Performing a mobility screen prior to moving or transferring a client is a useful risk control to minimise risk of injury to carers and clients.
WHY
People handling tasks are hazardous and many carers and nurses working in aged care and disability services have experienced musculoskeletal injury as a result. In 2019 a group of stakeholders from industry, unions, WH&S and rehabilitation came together to discuss the issues which continue to give rise to high rates of work-related injury in aged care. They noted that people handling remains a hazardous manual task, despite the well-established use of mechanical aides. It was hypothesised that improving the skills and knowledge among non-clinical staff (carers and support workers) to conduct a mobility screen may lead to imrpoved choice of people handling techniques and lowered injury risk.
WHAT
In 2020, with funding from Workcover Queensland, Back on Track commenced industry consultation and development of a process to screen for changes in mobility. A screening tool and training was developed in collaboration with nurses, carers and subject matter experts The method built on the screening tests developed by Queensland Health in the early 2000s. The training videos have since been refined and embedded into practice at Wesley Mission Queensland, CPL, Churches of Christ, Darling Downs HHS and Multicultural Communities Gold Coast.
Functional Mobility Screening supports workers to make sensible operational decisions when faced with a variance. It empowers workers to make a temporary change in the care plan and avoids proceeding with ‘business as usual’ and adhering to the care plan when circumstances have clearly changed.
This screening method does not replace allied health mobility assessment.
OUTCOMES
Outcomes from projects 2021 – 2022 include:
- Staff perceived that Mobility Screening reduces their risk of injury from hazardous people handling tasks (100% agreement) and resident risk of injury as well (100% agreement).
- Staff were satisfied with the training they received (97%) however confidence in mobility screening declined over time down to 88% from an initial 96% confidence.
- No significant change in workplace or other stressors. This is not surprising given the many sources of stress workers experience, however the program was successful in increasing job control which is a known protective factor.
- Over time there was a reduction in perceived effectiveness of Mobility Screening to reduce staff exposure to aggression or violence from 87% to 73%. Nevertheless, the perceived usefulness remains high.
- There was a reduction in reported musculoskeletal discomfort, from 56 to 45%.
- There was reduction in reported incidents of resident aggression, from 80% to down to 73%.
With thanks to WorkCover Queensland, feel free to use and share the videos.