @shirleyayres @Ermintrude2 #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:09:05 +0000)
@claireOT @RobWebster_LCH @PlanetPavs @AgencyNurse @JoWren1 thanks for your feedback, guys, really helpful #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:11:54 +0000)
@Ermintrude2 @MarkOneinFour I added my thoughts to your #johariswindow :) @claireot @shirleyayres (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:12:17 +0000)
@claireOT @shirleyayres i agree :-) @markoneinfour perhaps “conflicted” or “confused” is what “complex” feels like, inside? #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:12:58 +0000)
@claireOT @JoWren1 yes, I’ve never used it publicly before today… go on…. Get involved! #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:15:17 +0000)
@shirleyayres @PaulBromford a great tool we’re experimenting w/ I’d love your feedback!
http://t.co/toQXSl0a
 HT @claireOT for finding #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:17:22 +0000)
@Ermintrude2 How do you perceive me? (well, it’s limited to nice things!)
http://t.co/iT5sE5ex
 #johariswindow @shirleyayres @markoneinfour @claireot (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:22:36 +0000)
@shirleyayres I’d love feedback – how do I come across to you via #socialmedia ?
http://t.co/toQXSl0a
 #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:22:53 +0000)
@uk_james @claireOT @shirleyayres @markoneinfour @ermintrude2 done! It’s quite smart isn’t it?! Shirley… You’re next…. #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:24:46 +0000)
@claireOT @Ermintrude2 done it! What do you think? #johariswindow @shirleyayres @markoneinfour (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:27:02 +0000)
@uk_james @shirleyayres done! It’s a picture that keeps building… Right, time to make me one…. #johariswindow @claireOT (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:29:15 +0000)
@ajax_63 @shirleyayres how could I resist :) Found it hard to separate out social media and IRL though! #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:32:31 +0000)
@shirleyayres @uk_james @claireOT @MarkOneinFour @Ermintrude2 @PaulBromford #johariswindow the latest tool to sweep across Twitter!(Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:33:11 +0000)
@shirleyayres @ajax_63 thanks I hope you are going to do one too Andrew :-) #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:34:00 +0000)
@PaulBromford @shirleyayres @claireOT certainly! here you go
http://t.co/hhN0zekb
 @ paulbromford #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:34:21 +0000)
@FionaArt @claireot @shirleyayres @MarkOneinFour I added my thoughts to your #johariswindow :) Will you fill in mine please :-) .(Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:34:38 +0000)
@uk_james . @shirleyayres @claireot @markoneinfour @ermintrude2 here’s the link
http://t.co/9OgxDIpy
 how do you perceive me on Twitter? #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:36:41 +0000)
@ajax_63 @Ermintrude2 a pleasure, but six was not enough :) #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:37:19 +0000)
@claireOT Thanks for the valued feedback, @_jonb @FionaArt @anniecoops #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:40:48 +0000)
@amcunningham My #johariswindow
http://t.co/ETqqOdk9
 … thinks @shirleyayres !!(Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:40:52 +0000)
@uk_james Hello Twitter followers! How do I come across on #socialmedia ? Please let me know at
http://t.co/9OgxDIpy
 #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:42:23 +0000)
@claireOT @Darrenruddick thank you- I value the feedback- it’s so interesting to learn how I come over vs how I think I come over! #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:42:31 +0000)
@claireOT @jaxrafferty thank you- it’s really valuable to get feedback, don’t know why I didn’t think of doing this before! #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:46:38 +0000)
@claireOT Lol! No suprise for me that no-one has identified me as “introverted” or “mature”! #johariswindow @shirleyayres @MarkOneinFour @Ermintrude2 (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:48:33 +0000)
@uk_james RT @shirleyayres : @uk_james @claireOT @MarkOneinFour @Ermintrude2 @PaulBromford #johariswindow the latest tool to sweep across Twitter!(Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:48:39 +0000)
@FionaArt
http://t.co/9G6upeQm
 How do u think I come across? #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:51:03 +0000)
@ajax_63 TY @shirleyayres :) and so, I’d love to know, how do you see me via social media?
http://t.co/qFTAy5Op
 < experiments with #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:51:14 +0000)
@claireOT @Ermintrude2 lol! You may be “silly” in real life, but your blog and feed belie the reality!! @shirleyayres @markoneinfour #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:52:42 +0000)
@claireOT @jaxrafferty I think that congruence in #some is really important. I am fortunate to feel safe enough to be honest. #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:53:42 +0000)
