Parents will be fully supported when watching the training video by their physiotherapist or occupational therapist, due to the hard hitting message the video delivers.
The video, aimed at parents and carers, includes why postural management is so important, as well as highlighting some of the potential health complications if a child’s body shape is not protected.
Postural Management describes the 24-hour physical management of a child who has a physical disability and limited independent movement; it’s therefore all about protecting the child’s body shape. Children who find it difficult to move, for example those with multiple disabilities – are most at risk of developing body shape distortions i.e. hip dislocations and twisting of the spine. This is because they sit and lie in limited positions and lack the ability to move freely and achieve a straight position.
Katie Clements, Specialist Children’s Physiotherapist at LCHS said; “If we help parents learn to understand why certain postures are distorting their child’s body, we can support them to correct it. Postural care is about using the right equipment and positioning techniques throughout the day and night to help protect the child’s body shape. The earlier the intervention the better – but it’s never too late to start.”
The video also follows the story of Lillyanne Harley, who after the successful use of a 24hr postural management programme has made significant progress. Lillyanne’s Mum, Sally Harley features in the video, and speaks candidly about the daily challenges she has faced managing Lillyanne’s condition, and the positive affect her day and night time positioning equipment has had. “I was very pleased to be asked to be in the video and to share our experiences around 24 hour postural management. I really feel that this video will be beneficial to other families with children with complex needs so that they fully understand how vital postural management is for their child’s long term health.”
The video will be used as a tool by the Children’s Therapy Team to help inform and support families to make informed decisions about their child’s postural management, so that they can become experts in their care.