Emily

Calls for submissions ...#AGILECSP

Wishing our members, followers and all older people a very happy International Older Persons day. 🎉 #internationaldayofolderpersons #IDOP #IDOP2024 @thecsp

If you've been involved in research, a Q.I. project, or a literature review that promotes equity, diversity, and belonging for older people, or reflects on the care they or their caregivers receive, we'd love to hear from you! The deadline for submissions is October 14th.

Come join our committee! There are many different ways to get involved with @AGILECSP - check out the available roles below! Get in contact to learn more 📨

Need an extra challenge for the new academic year? No previous committee experience required. We are a very friendly, welcoming group who are looking for a student representative to join our national executive committee! #OlderPeople @theCSP @thecspstudents

Very proud to have worked with you on this Richard. It’s a small step in the right direction for our incredible support workers @uniofexeHLS @UniofExeter

STUDENTS! We need you! Are you interested in working with older people? We're looking for a student representative for our committee. E-mail agile.vicechair@gmail.com for more information!

We’d love you to join us on the 17th July at 7pm for our next webinar! We’ll be listening to @AdrianVyse speaking on dementia and pain. Sign up here: tinyurl.com/DementiaAndPain

How we talk about ageing affects how we feel about ageing - @gerisoc has published a new frailty language guide, and this blog explains why we think this is important 👉 bgs.org.uk/blog/how-we-ta…

From our very own wonderfully insightful and magnificent honorary President, Prof Dolan - can't wait 🤩 @AGILECSP @BrianwDolan

Check out our YouTube channel to watch the recording of our webinar with @cspbame about ethnic health inequalities in older adults ▶️ youtube.com/watch?v=m_8dRO…

What a brilliant topic and inspiring speaker 🤩 This will be an amazing webinar, not to be missed! @AGILECSP @BrianwDolan

It's not long until the deadline to submit for our next journal! 📖 We'd love to hear about your innovative initiatives! 🤩 #Innovation #Physiotherapy #OlderPeople #Geriatrics #Wellbeing #Workforce

Calling all support workers - please complete the survey exeter.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/support-worker… Please share widely - thank you! @NHSEngland @RoyColPod @thecsp @RCSLT @theRCN @BDA_Dietitians @ParamedicsUK @SCoRMembers @rgriffinskill

8 days to go... Now's a great time to submit your article to Agility! Research, case study, literature review and reflection pieces welcome. @AGILECSP