@claireOT @Darrenruddick really? I was surprised people identified me as “brave”, it certainly doesn’t feel like that from inside! #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:54:50 +0000)
@shirleyayres +1 RT @claireOT @Ermintrude2 lol! You may be “silly” in real life, but your blog and feed belie the reality!! @markoneinfour #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:55:01 +0000)
@FionaArt Thanks @claireOT @shirleyayres @MarkOneinFour for completing my #johariswindow , definitely food for thought :-) .(Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:56:02 +0000)
@claireOT Anybody want to offer me some feedback on how I come over on #SoMe ? Follow the link- it is very quick! #johariswindow
http://t.co/aPZNfdXp
 (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:57:49 +0000)
@shirleyayres @Ermintrude2 @claireOT @MarkOneinFour @PaulBromford I now have about 12 #johariswindow open. I agree fascinating how others perceive us!(Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:01:43 +0000)
@Chris_Goulden RT @uk_james : @shirleyayres @claireot #johariswindow good tool – one of many in Social Innovation Lab Kent’s Method Deck
http://t.co/Zo4PKzO3
 (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:11:48 +0000)
@shirleyayres @HelReynolds a great tool we’re experimenting w/ I’d love your feedback!
http://t.co/toQXSl0a
 HT @claireOT for finding #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:14:27 +0000)
@shirleyayres @whatsthepont a great tool we’re experimenting w/ I’d love your feedback!
http://t.co/toQXSl0a
 HT @claireOT for finding #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:14:50 +0000)
@shirleyayres @MindingsStu a great tool we’re experimenting w/ I’d love your feedback!
http://t.co/toQXSl0a
 HT @claireOT for finding #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:18:43 +0000)
@shirleyayres @PaulBromford starting to feel my age now realise I first used #johariswindow in 1975!(Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:23:50 +0000)
@shirleyayres @DCCTayside a great tool we’re experimenting w/ I’d love your feedback!
http://t.co/toQXSl0a
 #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:25:25 +0000)
@shirleyayres @clarkmike a great tool we’re experimenting w/ I’d love your feedback!
http://t.co/toQXSl0a
 #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:28:03 +0000)
@shirleyayres @TomSprints a great tool we’re experimenting with I’d love your feedback!
http://t.co/toQXSl0a
 #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:28:42 +0000)
@claireOT I’m really interested to know what you think of me, do you have a couple of minutes to describe me? #johariswindow
http://t.co/E1wxNOF0
 (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:32:00 +0000)
@ajax_63 @shirleyayres @amcunningham @ermintrude2 @claireOT TY all! do you know how hard this is for an INFJ :) #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:32:28 +0000)
@shirleyayres @ajax_63 showing my ignorance here what is an INFJ? #johariswindow @amcunningham @Ermintrude2 @claireOT (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:37:20 +0000)
@shirleyayres @jonbolton a great tool we’re experimenting with I’d love your feedback
http://t.co/toQXSl0a
 #johariswindow (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:50:22 +0000)
@shirleyayres @Action4Ageing thanks Chris for completing my #johariswindow – are you tempted? Looking forward to catching up at #hubmsi (Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:53:22 +0000)
@shirleyayres A big thank you to @kevan a lot of us have had great fun with your interactive #johariswindow this evening!(Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:22:54 +0000)
@shirleyayres @jonbolton @Accaber_Red starting to feel my age now realise I first used #johariswindow in 1975!(Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:24:21 +0000)
@shirleyayres @jonbolton thanks for the #johariswindow feedback a fascinating picture emerging! Are you tempted?(Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:41:43 +0000)
@jonbolton So a few of us were experimenting with #johariswindow last night. Can you describe me in 5-6 words?
http://t.co/EKki3jzM
 (Thu, 24 Jan 2013 08:21:55 +0000)
@AMLTaylor66 RT @jonbolton : So a few of us were experimenting with #johariswindow last night. Can you describe me in 5-6 words?
http://t.co/EKki3jzM
 (Thu, 24 Jan 2013 08:38:55 +0000)
@shirleyayres I’d love feedback – how do I come across to you via #socialmedia ?
http://t.co/toQXSl0a
 #johariswindow (Thu, 24 Jan 2013 09:45:25 +0000)
@FionaArt
http://t.co/6DYEl0KX?
 How do u think I come across on twitter as @FionaArt ? #johariswindow (Thu, 24 Jan 2013 13:29:24 +0000)
@shirleyayres @whatsthepont I would have liked to be able to add analytical to your #johariswindow ! @claireOT @ena_lloyd (Thu, 24 Jan 2013 23:42:31 +0000)
@akosiabiegalet Wag masyadong malinis ang tingin sa sarili. Ayan tuloy hirap tumanggap kapag sinisita ng iba. #johariswindow (Sun, 27 Jan 2013 05:03:49 +0000)

