Scenario
A mother contacted Silvalea to see if there was anything we could create to help prevent her from having to hold her daughter’s clothing when they were walking or transferring.
Although her daughter was able to walk independently, she could stumble at times and mum would have to hold and grab at her clothing and limbs to steady her and prevent her from tripping over and falling.
Mum requested that the product that would ‘blend’ like a piece of clothing and not look like a medical product. It would also need to have strategically placed handles incorporated to avoid having to actually physically touch her daughter.
Development
The Silvalea research and development team set about designing the product and developed a lightweight waistcoat-style jacket with a concealed zip-up front and side zips.
The addition of the side zips allowed the jacket to expand, providing extra room when outer clothing is worn underneath. This feature ensured comfort and flexibility in various weather conditions.
Soft guide handles were strategically positioned on the outside of the jacket, enabling any carer to offer postural support when needed. These handles allowed for gentle assistance without the need to grab or hold the child’s clothing or limbs, maintaining the dignity and comfort of the wearer while providing the necessary support to prevent falls or stumbles.
Success
The Walk Assist was developed and has become a valuable addition to the Silvalea product range. You can view this product by clicking here.
The Walk Assist has been successfully used in various healthcare and residential settings. It has also proven helpful in assisting and steadying those who use a walking stick or frame.
Testimonial
“The walk assist jacket has been extremely useful as a replacement to the somewhat flawed manual handling belt. For those service users who are more unsteady on their feet, it makes complete sense for the support worker to have 2 points of contact rather than one. It has been particularly useful for those service users who are either tall or ‘top heavy’. It has given a new lease of life to a number of people I have worked with, as well as increasing the confidence of support workers who are assisting people to be mobile.” – Specialist Physiotherapist, NHS
