Manual Handling in Aged Care: Impact of Environment-related Interventions on Mobility

The manual handling of people (MHP) is known to be associated with high incidence of musculoskeletal disorders for aged care staff. Environment-related MHP interventions, such as appropriate seated heights to aid sit-to-stand transfers, can reduce staff injury while improving the patient\u27s mobility. Promoting patient mobility within the manual handling interaction is an endorsed MHP risk control intervention strategy. This article provides a narrative review of the types of MHP environmental controls that can improve mobility, as well as the extent to which these environmental controls are considered in MHP risk management and assessment tools. Although a range of possible environmental interventions exist, current tools only consider these in a limited manner. Development of an assessment tool that more comprehensively covers environmental strategies in MHP risk management could help reduce staff injury and improve resident mobility through auditing existing practices and guiding the design of new and refurbished aged care facilities

Optimizing aged care environments to promote resident functional mobility and reduce staff injury risk

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the suitability and usability of the Pro-Mobility patient/person handling assessment tool (ProMob) within residential aged care. Physiological changes associated with ageing influence an older person’s ability to perform functional mobility tasks such as transferring from furniture and walking. Strategies that improve capability and/or reduce the physical demands of the task have the potential to promote an older person’s mobility, independence and wellbeing. Environment-related strategies in Manual Handling of People (MHP), such as optimum seated heights, in part address this challenge, as they can promote resident functional mobility while also protecting staff from injury. The ProMob tool was developed to address this issue through systematic evaluation of these environmental factors.Methods: The participants in this study were seven (7) residential aged care facilities (RACFs) operated by a not-for-profit aged care organization. A qualified assessor evaluated MHP risk management with the ProMob tool at each RACF through collection of data for a random sample of residents (n = 67) regarding their living environments and available mobility information. Data was transferred to an SPSS-22 statistical software database for analysis which involved descriptive statistics and cross tabulations.Results: Application of the ProMob tool provided effective quantification of the nature and extent of environment-related MHP interventions that may influence resident mobility. Areas for improvement with MHP risk management were identified, with variation evident across RACF’s within the same organisation, which was not consistent with levels of care (e.g., lack of clear space to facilitate mobility). Low level care facilities were observed to have fewer adaptive environmental features that could potentially slow decline in independence.Discussion: Features of the aged care environment can be used to facilitate the functional mobility of aged care residents, and simultaneously reduce injury risk for staff in MHP interactions. The ProMob tool can be used for auditing care facilities, planning re-development, and continual improvement in provision of care and management of staff injury risk exposure

Maximising mobility and minimising injury risk in aged care: Indexing environment related manual handling of people (MHP) risk controls that may influence patient mobility.

The manual handling of people (MHP) is a core activity for care workers in residential aged care, and is known to be associated with high incidence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Promoting patient mobility within the manual handling (MH) interaction is an endorsed MHP risk control intervention strategy that should reduce risk exposure for staff, and may also benefit the patient through increased independence and autonomy. However, while staff MHP intervention outcomes, have been extensively investigated, evidence of the impact on patient outcomes, including mobility, is limited. This project investigated the nature and extent of environment-related MHP interventions that may influence patient mobility outcomes through review of the literature, trial of an existing patient-handling (PH) assessment tool, and subsequent development of the Pro-Mobility Patient/Person Handling Assessment Tool or Pro-Mob for this specific purpose. This involved application of mixed research methods:• An existing PH assessment tool (Movement and Assistance of Hospital Patients Index or MAPO Index) and an ICF (International Classification of Functioning, Disability & Health)-based questionnaire (Study 1) were pilot tested and found to be inappropriate for this project’s purpose.• The Pro-Mobility Patient/Person Handling Assessment Tool or Pro-Mob was developed, based on existing PH assessment tools, MHP guidance publications and related research. Preliminary testing (Study 2) in 11 Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) provided information regarding environment-related MHP interventions not previously available. • The Pro-Mob tool was assessed for content validity by experts in a modified Delphi study (Study 3) and refined.• Field-testing of the revised Pro-Mob tool in seven (7) RACFs (Study 4A), and a survey of care staff knowledge and understanding of environment-related MHP interventions at these RACFs (Study 4B), supported suitability and usability of the instrument.This investigation provided evidence of inconsistencies regarding the nature and extent of environment-related MHP interventions that may influence patient mobility, within and between RACFs. This unique focus of the Pro-Mob tool, as compared to existing PH assessment tools identified, could inform MHP intervention outcomes for the patient. The tool could potentially be applied in RACFs to: assess environment-related MHP interventions; evaluate MHP interventions pre- and post-implementation; identify staff training needs; compare practices within and between RACFs; and inform Aged Care Accreditation Standards. Further validation testing of the Pro-Mob tool is required

Manual Handling in Aged Care: Impact of Environment-related Interventions on Mobility

The manual handling of people (MHP) is known to be associated with high incidence of musculoskeletal disorders for aged care staff. Environment-related MHP interventions, such as appropriate seated heights to aid sit-to-stand transfers, can reduce staff injury while improving the patient's mobility. Promoting patient mobility within the manual handling interaction is an endorsed MHP risk control intervention strategy. This article provides a narrative review of the types of MHP environmental controls that can improve mobility, as well as the extent to which these environmental controls are considered in MHP risk management and assessment tools. Although a range of possible environmental interventions exist, current tools only consider these in a limited manner. Development of an assessment tool that more comprehensively covers environmental strategies in MHP risk management could help reduce staff injury and improve resident mobility through auditing existing practices and guiding the design of new and refurbished aged care facilities. Keywords: Activities of daily living, Assistive technology, Manual handling of people, Residential aged care, Role of the environment in the manual handling of peopl

