On Monday 24th August, Unicare Health participated in the “Achieving the Right Fit with Bariatric Equipment” workshop coordinated by Julie MacRae of Safe Actions, with Malene Alexandrowiz from Denmark as international guest speaker.
The workshop addressed the growing concern within the healthcare industry of meeting the care needs of people who are overweight and obese – safely and with dignity. Up to sixty percent of Australian adults are either overweight or obese and this is having an impact within care environments, particularly in relation to manual tasks. Obesity is not as simple as an “energy in: energy out” equation, there are in fact a myriad of issues that contribute to obesity. An understanding of weight bias, communication strategies and equipment selection, through to supporting and encouraging behaviour change will allow carers and wider community members to support the public education campaigns addressing one of the major health issues in Australia.
At Unicare Health we recognize that clients who are overweight and obese have a right to safe, dignified care, and likewise carers have the right to a safe working environment. Contrary to the widespread perception among carers that bariatric care is physically and psychologically demanding, Unicare Health’s extensive bariatric product range demonstrates that safe, optimum solutions for bariatric care are readily available.
We understand that the demand for bariatric care solutions is increasing and we are committed to remaining best in class by providing equipment with higher safe working loads, wider seat width options, and tilt and recline where feasible. Our products are constantly undergoing research and development in partnership with our suppliers to incorporate reinforced construction materials into our product design. All equipment is rigorously tested to Australian Standards and designed with the individual in mind.