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Postural care

Postural care is using the right equipment and positioning techniques to help protect and restore body shapes.

What is postural care?

Postural care is about using the right equipment and positioning techniques to help protect and restore body shape.

We've put together a playlist of videos which explain postural care.

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People who find it hard to move are most at risk of developing body shape distortions. This is because they often sit and lie in limited positions. 

To avoid that risk delivering the right postural care is vital.

The earlier the intervention, the better - but it's never too late to start protecting someone's body shape.

Mencap want:

  • to challenge the assumption that distortion of body shape is inevitable for people with learning disabilities
  • all people with multiple disabilities (PWMD) to get the support they need to protect their shape, 24 hours a day.

Learn about postural care

Health and social care professionals and family carers and supporters can learn more about postural care from the government website .

Three support workers are helping a woman in a wheelchair get onto a ramp to get into a mini van
Questions and answers about pastoral care

Postural care is using the right equipment and positioning techniques to help protect and restore peoples body shapes.

For people with limited movement, not getting the correct postural care results in them adopting their own preferred way of sleeping or sitting which, in time, will result in them not being able to move out of that position.

This can lead to a deterioration in their body shape, resulting in health problems and pain, as well as increased equipment and dependence needs.

 

The Postural Care Action Group are a group of organisations and individuals working to raise awareness about the importance of protecting body shape.

Organisations are:

  • The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP)
  • The College of Occupational Therapists (COT)
  • Inclusion North
  • Mencap
  • PAMIS
  • Partners in Policymaking
  • Postural Care Skills
  • Potential Futures
  • The Royal College of Nursing (RCN)
  • Simple Stuff Works
  • University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN)

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