Podcast Episode 60: The role of the Occupational Therapist

We welcome two new speakers, Ruth Yeoell and Susan McGloin who currently work for 3M one the Lindsay Leg Club Foundation Industry Partners. Ruth and Susan both have vast experience in vascular nursing, they are discussing the role of the clinical specialist in industry. Part of their roles are in increasing clinicians’ confidence in wound care scenarios and how both industry and clinicians learn from each other.

Dr Anna Galazka, a lecturer in Management, Employment and Organisation Section, Cardiff Business School. Anna talks through findings from her post-doctoral research in which she observed the practice of 'social values creation' within Leg Clubs.

Dr Abdul Seckam from Cardiff Metropolitan University and Dr Anna Galazka from Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK, will talk about their experiences of conducting qualitative research in the Leg Clubs®.

We welcome a new speaker, James Duchatel who is a Dietitian, having graduated from The University of Newcastle with a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics (Hons) in 2016. James currently works as a clinical dietitian in the hospital sector in Sydney Australia, also working within his own private practice ‘Absolute Nutrition au’, providing nutritional care for those recently discharged from hospital who require ongoing nutritional support at home. Along with clinical nutrition he also has a keen interest in sports nutrition. In this podcast James covers the significance of nutrition and wound healing, outlining the individuals with wounds and how they may be nutritionally compromised or complications may arise.

Leg Clubs have paved the way in developing a psychosocial model of holistic wound care based on empathy, education, social and peer support, empowering the whole person through social interaction as part of the therapeutic journey. Leg Clubs see people with wounds and people with healthy legs requesting assessment. Once someone has been registered at a Leg Club, they are members for life, in either the Treatment Regime (receiving treatment) or the Well Leg Regime (receiving advice and preventative maintenance and a broad scale of education and health promotion). The ‘Well Leg’ programme at the Leg Club is an integral part of the social model and is aimed at the members’ (patients) mental and physical well-being, health education, advice, maintenance and prevention of further leg-related problem once an ulcer has healed. Members that have healed and wish to remain healed at- tend on a regular three / six monthly basis for a full reassessment, sup- port and advice. Members of the Leg Clubs can rely on a safe venue where their physical, psychological and so- cial needs will be met within a social model of care.

We have great pleasure welcoming back Anna Saez Espinosa - originally born in Girona (Spain), she is a 5th Year Medical Student at University of Barcelona, Spain .. and a Soul & Blues singer! In Episode 21, Anna delves further into the effects of music on the brain and our bodies. She explores the role of music to help treat people with autism and dementia as part of "music therapy" to improve physical, psychological and social aspects of our lives by serving as a "communication bridge". As Anna says, "music is the soundtrack to our lives" - why don't you explore it's positive healing effects for yourself? Join the Leg Club community around the UK (and beyond) and, together, let's help all generations adapt to a society that benefits all.