Protecting and Optimising Function

Alongside our Consultants, Dr Philip McCluskie and Dr Kudret Yelden, offering a comprehensive assessment of a person’s needs to establish a management and treatment plan, which may include;

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Medical team

• a review of their medication
• possibility of Botulinum Toxin injections alongside bespoke splinting for spasticity
• recommendation for therapy from one or more of the therapy team
• a review of the person’s seating needs
• a referral for Orthotics

Postural care and seating

People who have complex disabilities arising from severe and profound impairment, usually of neurological origin, are at risk of developing complications secondary to their reduced ability to move themselves.

By managing a person’s physical needs effectively their body shape can be protected and their function, comfort and quality of life enhanced. We offer training, guidance and support on a variety of services ranging from bed positioning supports to wheelchair skills and beyond.

The body is a soft structure and spending long periods of time in unsupported postures can cause the body to distort, flatten, bend and twist as it is compressed by gravity’s forces.

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Freedom Wheelchair Skills provides training to enable wheelchair users to achieve maximum use from their wheelchairs.

Training improves efficiency and effectiveness to protect shoulders, which are particularly vulnerable to strain, and make the wheelchair do the work.

Having a good pushing technique can help save energy enabling the user go further for longer, safely and confidently and to be able to overcome environmental challenges that could be faced on a daily basis including kerbs, slopes and undulating terrain.

An assessment is conducted before each training session to determine individual function and abilities which could support or hinder the training. Advice and signposting is provided for any individual needs that might impede training.

Nutrition

Good nutrition is the cornerstone to both the prevention and treatment of many illnesses and diseases. Food plays an important role in both health and disease.

We need a variety of foods to ensure our bodies get the right mix of nutrients it needs to function effectively. Eating a healthy balanced diet is essential to providing our bodies with energy (calories), protein, vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients which can help optimise our health and improve our general well-being.

A healthy, balanced diet can, reduce our risk of some health conditions including stroke, heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.

Some health conditions may require increasing your energy and protein intake and other conditions may require that you reduce these nutrients accordingly.

View the profile of Milestones dietitian, Fredrica Windless by clicking here.

Wound care

Many patients have complex wounds which require expert analysis and by using the latest tried and tested technologies the exact cause of the wound can be determined to enable an effective pathway to be devised to improve and reduce the symptoms, such as pain, soreness and odour.

Education and training

Supporting people, their families, carers and / or support workers to manage the person’s health needs and well-being, through the development and application of their knowledge and skills in everyday life situations, helping to ensure their quality of life is the best it can be.