Blog - Positive Positioning

03Mar 2022 by Gill

Positive Points: Equity in care

General

When I started out in Physiotherapy, I thought that it was all about the physical treatment of patients. As an undergraduate I did an assignment on the Black Report – about socioeconomic status and health and how they seem to correlate; those who are better off generally have better health. I therefore had an understanding that there are inequalities in health but didn’t relate it directly to physiotherapy practice. I thought it was the role of managers and policy makers to influence public health. The more I have practiced the more I realise that inequalities exist in all areas of health care and that, as physiotherapists, we have a duty to treat all people equitably and this does not mean that everyone is treated the same. It means they all…

21Jan 2022 by Gill

Positive Points: Active Travel

General

Have you ever stopped to think about how often you use your car for short journeys? Maybe to get to a place of work, collect shopping, transport the children to/from activities or school. Do you know anyone with a lung condition? Maybe asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis, cancer etc. Do you know what the air quality is like near your home/place of work? Have you ever stopped to think about the links between unhealthy lifestyles, including lack of exercise and the impact of human behaviour on our planet? COP26 in Glasgow last year was designed to bring countries together to work towards a better, more healthy, future for our planet and for us. A group of health professionals cycled from London to Glasgow to highlight the link between healthy lifestyle…

08Nov 2021 by Gill

Online Manual Handling Training – not as good as tailored

Manual Handling

The rise in the use of on-line manual handling training may not be as useful in reducing risk as employers think. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in their report in 2018 suggested there was “little evidence that ‘off-the-shelf’ manual handling training, based on handling techniques, was effective”. https://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/reports/ara-2017-18.pdf Instead they recommend employers think more critically about the working practices and engineer changes to the working practice. They also reinforce the need for any training to be tailored to the tasks the workers carry out in their daily duties. This should include tasks, equipment and the environment in that daily practice. Training can be an important factor in reducing risk in manual handling but won’t maintain safety on its own. In accordance with the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 hazardous…

07Sep 2021 by Gill

Positive Points: Stroke Rehabilitation

General

Around 50% of the 11,000 people in England who have a stroke each year needs ongoing care and support with their daily lives afterwards. Balance problems, in particular, are common. Rehabilitation aims to help people regain function and independence. It is often thought that after a stroke the greatest potential for recovery and improvement is within the first few months. It was interesting to read a high quality review recently which challenges this and shows that task specific exercise therapy can improve balance long after the original stroke. Good balance is essential for efficient walking and many activities of daily living, and these help to live a more independent life. Stroke survivors often experience decreased confidence and quality of life after leaving hospital. Good balance is likely to reduce falls…

07Jun 2021 by Gill

Positive Points: The Customer Experience

General

Following a few experiences both good and bad recently I was thinking about how the experience makes you feel towards the company. As I sit here, I am (yet again) waiting for British Gas to turn up. The thought process started when our hot water tank deposited its contents through the floor and the light fitting below. As a British Gas Home Care customer, we thought we had 24/7 cover as per their advert. To start with they did not have a phone number and all communication was online with a robot, an engineer was booked for 12 – 18:00 that day. An engineer eventually turned up at 23:30. We had found a phone number and again it was only communicating with an automated system where you could change or…

Demi, Oldham

"The service I have received from Gill has been amazing. She is a very knowledgeable person and very caring and wants only best for the person she is helping. She shows compassion and strives to help improve a persons quality of life. I would highly recommend as she is brilliant at the job she does!"

Neil Stirk

I've been working with Positive Positioning for circa 4 years now to improve my physical and general wellbeing and I highly recommend their services. I reached the stage where I desperately needed help, although I was initially very weary as previous errors in my treatment by other medical professionals led to my conditions worsening, I was immediately put at ease on meeting Gill.

