WHAT IS THE ESSENCE OF MH KINAESTHETICS?

Maietta-Hatch Kinaesthetics is the application of feedback control theory to human learning, performance and health development.

WHAT IS HEALTH DEVELOPMENT?

The term health-development was coined in the 1970`s by the late Dr. Karl U. Smith, head of the department of Behavioral Cybernetics and Ergonomics at the University of Wisconsin in Madison Wisconsin. It refers to the Behavioral Cybernetics tenet that throughout the lifespan, our health is developed by our motion on an on-going basis. Our quality of motion effects our health in a positive or negative manner.

WHAT IS BEHAVIORAL CYBERNETICS?

Behavioral Cybernetics is a branch of Cybernetics founded by Karl U. Smith following WWII and studied at the University of Wisconsin at Madison for the next 35 years. Its focus is the behavior of humans as cybernetic systems in which one’s own motion plays a central role in regulating physiological and mental health, learning and performance (with or without machines) throughout the lifespan.

HOW DOES CYBERNETICS DIFFER FROM BEHAVIORAL CYBERNETICS?

Cybernetics is a theoretical philosophy based on Norbert Wiener’s mathematical theory of feedback control. The general field of cybernetics has studied the feedback nature of machines and man-machine systems and is commonly used to solve problems of engineering. Behavioral Cybernetics represents years of empirical research findings describing the motion processes that regulate human life at molecular, cellular, physiological and behavioral levels. Maietta-Hatch Kinaesthetics is the practical application of that research.

HOW DO HUMAN FACTORS SCIENCE AND ERGONOMICS FIT INTO THE PICTURE?

Human Factors science grew out of the application of Norbert Wiener’s feed-back control model used to solve engineering design problems in WWII. Today, most ergonomic practices are aimed at designing equipment to enhance work performance. Maietta-Hatch Kinaesthetics addresses ergonomic issues through motion methods. Participants in MHK courses become specialists in making real-time ergonomic adjustments to adapt their own behavior in interaction with their surroundings—and adapt their surrounding to better fit their abilities. They learn movement concepts and movement skills to enhance work performance by factoring – meaning to modify and adjust -- their environment in real time--on an on-going basis--using materials at hand.

WHAT DOES ONE LEARN WITH MH KINAESTHETICS?

Students of MHK learn to be sensitive to the motions and motion patterns they use to carry out daily, familial, social, educational, professional and organizational activities. They gain skills to discover and utilize untapped movement resources to more easily carry out any task. Moving with greater ease improves their daily health. Being able to discover new ways of moving secures their future health.

WHO IS MH KINAESTHETICS FOR?

MHK is for anyone who wishes to improve their movement competence to carry out life activities and address setbacks. It is just as valuable to a grand prix horseman, or a chief administrator as it is to a patient or to health care personnel. The unspoken question, “who is it not for?” stems from a misplaced idea that Maietta-Hatch Kinaesthetics is a medical or therapeutic concept or model. It is not—it is a learning system.

DOES KINAESTHETICS HAVE THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS?

Yes, but they are the natural result of a learning process. MHK is a resource-oriented learning system, not a deficit repair system. It is well-known that attending to what is broken makes you an expert on your deficits, MHK ignores what does not work . Instead, MHK builds on skills and competencies that are already available. It is the nature of human beings, as cybernetic systems, to integrate non-working components into an on-going life. As people become more competent to do what they need and want to do, they feel better.

WHY IS KINAESTHETICS SO POPULAR WITH HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS IN EUROPE AND JAPAN?

Around the world, health care personnel are injured more that any other professional group. Since the early 1990s the German Union for health care workers officially recognized back injuries as work injuries making injured health workers eligible for the same work injury compensation available to workers in other professions, including re-education in new professions. This placed enormous pressure on the German health-care system to find solutions that would lead to fewer injuries, reduce re-educational and disability compensation costs, and improve working conditions. Kinaesthetics became popular because it could help solve those problems, teaching health care personnel how to move with, rather than lift patients. When they do not lift, they do not get hurt.

MHK can help you with the patient care demands of the DRG system requiring early release. MHK training strengthens staff competence for facilitating the very early mobilization of all patients. This will help patients go home faster.