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Filed under CPD, Interprofessional practice, Reflection, Research, Social Media, Twitter Tagged with , , , , ,

#leadersforleeds- Civic leadership for our City

December 11, 2012 2 Comments


As many of my readers will know, I’m terrifically interested in what goes on in my City of Leeds. The event held at the Civic Hall to encourage civic leadership across the City was a great chance to meet with people doing interesting things- from small social enterprises and community groups to the CEOs of our major institutions.

Integrating Health and Social Care

I work constantly to attempt to influence health and social care organisations to work more innovatively and to offer a more integrated experience for people using the services. After all, who cares about whether a service they receive is delivered by a local Trust, by the Council, by the Voluntary sector or if it’s delivered within community groups or social enterprises? When experiencing services, what matters is the quality of the experience, not the organisational structure behind it. So I was pleased to be able to meet with so many others who were representing large and small organisations who work for social impact in the City.

Health Inequality=Social Inequality

Rob Webster, who is CEO of one of our Trusts and a great Twitter follow to boot described the situation perfectly;

“For every mile you walk from North West Leeds heading South, the life expectancy of the residents drops by a year. Residents in South Leeds live 10 fewer years than residents in North West Leeds.”

One of the challenges for people interested in healthcare is that so much about health outcomes doesn’t depend on health intervention AT ALL. I know this sounds a bit strange, but we know that social inequality, access to green space, whether or not a parent reads to you as a child, an countless other factors are really important for health (and life) outcomes. So actually, people who care about health care have a responsibility to act on social inequality and to improve health outcomes in this way. This is great because it means that the creative possibilities for collaboration are extended across sectors- whether it’s a youth project, a local church, a small business offering employment, or any number of other possibilities, we can collaborate to drive up health outcomes and reduce social inequality.

Digital Health Centre of Excellence

My goal is to ensure Leeds is seen as a centre of excellence in the development and delivery of digital health and digitally-enabled social care. Many people I met agreed that this forms part of our civic future, because the people of Leeds need to have efficient and effective services despite a financial environment that ensures we have to think radically different. Because people recognise that we have to work together to make an impact on this. Because it’s a great way to develop the City’s economic outlook and provide jobs. Because we have some of the best hospitals and health services in the country. Because we have all the structural advantage of the NHS Information Centre and the NHS Commissioning Board. Because it’s the right thing to do.

Recently, the local Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board have crowd-sourced information about how digital products and social media can support people in the city who  use health and social care services- expect to see more of this as we move forward.

We have a vibrant digital sector, both within health care and in other digital fields (did you know that Grand Theft Auto was written in Leeds?) We already have great initiatives such as GoOn Leeds, Leeds Social Media Surgeries (TONIGHT at the Civic Hall from 6pm, by the way!), and the fabulous Leeds Digital Festival. Let’s make it even better.

Digital Conference and Hack v2

I’m already working towards the Digital Centre of Excellence, as are many other people all over the city. This year, we held the first Digital Health Conference and Hack, and we’re planning another one for next April. This time, we’re going to look at open source solutions in healthcare, described today by Dick Vinegar as “the future of Health IT”. We already have the excellent open source portal developed at Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust by Tony Shannon- there’s a lot more we can do with this agenda.

