Launch of the Postural Care Strategy for Scotland - Your Posture Matters
June saw the launch of ‘Your Posture Matters’ in collaboration with Promoting a More Inclusive Society (PAMIS).
It is including
- a strategy with guiding ambitions and recommendations
- a learning framework to support educational development
- a suite of resources in the form of promotional booklets and posters to support greater understanding of protecting people’s posture
‘Your Posture Matters’ is the culmination of 4 years working alongside carers and health practitioners across Scotland.
The strategy puts people with movement difficulties at the centre of their postural care plan and ensures that they are getting the right information, support and equipment at the right time to protect their posture.
When someone has a movement difficulty caused by an injury, disability or age it becomes more difficult to freely adjust their position. Their body will move in less symmetrical movement patterns leading to a weakness and asymmetry of different parts of the body.
It is important to understand 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:
- difficulties with breathing, eating and drinking
- experience of pain
- and high risk of pressure care are just some of the complications
‘Your Posture Matters’ 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.
Michelle Morrison, PAMIS lead for Postural Care
“We are all told to look after our postures, especially when sitting on our laptops or mobile phones due to associated back, neck and shoulder pain however, for people with movement difficulties, looking after posture can be truly life sustaining.
There are so many people who support someone with movement difficulties but don’t necessarily understand the impact good postural care can have on the quality of someone’s life.
PAMIS have been privileged to be involved in the development of Your Posture Matters, bringing equity of education and support to the workforce supporting people with movement difficulties.”
Parent carer Kate Jordan who cares for her daughter Kara, 25, who lives with quadriplegic cerebral palsy.
“Embracing good postural care has been life changing for our daughter Kara, and I truly believe lifesaving too.
She requires 24/7 care and is totally wheelchair dependent experiencing chronic pain. By implementing good postural care and positioning, her pain medication hasn't been increased in three years and her posture greatly improves her respiratory function which in turn improves her quality of life tremendously.
In 2018 she had a very bad year health wise and after four long stay hospital admissions she needed 24hr oxygen support and we were told when we left hospital in November that she wouldn't see Christmas, she did and is still happy and enjoying her life and we believe good postural care has helped this happen.
We welcome the launch of Your Posture Matters and the increased awareness of the positive impact of postural care, especially for those who provide care to people with movement difficulties.”
Pauline Beirne, Principle Educator NHS Education for Scotland and National Lead AHP CYP Scottish Government
“Being part of the development of this strategy in collaboration with and led by the people it is for, has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my working life.
It is critical now that everyone living with body shape challenges and those whose work focuses on supporting children and adults with these challenges, hears about this strategy and the training framework which goes with it.
Understanding the potential for this strategy to change long term health and wellbeing outcomes in real ways is so important.”
June, 29 2021