Japan has the highest per capital elderly population in the world today. It is applying MHK to address issues of aging, helping the elderly maintain skills to carry out activities of daily living (ADLs) and training family and care-workers to provide care for the elderly in their own home. Organizations in German-speaking European countries, anticipating the same problems, are working cooperatively with MHK to develop Maietta-Hatch Kinaesthetics programs for aging Europeans.

WHY HAS MH KINAESTHETICS NOT BEEN PRACTICED IN THE US until now?

Maietta-Hatch Kinaesthetics programs are not pre-fabricated. They are designed in real-time to address problems at hand. The U.S. is just beginning to address problems that MHK can help solve: Injuries among U.S. health-care personnel; including injury, relapse and development of new health conditions stemming from the early release of patients not prepared to care for themselves at home. MHK helps address the growing costs of institutional care for a population that is aging-out by teaching families and caregivers how to solve problems in the home environment. Many of our elderly will now live far past their independent abilities to do the activities that have defined their lives. These problems are global and MHK has proven learning programs providing reasonable and economic solutions. MHK is pleased to be available in the U.S.

HOW DOES MAIETTA-HATCH KINAESTHETICS HELP HEALTH CARE PERSONNEL?

MHK-Move Easy Training helps healthcare personnel apply the MHK movement concepts in a manner for them to systematically gain competence at personal, professional and organizational levels. Participants gain the personal competencies necessary to attend to and adapt their own motion when carrying out professional tasks so they are not injured. Health care personnel gain professional competence to help those they care for move more easily themselves in the course of daily activities. People gain organizational skill and competence in working as a team member in helping patients, residents or children solve movement problems when performing life tasks.

HOW DOES MH KINAESTHETICS DIFFER FROM THE CLASSICAL BODY MECHANICS OF LIFTING AND CARRYING?

Classical methods of lifting and carrying are based on a mechanical analysis of lifting static weights. To avoid injury, patients should not move during a lift. MHK is based on the analysis of a human being as a dynamic biological system that continuously moves to maintain balance in the gravity field. This aspect of living systems guarantees patients will move when they are lifted. MHK teaches health care personnel NOT to lift patients. Instead, people learn to adjust and move effectively to maintain their balance.

WHEN DO CARETAKERS GET HURT DURING PATIENT TRANSFERS

Caregivers get hurt when a supportive patient transfer becomes a patient lift!

WHY DO PEOPLE NOT GET HURT USING MH KINAESTHETICS?

Because they learn to move rather than lift weights.

WHAT ARE THE METRICS ABOUT MH KINAESTHETICS?

To answer that question, one needs to define metrics. If one asks about the metrics of use, they are supplied in excess. Over 200,000 health-care professionals in Europe have had instruction in MHK with that figure now increasing by 35,000 people a year! If one asks about the metrics of behavioral changes in the work place,that too, is supplied in excess. The effectiveness and efficiency of using MHK is testified to by the growth of institutional demand for Maietta-Hatch Kinaesthetics training--not just for nursing staff--but for all other personnel in health facilities, including kitchen, custodial maintenance and supply. If one asks about the metrics of reducing injury in the workplace they are supplied in project reports from organizations using MHK and more recently in university studies in the new field of nursing science just beginning to evolve in Europe. THE WHO [WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION] WORKGROUP ON BEST PRACTICES RECOMMENDS MAIETTA-HATCH KINAESTHETICS TRAINING TO AVOID LIFTING INJURIES.

WHY IS THERE SO LITTLE LITERATURE ON MH KINAESTHETICS IN ENGLISH?

Dr. Frank Hatch and Dr. Lenny Maietta, founders of Maietta Hatch Kinaesthetics have worked exclusively in Europe for the last 30 years where demands for their programs occupied them completely. All current literature regarding MHK has been written in non-English where MHK is practiced. This is changing as MHK comes to the U.S.A.

HOW DOES ONE LEARN MH KINAESTHETICS?

Maietta Hatch Kinaesthetics is learned in practical courses using sophisticated ‘real time’ learning methods based on Behavioral Cybernetic principals. MHK methods have been tested and proven for 30 years in Europe. The MHK success story is demonstrated by the fact that the practice of MH Kinaesthetics is the standard for addressing problems involving physical labor in all European German-speaking countries.

HOW IS THE APPLICATION OF MAIETTA-HATCH KINAESTHETICS LEARNED?

By registering and taking the MHK Move Easy courses offered by your organization. In the MHK Move Easy courses you will learn to apply the dynamic MHK concepts to the performance of professional and personal life activities.