Martina Tierney Podcast

What happens when care focuses only on keeping someone safe, but forgets about the life they still want to live?In this episode of The Martina Tierney Podcast, Martina speaks with Occupational Therapist and founder of Sunday Care Therapy, Derek Sleater, about the future of care, the power of Occupational Therapy and why autonomy must remain at the heart of every care plan.

Derek shares the powerful story of a woman in her 40s with primary progressive MS who had not been out of bed for more than three years. Her care plan centred on care in bed, but Derek and his team asked a different question: why should this be the rest of her life?

Through careful changes to her care, specialist seating, moving and handling support and a focus on building her seating tolerance, she was eventually able to sit out for three hours, access a wheelchair and return to her community.

Martina and Derek also discuss multidisciplinary care, the pressures facing health and social care, the future role of AI and robotics, and the importance of thinking differently when the system says, “this is just how it is”.

A thought-provoking conversation about dignity, independence, innovation and what can happen when we focus.

Watch the webinar and download the PDF here: https://seatingmatters.com/gb-ie/resources/navigating-equipment-shortages-and-policy-shifts-2

What if keeping critically ill patients awake, upright and moving could completely change their recovery? In this episode of the Martina Tierney Podcast, I’m joined by Kali Dayton, a nurse practitioner, critical care consultant and host of Walking Home From The ICU, along with my son Jonathan Tierney.

Kali shares how her early experience in an ICU where intubated patients were routinely awake, communicating and even walking challenged everything she later encountered in more traditional critical care settings.

We explore the long-held practice of sedation and bed rest in ICU care, the impact this can have on muscle strength, cognition and recovery, and why enhanced mobilisation should become part of the standard of care.

We also discuss the importance of getting patients upright and out of bed as early as safely possible, the role of appropriate seating between periods of mobility, and how fear, culture and established routines can sometimes become barriers to change.

This is a fascinating conversation about questioning what has become “normal” in healthcare, challenging outdated practices and looking at how small changes in care can have a profound impact on a patient’s dignity, independence and long-term quality of life.

If you work in critical care, rehabilitation, nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy or patient mobility, this is an episode that will make you think differently about what recovery can look like.

In this episode of The Martina Tierney Podcast, Martina speaks with Michelle Tennyson, Chief Allied Health Professions Officer for Northern Ireland, about leadership, improvement and the enormous potential of Allied Health Professionals to shape the future of health and social care.

Michelle represents 14 Allied Health Professions and shares her ambition to ensure their skills, talents and ability to improve patient outcomes are fully understood and utilised across the healthcare system.

After experiencing the Lean culture at Seating Matters firsthand, Michelle discusses why she came to see Lean Made Simple as much more than a methodology — but as a way of creating culture change.

Together, Martina and Michelle explore creating safe environments where people can identify problems without blame, making improvement everybody’s business, protecting patients’ function and moving care closer to where people live.

Michelle also shares a powerful story from her own clinical career that changed the way she thought about patient care — reminding us that behind every condition is a person, and sometimes what matters most isn’t the clinical problem in front of us.

An inspiring conversation about Allied Health Professionals, compassionate care, leadership and putting people at the heart of improvement.

In this episode of The Martina Tierney Podcast, Martina is joined by Mike Farrar, Permanent Secretary for Health in Northern Ireland, for a conversation about the future of health and social care and what it will take to create meaningful, lasting change.

Following a visit to Seating Matters, Mike reflects on the culture of continuous improvement he witnessed and considers how similar principles could be applied across Northern Ireland’s health service.

They discuss shifting resources from hospitals into community care, breaking down siloed budgets, creating space for staff to identify and solve problems, and the importance of distinguishing between value and non-value in healthcare.

Mike also shares the thinking behind Northern Ireland’s *Neighbourhood model*, designed to bring care closer to people and help them remain independent at home for longer.

At the heart of the conversation is a simple question: *how can we create a health and social care system where people feel empowered to make things better?*

A fascinating discussion about leadership, Lean thinking, innovation and building a healthcare system around better outcomes for patients.

In this episode of The Martina Tierney Podcast, Martina is joined by executive coach, speaker and author Caroline McKenna for an honest and inspiring conversation about self-leadership, confidence and sustainable growth.

