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Do you feel overwhelmed by the high stakes of managing pressure injury risks? Discover the key principles of pressure care to make an immediate, life-changing impact in your occupational therapy practice.

Episode Summary: In this episode of the How to Be a Better OT podcast, host Clare Batkin breaks down a topic guaranteed to pop up on most clinical caseloads: pressure injury risk management. While pressure care is a massive field, Clare delivers an "in a nutshell" guide covering what pressure injuries are, how to conduct thorough risk and functional assessments, how to select the right assistive technology (AT), how to deliver targeted client education and what you need to evaluate. Whether you work in a hospital or community setting, you’ll be able to apply the principles covered in this episode.

Key Takeaways:

• Pressure Injuries 101: Understand how injuries occur and about the stages of injuries, and how the simple garden hose analogy can help you explain this to clients.
• The assessment process: Learn about the standardised screening tools like the Waterlow scale, and how a PEO approach to a function-focused non-standardised assessment is essential to understand how pressure injuries may develop for your client.
• Assistive technology prescription: Hear an overview of the obvious cushion and mattress options, as well as a reminder about how other equipment also has a part to play.
• Targeted Client Education: Discover why you must never skip explaining why pressure injuries occur before asking clients to change their behaviour. Revisit the RALFEY framework to ensure you provide the right information at the right time in the right way.
• Ongoing Evaluation: Why evaluation is an ongoing clinical responsibility, not just a discharge task. Learn how to evaluate the effectiveness of your assessment process, education and assistive technology prescription using a mix of standardised and non-standardised approaches.

Links & Resources Mentioned:

• Tool / Guide: Access the international Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Injuries (available in full and quick reference formats).
• Free Webinars: Watch the collaborative webinars with Unicare Health on Beds, Pressure Care Mattresses, Commodes, and Pressure Care Myths in the Free Learning Library.
• Deep Dive: Watch the full one-hour webinar on Managing Pressure Injury Risks (featuring the step-by-step Mrs Taylor case study), plus resources on the RALFEY Client Education framework, by joining the Connector Membership.
• Advanced Learning: Access the recordings on 24-Hour Positioning and AT Outcome Measures (including the QUEST 2.0 and PIADS) in the Your OT Tutor Journal Club or get even more help in the Alliance Membership.

If you found this podcast helpful, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a fellow OT! Be sure to tune in next time when we will be shifting our focus to an essential communication skill: how to deliver an effective clinical handover.

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• Check out my FREE Learning Library full of resources and courses
• Sign-up for one-on-one or group training and support
• Book a time for a chat to see how I can help
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