Education is key
The Australian Bureau of Statistics showed during 2014-2015, 63.4 per cent of Australians aged 18 years and over were overweight or obese.
Blacktown Hospital allied health and nursing staff recently attended manual handling workshops on the correct procedures and techniques for moving bariatric patients.
The increased prevalence of obesity impacts on how staff safely move and provide care to our bariatric patients.
The manual handling team consisted of nurses Jan Farrell and Clementia Yap, who is also Program co-ordinator, partnered with Occupational Therapies Julianne Gibbons and Arjohuntleigh who were delighted that more than 100 staff attended.
The sessions were hands-on with staff problem solving a real-life situation using a bariatric simulation suit.
For further manual handling information, visit goo.gl/pYT18i