Caroline shares the personal story behind her book, Lead Self First: 7 Inspired Steps to Unlock Next Level Growth, including the moment her young daughter told her, “You’d rather work than spend time with me.” It became a powerful wake-up call and led Caroline to examine the thoughts, habits and behaviours that were driving her to overwork.

Together, Martina and Caroline explore how our inner stories can either hold us back or help us move forward. They discuss imposter syndrome, working to your strengths, stepping outside your comfort zone and the importance of replacing limiting beliefs with thoughts that are both honest and empowering.

The conversation also looks at self-care, particularly for business leaders, healthcare professionals and anyone working in a caring role. Caroline explains why rest is not selfish, why overworking is not always a sign of commitment, and how looking after yourself allows you to show up better for your family, your team and the people you serve.

This episode is a thoughtful reminder that real growth begins within. It is not about constantly doing more. It is about leading yourself with greater awareness, protecting your energy and giving yourself permission to become the best version of who you already are.

***

Caroline's book "Lead Self First" is now an Amazon Bestseller

What happens when postural care is treated as a full 24-hour responsibility - not just something we think about when someone is sitting?

In this special episode, recorded straight after our first 24-Hour Postural Care Conference, I sit down with sisters Anna Goldsmith and Sarah Clayton of Simple Stuff Works Associates Ltd.

Their parents, Liz and John Goldsmith, pioneered supported lying. Anna and Sarah have carried that legacy forward with honesty, passion and decades of lived experience - including their own family's journey through it.

We talk about why seating and lying can't be treated as separate conversations, why families need to be listened to (not just managed), and why postural care is never really about a chair, a positioning system or a piece of equipment.

It's about a person. Their comfort. Their dignity. Their health. Their life.

Posture is not a "nice to have." It's fundamental.

A conversation full of wisdom, emotion and practical insight - for clinicians, carers and families working toward truly joined-up care.

This 3-episode mini-series of the Martina Tierney Podcast was filmed during the 2026 Tierco Healthcare Postural Care Conference held at St James' Park, Newcastle-upon-Tyne in England. The series features three speakers from the day of quality clinical education which focused on the importance of maintaining body shape, posture and mobility.In this heartfelt episode, recorded live from the 24 Hour Posture Conference at St James’ Park, Martina Tierney speaks with Rachel Wright, founder of Born at the Right Time and host of The Skies We’re Under podcast.

Rachel shares the deeply personal story of her son Sam, his complex needs, and the journey of becoming both a parent carer and a professional voice for change. With honesty, wisdom and compassion, she explores the realities of caring for a child with profound disabilities, the importance of 24-hour postural care, and the emotional weight carried by families every day.

Together, Martina and Rachel discuss why communication matters so much in healthcare, how practitioners can work more collaboratively with parent carers, and why lived experience, evidence and empathy must come together to improve outcomes for families.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that behind every care plan is a person, a family, and a story that deserves to be heard.

This 3-episode mini-series of the Martina Tierney Podcast was filmed during the 2026 Tierco Healthcare Postural Care Conference held at St James' Park, Newcastle-upon-Tyne in England. The series features three speakers from the day of quality clinical education which focused on the importance of maintaining body shape, posture and mobility.

In this episode of the Postural Care Conference Mini-Series, Martina speaks with wheelchair rugby Paralympian and spinal cord injury advocate Michael Kerr about his remarkable journey following a life-changing spinal cord injury at the age of 17.

Michael shares his personal experience of rehabilitation after sustaining a C6 spinal cord injury, the role of physiotherapy and occupational therapy in regaining independence, and how wheelchair rugby transformed his life, leading to international success representing Great Britain at the Paralympic Games.

The conversation also explores the critical importance of postural care, healthcare seating, pressure injury prevention and management, moving and handling, and the correct use of specialist equipment. Michael candidly discusses his experience of developing severe pressure injuries, including how inappropriate wheelchair seating and poor pressure redistribution can have devastating consequences, requiring prolonged bed rest and significantly impacting physical and mental health.

This episode highlights why regular skin inspections, appropriate seating assessments, pressure care management, and person-centred equipment provision are essential for wheelchair users, clinicians, therapists, carers, and healthcare providers.

