This Friday, May 11, from 10.00 - 4.00pm, a team of very dedicated Changing Places campaigners will be sitting on the loo in the window of the Bathstore in Baker Street, London, to raise awareness of the need for many more assisted accessible toilets.

The "Looathon" has been organised by Sarah Brisdion, and you can find out more here.

 

If you have ever set out to choose some adaptive equipment or furniture, either for yourself or someone else, you will know just how important measuring is.

From knowing the correct length of a walking stick to making sure that a bath lift will fit the tub, it's easy to get things wrong, if you don't check carefully beforehand.

So I'm delighted to say that we now have the Brunel University guidance available to download from Independent Living.

Get the PDF here

 

We have a very interesting new site subscriber on Independent Living. Felgains has been providing care equipment for more than 40 years now, concentrating on patient handling, hygiene and pressure care.

Their showcase page highlights some of their standout equipment, including an emergency lifting chair, versatile profiling shower trolley, and the award-winning patient turning system shown here.

Get the details on their page

 

I was fascinated to learn that nearly 4 million people have already used an artificial intelligence app or chatbot ahead of consulting their GP.

Amongst younger adults, the figure is comfortably over one in 10, and seems to indicate an inevitable direction of travel.

There are clearly great benefits to a cash-strapped NHS from harnessing this technology – but are there also drawbacks?

Read more here

  

Last week, I mentioned the final passing of the Social Security (Scotland) Bill into law.

Since then, I have been casting an eye over the key ways that benefits will differ – not to make newsletter readers south of the border jealous (though they might well be), but more to reflect on the fact that any system can be improved, and given the current state of welfare reform, Westminster could do worse than look to some of Holyrood's ideas.

Find out more here

 

Red Dot Awards are highly regarded European accolades for design, given by an international jury to only a handful of outstanding products from the thousands that are entered each year.

Pressalit Care has just received this recognition for their popular Hinged Arm Support.

Read all about it here.

 

Don't forget that you can apply to join the Independent Living Facebook group, if you would like to spend more time discussing these themes with other interested people. 

There are various ways you can get in touch with us: email me; visit our Facebook page and leave a message there; or if it's short and sweet, Tweet!

Previous newsletters are archived here.

If you are reading a copy of the Independent Living newsletter that has been passed on to you by a colleague or friend, why not sign up for your own free subscription – it's quick and easy, and won't lead to your inbox being bombarded with other stuff!

Until next time, all good wishes,

Frances