We also have several totally original digitally enabled health innovations going on locally- and I can’t wait to share more details with you. We’re hoping you’ll join us.

Filed under #sm4hwb, Conference, Leeds, Web 2.0 Tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

#Occhat Nov 20th- Using equipment to facilitate occupation

November 20, 2012 2 Comments


I’m in the hotseat for the #occhat Twitter discussion tonight- and it’s been a while since I was able to facilitate, so I am looking forward to it and feeling anxious about it in equal measure!

Why are we looking at equipment?

One of our core skills as OTs is the prescription of environmental adaptations including adaptive equipment, so of course, we’re always interested in gadgets and things to make life easier.

As a disabled woman, I’m very grateful for some of the equipment that has become part of my everyday life, like my mobility scooter, or my bed stick. But equipment is much broader than just the stuff you can get through your local equipment store.

I consider my eye-Pad to be one of the best bits of adaptive equipment I have. It’s a multi-functional entertainment system, so if I’m ill, I can watch TV in bed, or catch up with my friends on social networks. If I have light sensitivity, I can alter the settings to make using it more comfortable. If there is nothing for it but to keep my eyes firmly closed, I can switch to listening to radio comedy or drama. This is brilliant for keeping me entertained and distracted from the pain when I am ill!

My children are able to use the features of the tablet to pinch, select, turn and type emails to their family, using a simple email app. They also play with their Moshi Monsters, dance to films on YouTube, and draw and make videos. They can do all this with me in my bed, when I’m ill- there is no bit of kit in the equipment store that you could say that about! So a tablet computer can help me to perform the life role of “Mum”, even when I have a disability that makes some activities very difficult indeed.

Image

I know people who use Siri as speech recognition software- where they have spasm or pain in their fingers, for instance. (p.s. if you have Siri, do ask him/her “Who let the dogs out?”- it’s very funny!)

But this isn’t an advert for Apple, and yes, other tablet computers are available (my partner loves his Google Nexus). We’re thinking about equipment in it’s broadest sense, and how it enables us to perform occupations and life roles.

COT partnering with Boots

We’re also prompted to consider this topic in the light of the recent announcement by the COT of the new partnership they have developed with Boots- please see
http://www.cot.co.uk/homepage/new-partnership-puts-occupational-therapy-high-street

Do we think this promotes the benefits of OT to a wider audience?

Are there concerns related to this?

Does it help or hinder the public perception of OT to be linked so explicitly with equipment provision- after all, we do so much more?

I know you will have lots of brilliant examples of how equipment helps you to live life your way. You may also have opinions about COT partnering with Boots. To join in the conversation, please join us for our Twitter chat tonight at 8-9pm.

Just add #occhat to your tweets, so we can all see them. And do please remember your responsibilities related to your HPC registration when you Tweet.

See you there!

Filed under CPD, Healthcare Apps, Occupational Therapy, Social Media, Twitter, Uncategorized Tagged with , , , ,

Marion Janner (and Buddy) of @Starwards Interview at #COT2012

July 17, 2012 Leave a comment


Marion, described in her interview as a force of nature, explains her experiences with her own treatment under the mental Health Act led her to set up Star Wards, a way to structure and recognise excellent practice in Inpatient mental health care.

Marion is passionate about making the best of the time of staff and patients, and recognises the under-resourced nature of the service.

An interruption from the public service announcement meant we were able to bring Buddy into the conversation a little earlier than planned!

We discuss how the barriers between professionals and service users are artificial in the light of the one in four people who experience mental health issues every year.

We talk about Buddy, Marion’s Support Dog, and how invaluable he is in helping Marion to self-manage her mental health.

We also talk about the wider benefits of pet ownership for people with lived experiences of mental distress, and how Marion hopes to improve access to pets through the Star Wards programme, which recognises the priorities for Inpatients as

  • Internet Access
  • Access to pets
  • Replacing “Ward Rounds” with individual Consultant appointments.
Marion is about to launch the newest phase of the Star Wards programme, called Wardipaedia- you heard it here first!

Filed under #COT2012, Bambuser, Conditions in Mental Health, Conference, Inpatient Services, Reflection, Social Inclusion, Stigma, Video, YouTube Tagged with , , , ,

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