She spoke to me with professionalism, was genuinely interested in my problems, and more importantly, treated me like the person I am, not just a patient. During this conversation, seemingly little things had been picked up on, even without physical examination, such as my pelvic positioning, that was contributing to my pain. Gill contacted the relevant ppl to get my wheelchair adjusted to sort this problem and it made a massive difference. It was this expertise and eye for detail that was used to improve many areas of my life, often with only small adjustments turning out to be life changing.

When products from external companies were required to improve my conditions, Gill and Positive Positioning were on hand to liaise and attend appointments with suppliers, to ensure the correct equipment was supplied for my needs and prevent me from becoming a victim of the 'hard sell'. Gill and Positive Positioning are always willing to go the extra mile to help out and with my issues being degenerative, it is great to know I can contact them when needed and be confident I will receive the help required.

Coincidentally, I undergo hydrotherapy on a regular basis, where I see Gill and many of her other clients, and the working relationship, and humour that accompanies it, which means so much to me, is apparent with all under her care. I would like to thank Gill and her team for all the support I have received so far and am confident I will continue to receive the help I need in the future. Thank you Positive Positioning.

Caroline Poskitt

"Thank you so much for making a difference to our clients wellbeing. I Can honestly say that I have noticed a difference in the last two weeks, not only the service users looking and acting more healthy but our staff are in high spirits and getting a lot out of your sessions. You have really made a difference for the better and we look forward to the future of helping more of our clients to achieve a higher level of fitness and more durability in their joints."
Deputy Manager, Mental Health & Physical Impairment, Leeds Adult Social Care

Ian, Leeds

"Following a stroke in Nov 2012 which resulted in the loss of use of my left side, I had the statutory ten weeks NHS physio. Not wanting to regress, I went on-line to find a neuro physio. Gill had excellent reviews and has worked with me now for seventeen months with great improvement in my ability. Gill also helped to obtain a stand aid which has been a great bonus. I strongly recommend Gill Arnett as an excellent and very friendly professional."

Chris Wainmann, LLB

"Gill is very approachable and immediately gives you the confidence to know that any problem with posture will be solved. Having Cerebral Palsy and therefore sitting in a powered wheelchair all the time, I was constantly leaning to one side. Gill visited me at home, did a thorough assessment and concluded that my pelvis needed more support. I now have a specially designed and purpose made pressure cushion. I sit more evenly which means more comfortably and I also have much less of a problem with pressure sores. Gill is happy to come back in the future and check that all is well. I have no hesitation in recommending her to anyone with a posture problem. She has made such a difference to my life."

MS of Leeds 2016

"When Louise Haigh (Stroke Co-ordinator) visited me she recommended Positive Positioning for some neuro-physiotherapy. I spoke to Gill who was very helpful, and then to Jan, who said the treatment would be in my own home — this made all the difference to me. And what a difference it has all made!

From the start Jan has been professional, efficient, friendly, encouraging and totally reliable. For ages I felt ‘in limbo’, but having a plan of action led to motivation to do the exercises which were hard, but I persevered, and was encouraged to realise I was improving. I was ‘stretched’ by an increase in repetitions, more exercises, less support. We talked about other things happening in my life, and worked on holistic coping strategies. I feel my confidence has improved and to a large extent have ‘got my life back’. My posture has certainly improved: friends have commented on it.

It doesn’t all come to a sudden halt after the visits. I'm working on my ‘maintenance programme’ of daily exercises to keep up the work Jan started. I'll be forever grateful for Jan’s amazing teaching, reasoning, good communication, wide knowledge of physiotherapy applied to my situation - all with her positive outlook."

E in Normanton

"I always have a fantastic experience at my physiotherapy sessions. I've had sessions with my therapists Gill and Jan for many months now. They are knowledgeable and took the time to understand and be attentive to my needs. I have always felt at ease with them, supported and encouraged throughout my treatment, and I am steadily making progress with them. They will ensure they work you hard to challenge you and get the most out of the time during the sessions. Thanks to their expertise, I've regained some mobility and confidence in my body. I highly recommend their services to anyone seeking top-notch physiotherapy care!"