Is teaching work? A heuristic study of the views of teachers

BACKGROUND: Teachers can be at risk of exposure to psychosocial hazards. Improving workplace safety for teachers, within a \u27systems thinking\u27 context, should begin with understanding the work. OBJECTIVE: While much is known about what teachers do, little is known about how teachers conceptualize \u27work\u27. Knowing how teachers conceptualize \u27work\u27 provides a reference point for exploring attitudes towards work health and safety. METHODS: The paper presents a review of the literature, an overview of heuristic methodology describing and interpreting the lived experience of teachers as workers, and analysis of teachers\u27 accounts of work. The heuristic approach allowed the author to compare their lived experiences and perceptions as a teacher with the lived experience of teachers in the NSW school system. RESULTS: Teaching is work that is both rewarding and hazardous. It is argued that teachers draw on battle motifs, perceive a need for safety within a workplace context, and have an ability to conduct personal risk assessments. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from the study provided direction for the second phase of the project that is aimed at exploring the ways in which teachers conceptualize psychosocial work- related hazards and the extent to which they are visible in teaching practice and policy

The physical work environment and sleep: a latent class analysis

: To investigate the relationships between the physical work environment and sleep using a person-centered approach. Methods: A total of 542 Australian employees aged 18 to 60 years completed a survey assessing exposure to physical work environment stressors (eg, noise, poor air quality, and hazardous manual tasks), sleep timing and sleep quality, and relevant covariates. Results: Latent class analysis (LCA) revealed three physical work environment classes: Infrequent exposure (51%); Occasional Exposure (31%); and Regular Exposure (18%). LCA also identified four sleep classes: Larks (24%); Typical sleep (43%); Insufficient sleep (20%); and Owls (13%). The Regular Exposure class was significantly associated with the Insufficient Sleep (odds ratio [OR] ¼ 3.15, [1.29, 7.66]) and Owls (OR¼ 3.47 [1.24, 9.71]) classes. Conclusions: The person-centered approach provides important insights into how unique physical work environment experiences are linked with sleep

Musculoskeletal disorders in aged care workers: a systematic review of contributing factors and interventions

Background There is limited evidence on contributing factors and effective interventions for musculoskeletal injuries in aged care workers. Purpose To systematically review the factors that contribute to musculoskeletal disorder risk amongst workers in the aged care industry, and to undertake a qualitative comparison of the interventions designed and implemented to prevent injury within this workforce. Methods A systematic review of the literature was conducted in Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest, Medline, and PubMed. Relevant grey literature was also examined. Articles that reported factors that contribute to musculoskeletal injuries, or interventions to prevent and manage musculoskeletal injuries in residential aged care workers were included. Findings Of the 864 articles and 35 grey literature publications found, 63 and 29 were included in the review respectively. Results indicate that physical factors such as manual handling of people, use of assistive devices, and physical work environment are most commonly associated with musculoskeletal disorders in this population. Limited evidence of organisational and psychosocial factors considered staffing issues, work schedules, and violence. The heavy emphasis on physical factors is echoed in the grey literature in relevant guidance material and codes of practice focused on assessment and control of risks. There was limited evidence for interventions specific to aged care; existing evidence focused on equipment, training and education, policy and procedure. Interventions incorporating a combination of approaches, such as equipment and training, showed promise while preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of participatory approaches are positive. Discussion Interventions which address multiple types of contributing factors are needed to adequately prevent musculoskeletal injuries in aged care workers

Smartphone Addiction Prevalence and Its Association on Academic Performance, Physical Health, and Mental Well-Being among University Students in Umm Al-Qura University (UQU), Saudi Arabia

Smartphone use can lead to smartphone addiction, which is a growing concern worldwide. However, there are limited studies about smartphone addiction and its impacts on university students in Saudi Arabia. This study aims to fill this gap. This is a quantitative study conducted among undergraduate students in Umm Al-Qura University (UQU), Saudi Arabia from May 2019 and February 2021. Study data were collected using both online and hard copy administered surveys. A self-administered questionnaire, Grade point average, Smartphone Addiction Short Version, and Kessler Psychological Distress scales were used to assess the outcomes. A total of 545 undergraduate students, mostly females, aged ≤21 years old and lived with large family sizes. More than half owned a smartphone for 5–8 years and the majority used their smartphone on average 6–11 h per day for social networking (82.6%), entertainment (66.2%) and web surfing (59.6%). Most of the participants were smartphone-addicted (67.0%). Logistic regression analysis showed that age ≤ 21, not gainfully employed, small family size and high family income were the main significant socio-demographic predictors of smartphone addiction. Smartphone-addicted participants were more likely to: have lower academic performance (GPA); be physically inactive; have poor sleep; be overweight/obese; have pain in their shoulder (39.2%), eyes (62.2%) and neck (67.7%) and have a serious mental illness (30.7%). This finding has significant implications for decision makers and suggests that smartphone education focusing on the physical and mental health consequences of smartphone addiction among university students can be beneficial