Moving and Handling of Plus Size People – An Illustrated Guide by Mary Muir and Anita Rush published in 2013 by the National Back Exchange

Monday, 25th November 2013

This is the long-awaited 3rd text in the National Back Exchange’s professional publication series on the moving and handling of the larger person.

The book brings together the extensive knowledge and working expertise of both Mary Muir and Anita Rush. Mary and Anita are both registered nurses who have many years of expertise in the subject of bariatric handling. They are both widely published within this field and have spoken on the subject at many national and international conferences.

The 136 page text book offers a practical guide with many black and white photographic illustrations on the handling issues pertaining to the plus size person with a focus on dignity. The text makes reference to a number of care settings (acute and community) and discusses a large number of handling tasks both routine and emergency.

The opening chapter features an overview of the demographics of obesity in the UK and across the world. It then goes on to discuss the body shapes or somatotypes of the larger person used in clinical definitions with photographic illustrations. The chapter then discusses the risk management of the plus size person in a formal care setting to set the scene for the practical techniques that follow.

Practical handling techniques for the larger person make up the main content of the book with suggestions for equipment and the numbers of staff advised to carry out the handling techniques as safely as possible. There are a number of case studies discussed which really bring the physical and psychological issues of obesity to life. The book is well illustrated and explained throughout

The book will be a valuable resource for all those staff working in the field of people moving and handling.

This book is available via the National Back Exchange website – www.nationalbackexchange.org at the price of £30 for NBE members or £35 for non-members.