The therapy team at Hope House and Tŷ Gobaith are really missing you all and we hope that you and your families are well despite the troubling times we currently face.

We thought it might be helpful to put together some tips and ideas of things that we would be normally doing at the hospices. We appreciate that you will all be very busy, so please don’t feel you have to do all or any of them.

Manual Handling Tips

Esme and Ula from the Physio Team give their expert advice on safe lifting, and some therapeutic stretches in this short video:

 

Fun Activities for Young Children to Help Clear Secretions and Increase Lung Volumes

Taking care of our lungs is really important for staying healthy, and it can be fun!

Hydration

Hydration is very important to keep secretions from becoming too thick. It is important for your child to have regular drinks or fluids throughout the day as well as any prescribed inhalers or nebulisers.

Exercise

Any kind of independent movement is beneficial for general circulation and the lungs. Encourage your child to be as active as they can be within their ability.

Rolling games

Rolling helps to keep the lungs open and to clear secretions. Rolling can be done throughout the day but is especially helpful in the morning when your child first wakes up. Ensure that they don’t have a full tummy!

If your child needs help to roll:

Rocking (if your child finds rolling complex or it takes more than one person to roll) - place your hand on your child’s shoulder and hip when they are lying on their side and gently rock them backwards and forwards for a minute or so. Repeat lying on the other side.

Rocking and Rolling- place your hand on your child’s shoulder and hip when they are lying on their side and gently rock them backwards and forwards. Every 5 (or so) rocks help them to roll onto the other side. Give them a moment to get used to this position then repeat. You could sing ‘There were 10 in the bed and the little one said roll over’ whilst rocking and rolling.

If your child can roll independently:

Motivate them to do so by moving an interesting toy/iPad or by you moving side to side to encourage them to roll over. You could sing ‘There were 10 in the bed and the little one said roll over’ or any other ‘rolling’ song.

Breathing activities

Open the chest by doing some movements with the child’s arms – stretching up and out.

Move the shoulder blades with your hands one hand of the front and one hand on the shoulder blade. Make circular movements clockwise and clockwise and anti-clockwise.

Change position regularly – include lots of rolling activities, from side to side. This can be done to a familiar song

Sit facing your child and model breathing in. See is they can follow up.

Use a paper fan or electric fan to blow air towards your child. This may stimulate an in breath.