The doctor who gave me confidence in my physiotherapy career When I eventually got a physiotherapy job in the NHS, it was via an agency as a locum physiotherapist. I was over the moon because I had been told 'no' so many times, because I had no 'UK experience'. On the other hand, I was also apprehensive. Would I be good enough? That question, 'do you have UK experience?' had left me questioning any experience I had. Well, my first & 2nd Locum placements went really well, and my next one was on the acute elderly medicine ward in one of the London NHS Trusts. I got busy doing my thing, assessing, treating patients, liaising with family members, getting & sharing updates with nursing and OT colleagues, and of course trying to keep my head down. The weekly ward round with the consultant came and so did the weekly MDT (multidisciplinary team) meeting. The truth is, I was not comfortable at all speaking in this group of people who seemed like they were so knowledgeable and so 'qualified'. Impostor syndrome anyone? I found it easier doing 1:1 conversations though. The patients were listed on a white board, each with their EDD (Estimated Discharge Date). During the MDT, the consultant geriatrician would say where they were at, and then the rest of us would also do the same. So, he gets to this patient- let's call her Mrs Smith. He says with this confidence that I was silently wishing I could have a tiny portion of.... "Mrs Smith has progressed really well, the infection has now cleared, I am happy for her to be discharged. This is obviously dependent on what the physiotherapist has to say." Now, all eyes turn to look at me. Remember, my preference to keep my head down? Yea. My throat went dry, then my tongue got stuck, and at the right moment, in a calm, patient and reassuring tone, the consultant added, "how is Mrs Smith getting on with her rehabilitation?" "Her mobility has improved", I said finally. She can now mobilise with a frame independently. The only thing is that she has stairs at home. I completed the stair assessment yesterday, and she needs a bit more practice." Phew! I had managed to say something without collapsing, and coherently at that. "That's great news." the consultant said. "So, roughly how many more days do you think you need to work with her?" "One or two days should be enough", I responded. "Okay. Let's change her EDD from 20th to 22nd." Now, how I managed to keep my eyes from popping wide open with surprise, I will never know! The level of confusion in my brain was 'up there'! Like.... did I just say that a patient was not safe for discharge and I got listened to? By a Consultant Geriatrician? No way!!! You see, I was coming from a healthcare system in another country where consultants, and doctors in general were like gods. Okay, let's rephrase that. It was most doctors. I had not seen them consult physiotherapists when it came to discharge. I remember as a student, while on clinical placement, I went with the senior physiotherapist in charge of that ward to review a patient. We had seen him together the day before, and had planned to come back to continue our treatment plan the next day. On reaching there, we saw a different patient in the same bed. Wondering whether the patient had been transferred to another ward, we looked around for the ward nurse. It turned out that the patient had been discharged home! I could see that the senior physiotherapist was not happy, but he didn't say anything. It bothered me, because this physiotherapists was very experienced. For the patient to be discharged without him being notified, like... did the doctor even read the physiotherapist's entry to see what the plan had been? This was not an isolated incident unfortunately. So, on this acute elderly medicine ward, when the consultant agreed to have the EDD extended, I don't even know how to put it! That day, I walked around the ward like I was someone! You know what I mean? Like, I was valued! Like, I had a voice! And my voice mattered! I was a professional! An equal (in my own right). A colleague! I walked around the ward with my head held high like I had never done before. I felt so tall! It's on that same day that my feelings of my profession not being important enough, the feeling of constantly desiring to still go back to university and train to be a doctor, started to dissipate. A physiotherapist was a valued MDT member! You see, there are a few of us whose original dream was to study medicine. However, for one reason or another, we didn't get the grades for it. That would leave one feeling like a failure. Colleagues from certain countries understand what I am talking about. Some of our relatives know only a few professions, and if you don't get into one of those, they don't stop reminding you about your being a disappointment. I used to spend lots of time on the internet, reading up on medicine degree programmes and trying to figure out how to get onto them. Mind you, I would have been classed as an international student in the UK for fees purposes & and the fees ranged from £12,000 - £30,000 per year for international students then. That was about 15 years ago. Currently it is around £35,000 - £70,000 per year (as per the quick google search I just did). I know a good number of physiotherapists whom I went to physio school with, who eventually went back to university and pursued a degree in medicine. They are now medical doctors. I admire them for that. What I can say though is that I am grateful to that consultant for valuing my input as a physiotherapist, and for making me (and others) feel seen, heard & appreciated. I am grateful for all the doctors who value the work of other professionals and treat us all like we matter. One would say, "that's how it should be!" However, that's not how it is in some countries, some healthcare systems, some wards, and some individuals' minds. Working as a team optimises patient outcomes. Today, I am a proud physiotherapist, specialising in healthcare of older people, and that consultant geriatrician had something to do with it. Just thought I'd share. Happy #NationalDoctorsDay to the amazing doctors out there. It's great working with you as part of the multidisciplinary team. #AHPs @AGILECSP @gmcuk @thecsp @theRCOT @WeAHPs

How about making the most of a long weekend to put together your submission for the next edition of Agility? @AGILECSP

And a fab and informative #Keynote it was too! #AgeingAsAdventure #CreativeAgeing

Superb presentations from Bill Randall on ageing, adventure, and narrative: @erbradfield on her great work in establishing @BSGcreativeSIG: and @melanie_lovatt on ageing, the future, and forum theatre

Have you ever considered submitting a piece for a journal? Check out the journal theme for Agility Summer 2024!