Susanna Keenan OT
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In this blog, Susanna Keenan, occupational therapist and Joanna Gilmore, student occupational therapist at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, explain what their role involves and the important part occupational therapists play in patient safety. -
Community PostHello! Patients with dementia or inattention (e.g. following stroke) can struggle to remember to use a walking aid prescribed by physiotherapists to enable safe mobility. This can result in increased falls, as patients mobilise without their aids. A simple solution is to provide a red walking aid; the colour contrasts with the surroundings and draws the patient’s attention to the aid, prompting them to use it for mobilising. There are no articles on this, possibly as it is hard to prove a causal link between red frames and reduced falls? I am looking for evidence (subjective or objective) for the use of red walking aids to increase patient's independent use of aid, and reduce falls in patients with dementia. I hope to promote the prescription of these within my trust, wherein they are currently classed as a special order, but I also want to spread the word as none of my colleagues had heard of them! Many thanks, Susanna