Topics covered include:

• Postural care and 24-hour positioning

• Pressure injury prevention and management

• Healthcare seating and wheelchair seating assessment

• Specialist seating equipment and pressure redistribution

• Moving and handling considerations

• Bathing, personal care and maintaining skin integrity

• Spinal cord injury rehabilitation

• Occupational therapy and physiotherapy

• Wheelchair rugby and adaptive sport

• Independent living and disability advocacy

• The psychological impact of pressure injuries

Whether you are an occupational therapist, physiotherapist, nurse, wheelchair service clinician, rehabilitation professional, case manager, caregiver, or wheelchair user, this powerful conversation provides valuable insights into the importance of getting postural care and equipment provision right.

#PosturalCare #PressureInjuryPrevention #PressureCare #HealthcareSeating #WheelchairSeating #MovingAndHandling #OccupationalTherapy #Physiotherapy #SpinalCordInjury #PressureUlcerPrevention #SeatingAssessment #Rehabilitation #DisabilityAwareness #AdaptiveSport #WheelchairRugby

What happens when a young woman from Brooklyn challenges expectations, pursues her dream of becoming an Occupational Therapist, and spends a lifetime transforming the lives of older adults?In this inspiring episode, Martina speaks with Susanne Giannitti, Occupational Therapist, educator, mentor, advocate and lifelong learner from Connecticut, USA. Susanne shares her remarkable OT journey, from working in some of New York’s toughest neighbourhoods to becoming a respected clinician, educator and champion for older adults.

Together, they explore:✨ The courage to pursue higher education when it was not expected of women in her generation✨ Why she fell in love with Occupational Therapy and never looked back✨ The lessons learned from decades of working with older adults in nursing homes, rehabilitation and home care✨ Memorable patient stories that demonstrate the life-changing impact of Occupational Therapy✨ The importance of mentoring the next generation of healthcare professionals✨ Susanne’s passion for falls prevention, healthy ageing and lifelong learning✨ Why retirement does not mean the end of making a differenceNow at 71 years old, Susanne continues to educate, mentor and advocate for older adults, proving that purpose, curiosity and service have no age limit.If you are an OT, healthcare professional, student, caregiver, or someone passionate about ageing well, this episode is filled with wisdom, encouragement and practical insights.#MartinaTierneyPodcast #OccupationalTherapy #ThePowerOfOT #HealthyAgeing #FallsPrevention #OlderAdults #Mentorship #HealthcareLeadership #OTLife #RetiredNotExpired #LifelongLearning #CompassionateCare #SeatingMatters***

I’d love to hear what you think of this episode, your feedback helps shape future episodes. And if you know a healthcare professional with a powerful story to share, I’d love to connect.

Drop me an email anytime at ⁠[email protected]⁠

Thanks so much for tuning in and supporting the show!

Martina

In this episode of The Martina Tierney Podcast, Martina is joined by Occupational Therapist Kirsty Ryan for a powerful conversation on dementia care, therapeutic seating, postural management and the future of clinical education.

Kirsty shares her journey from mental health nursing into Occupational Therapy, her work with Seating Matters and A1 Momentum, and the research she is carrying out on the outcomes of therapeutic seating for people living with dementia.

Together, they explore the importance of a holistic 24-hour postural care approach, the impact of environment and sensory input in dementia care, and why seating is about far more than simply providing a chair.

Kirsty also shares a remarkable case study involving a 102-year-old woman living with advanced dementia and paratonia, explaining how patience, assessment and the right seating approach helped reduce pain and restore comfort after months spent in bed.

This episode is filled with practical insight for clinicians, carers and care providers, while also serving as a reminder of the dignity, comfort and quality of life that good care can provide. Topics discussed include:

• Therapeutic seating and dementia care
• Paratonia and muscle tone management
• 24-hour postural care
• Manual handling and transfer techniques
• Pressure injury prevention
• Falls reduction
• The role of Occupational Therapy in long-term care
• Clinical education through A1 Momentum

A thoughtful and inspiring conversation for anyone involved in caring for older adults and people living with dementia.

***

I’d love to hear what you think of this episode, your feedback helps shape future episodes. And if you know a healthcare professional with a powerful story to share, I’d love to connect. Drop me a email anytime at ⁠[email protected]

⁠Thanks so much for tuning in and supporting the show!

Martina