January Vol 4 No 1 (22-25)
Coping with tinnitus
There is no simple cure for tinnitus, but various coping strategies can be tried to reduce its impact.
This article outlines the ways that patients can be helped to cope with the symptom of tinnitus.

February Vol 4 No 2 (63-70)
Dual Sensory Impairment: causes and diagnosis
The two senses of sight and hearing provide the majority of information that people gain from their environment but problems can arise at birth or during childhood and adult life. There are many causes of impairments of sight and hearing that result in deafblindness, also called dual sensory loss.
Patients who have dual sensory loss will have problems managing within a clinical setting and every day life. Previous articles in this series have concentrated on vision and heating as two separate entities.
This article explains the reasons for dual sensory loss and outlines ways that HCAs and APs can ensure that patients are helped, particularly within a clinical setting.

March Vol 4 No 3 (139-142)
Improving the quality of life of people with deafblindness
This final article in the series on sensory loss concentrates on helping deafblind people to communicate more easily, improve their mobility and manage the practical activities of daily living.
Healthcare staff have an important role to play in helping deafblind people access local services and in providing support.

April Vol 4 No 4 (166-169)
Simple ways to prevent falls
Falls are a leading cause of death in people older than 75, and it is estimated that up to 40% of reported safety incidents in inpatient involve a fall. People of all ages can suffer major injuries from a fall, although older people are at an increasing rate of falling. Even a minor fall can lead to a loss of confidence and mobility. Four hundred risk factors have been identified and may of these can be addressed by healthcare assistants and assistant practitioners in the course of their work. Environmental hazards can be removed and patients who are at high risk due to medication, visual and other problems can be monitored and assisted to prevent falls.

May Vol 4 No 5 (236-240)
Avoiding slip and trips
Most accidents to patients, visitors and staff occur due to slips and trips. This article explores ways that healthcare assistants and assistant practitioners can help to prevent slips and trips within, and outside, of their workplace by ensuring that fall-risks are reduced in the ward, clinic or a person's home environment.

June Vol 4 No 6 (294-298)
Ways of doing things to maintain independence
At any age, a debilitating illness or a progressive health condition can produce difficulties when managing even simple tasks. Decreased activity will require ever-increasing help and it is important for HCAs and APs to understand how to break this cycle of growing dependency.
HCAs or APs can enable patients to manage more efficiently within their own homes by altering the method used. Often, equipment can be used or structural alterations can be made to a patient's home.
This article discusses the various options that are available and provides information on sources of help and solutions.

July Vol 4 No 7 (338 - 342)
Understanding Bariatrics
Across all age groups throughout most of the developed world, the incidence of overweight and obesity is rising. The impact of this on a person's health and, in particular, the management of over-sized patients affects service delivery within hospitals, clinics and a person's own home. Obesity is a risk factor for several diseases that are major causes of morbidity and mortality. This article, the first in a series, discusses the differences between people who are overweight, obese or bariatric and explores the ways obesity impacts on a person's health.

January Vol 3 No 1:
Osteoarthritis part 3: living with the condition
This article describes how health care assistants can help patients to manage their symptoms of osteoarthritis. The roles of other professions, methods of overcoming problems and ways of minimising problem areas are discussed to enable people to be as independent as possible.

February Vol 3 No 2:
Cervical spondylosis part 1: osteoarthritis of the cervical spine
Degenerative changes are common within bones and joints, due to excessive 'wear and tear', resulting in osteoarthritis. When these symptoms appear in the cervical region of the spinal vertebrae, this degenerative process is termed cervical spondylosis. A multitude of problems can occur, ranging from mild localised pain and discomfort to a major dysfunction of the nervous system. This article explains cervical spondylosis and outlines the main forms of treatment.

March Vol 3 No 3:
Cervical spondylosis part 2: coping with the condition
This is the second part of a series on cervical spondylosis, a degenerative condition, which can cause pain, loss of mobility and problems managing daily life. Surgery, therapeutic intervention and practical ways to overcome problems are outlined to help healthcare staff enable patients to be as independent and pain-free as possible.

April Vol 3 No 4:
Ankylosing Spondylitis: care and treatment
Ankylosing Spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the connective tissue of the joints. Although the first symptoms can be traced to childhood, it is not formally diagnosed until several clinical signs and symptoms are present. This article outlines this painful condition.

May Vol 3 No 5: ( 2 articles )
Ankylosing Spondylitis: living with the condition
Ankylosing Spondylitis can cause pain, fatigue and limitation of joint mobility, particularly within the spinal column. These symptoms can affect a person's ability to cope with many activities of daily life.
By the adoption of alternative techniques, many tasks can be made easier to manage.
However, sometimes it may be necessary to consider the provision of assistive devices and adaptation of property or the alteration of a work environment.
This article explores the impact of Ankylosing Spondylitis on a person's daily life and outlines ways to help to make activities easier to manage. It suggests ways that HCAs and APs can facilitate this process.

Driving difficulties
Most people who drive can access and operate the controls of a car easily, but loss of function can cause difficulties for some. This article explores the practical problems that can be encountered with driving and outlines ways of finding help to manage them.

June Vol 3 No 6: (PDF File 3.7MB)
Car adaptations to facilitate driving
When considerable functional problems cause difficulties with driving, extensive modifications may be needed to an existing vehicle or a purpose-made car may be required. Most production vehicles can be adapted to cope with complex disabilities. This article examines the mobility allowance, some car adaptations and looks at additional sources of funding a vehicle.

July Vol 3 no 7: (PDF File 2.5MB)
Understanding vision part 1: structure and mechanics
Our vision enables us to gain considerable information about our environment. Most people with a visual impairment have a substantial reduction of vision, but are not totally blind. This article describes the visual system and some of the causes of visual problems. It also outlines the vital role of HCAs and APs in the early detection of visual problems.

August Vol 3 No 8:
Understanding vision part 2: coping with complications
Healthcare assistants and associated practitioners may encounter people of all age ranges who have visual problems that affect their ability to manage daily living activities. This article outlines how healthcare staff can help to assess the impact of visual impairments on patients. It also describes some of the present range of assistive equipment and how patients can obtain additional information and help.

September Vol 3 No 9:
Understanding hearing and causes of hearing loss
Hearing helps us to understand and negotiate the environment and assists in communication with others. Even a mild hearing loss causes problems with identification of everyday sounds such as voices, the doorbell and the telephone ringing. Severe hearing loss profoundly affects a person's ability to communicate effectively and to participate in many leisure activities.
Many of the UK's population experience hearing problems, but some may be unaware of the extent unless it is brought to their attention. This article explores the process of hearing and some of the causes of hearing impairments.

October Vol 3 no 10:
Hearing impairments: problems and assistive devices
With an increase in the prevalence of hearing loss, it is likely that healthcare assistants and assistant practitioners will encounter patients who have impaired hearing during their daily work. This article discusses some ways to overcome problem areas that hearing impairment causes, and concentrates on alternative communication and assistive equipment.

November Vol 3 No 11
Hearing impairment: environmental considerations
The ability to hear can be substantially reduced if there are background noises or poor acoustics. If the environment is suitably designed from the outset, this can help to minimize hearing loss and enable people to communicate more effectively. This article aims to increase awareness in healthcare staff of environmental considerations and the impact of hearing problems within a workplace.

December Vol 3 No 12
Tuning in to tinnitus
Tinnitus is becoming increasingly common. This article explains the symptoms of tinnitus, and factors that can contribute to it. Prevention is a key issue. This article also highlights the range of available treatments, from self-management to specialist care