Physical Life Quality Physical Life Quality FactorsFactors

ExerciseExercise

Most people feel better after taking Most people feel better after taking exerciseexercise

Regular exercise has important long-term Regular exercise has important long-term health benefitshealth benefits

Some clients or patients have limited Some clients or patients have limited opportunity to take part in exercise, e.g. opportunity to take part in exercise, e.g. due to advanced age and physical frailty, due to advanced age and physical frailty, disability or diseasedisability or disease

Effective caring should incorporate some Effective caring should incorporate some physical exercise, e.g.physical exercise, e.g.

Simple chair exercises if a person is chair-Simple chair exercises if a person is chair-bound, for example in a residential care bound, for example in a residential care homehome

Walking is a good exercise for everyone Walking is a good exercise for everyone (even students!)(even students!)

NutritionNutrition

Nutrition contributes to the quality of life in Nutrition contributes to the quality of life in a number of ways:a number of ways:

People need a balanced diet in order to People need a balanced diet in order to remain healthyremain healthy

In health and social care setting examples In health and social care setting examples of the need for balanced diets include: of the need for balanced diets include: people with diabetes or pregnant womenpeople with diabetes or pregnant women

Good nutrition depends on varied and Good nutrition depends on varied and appetising food – eating well gives us a feel-appetising food – eating well gives us a feel-good factor and therefore improves our quality good factor and therefore improves our quality of lifeof life

It is important not to exceed the energy intake It is important not to exceed the energy intake required for our needs as this could result in required for our needs as this could result in obesity and all the problems associated with obesity and all the problems associated with obesity such as diabetes, heart disease or obesity such as diabetes, heart disease or stroke.stroke.

Physical safetyPhysical safety

Physical safety refers to the absence of Physical safety refers to the absence of serious risk of injuryserious risk of injury

Health and social care settings carry out Health and social care settings carry out risk assessments of the environment and risk assessments of the environment and then make adjustments to remove or then make adjustments to remove or minimise any identified risk.minimise any identified risk.

Care home owners are required to have Care home owners are required to have covers on radiators. They are also covers on radiators. They are also required to have safety catches on required to have safety catches on windows, especially upstairs windows, and windows, especially upstairs windows, and to ensure hot water temperatures are to ensure hot water temperatures are controlled by thermostatscontrolled by thermostats

Schools are also required to do risk Schools are also required to do risk assessments. When taking pupils on assessments. When taking pupils on school trips someone has to assess any school trips someone has to assess any risk arising from travel or from the risk arising from travel or from the destination, e.g. is the bus fitted with destination, e.g. is the bus fitted with safety belts? Is the play area safe?safety belts? Is the play area safe?

HygieneHygiene

Hygiene means the absence of serious Hygiene means the absence of serious risk of infection.risk of infection.

All health and social care settings and All health and social care settings and care workers must be extremely conscious care workers must be extremely conscious of the need for good hygiene.of the need for good hygiene.

Hospital staff are required to wash their Hospital staff are required to wash their hands when moving from patient to hands when moving from patient to patient.patient.

Poor standards of hygiene can lead to Poor standards of hygiene can lead to infections such as MRSA (the hospital infections such as MRSA (the hospital ‘super bug’. This can lead to delayed ‘super bug’. This can lead to delayed wound healing and has been the cause of wound healing and has been the cause of many deaths in hospitals around the many deaths in hospitals around the countrycountry

Poor hygiene in catering establishments Poor hygiene in catering establishments such as care home kitchens can lead to an such as care home kitchens can lead to an outbreak of food poisoning.outbreak of food poisoning.

Physical comfortPhysical comfort

Physical comfort means the absence of Physical comfort means the absence of excessive cold, heat or unpleasant excessive cold, heat or unpleasant stimulationstimulation

Living in a cold damp atmosphere is not a Living in a cold damp atmosphere is not a comfortable experience nor is living in an comfortable experience nor is living in an environment without adequate ventilation.environment without adequate ventilation.

Excessive stimulation might be a noisy Excessive stimulation might be a noisy environment such as having the TV on too environment such as having the TV on too loud and/or for long periods of time in a loud and/or for long periods of time in a care environment such as a residential care environment such as a residential homehome

Another example of unpleasant and Another example of unpleasant and excessive stimulation can be irritated skin. excessive stimulation can be irritated skin. Itchiness is very unpleasant (though Itchiness is very unpleasant (though scratching an itch………?)scratching an itch………?)

Physical comfort is particularly important in Physical comfort is particularly important in health and social care settings where health and social care settings where clients are unable to control their own clients are unable to control their own environmentenvironment

A baby who is left in a wet and dirty nappy A baby who is left in a wet and dirty nappy for too long will experience some degree for too long will experience some degree of discomfort. The baby can’t do anything of discomfort. The baby can’t do anything to reduce this and needs a carer to do it to reduce this and needs a carer to do it for himfor him

Freedom from painFreedom from pain

Clients and patients sometimes Clients and patients sometimes experience pain as a result of their health experience pain as a result of their health conditioncondition

This could be people with heart disease, This could be people with heart disease, cancer or arthritis amongst many other cancer or arthritis amongst many other conditionsconditions

Frequent or continuous pain can seriously Frequent or continuous pain can seriously affect a person’s quality of life.affect a person’s quality of life.

It is essential that effective care is It is essential that effective care is provided to control or relieve painprovided to control or relieve pain