Caregivers are endlessly sacrificing their time and energy for the well-being of other people. Their hearts and compassion are immeasurable. There is really no worse situation for a caregiver than getting an injury, especially an injury caused by patient lifting that leaves both the patient and care provider with additional problems. This is why the use of patient lifts is so vitally important.
Home care providers are absolutely essential for the day to day care of any one with limited mobility. This can be elderly individuals who do not have family available to care for them or even a younger person who requires use of a wheel chair due to injury or paralysis. Regardless of the situation, caregivers are there to help with every movement from standing to sitting and knowing the proper techniques for lifting patients is vital to the job.
Whenever a caregiver needs to lift or move a patient it is important to remember some basic rules to help avoid injury. First you must keep your head, and neck, properly aligned with your spine and remember to bend at the knee, not at the waist, to maintain the natural curve of your back. When involved in patient lifts you should not twist your body during a lift or movement. Keep your patient close to your body with your feet shoulder width apart to maintain your balance and stability. Your movements should be fluid.
Due to the risks of injury for caregivers, patient lifts have been developed to help with moving patients. Patient lifts provide a far safer assistance in movements and the styles of lifts vary greatly for different patient needs. Some patients can even benefit from lifts that allow them to do some tasks on their own. A Simple leg lifter can make getting into a wheel chair or in and out of bed far easier for a person with limited mobility in their legs. From scales and slings to manual lifts and electric lifts, there are a plethora of options for caregivers to lighten their work load.
Manual patient lifts are highly effective and usually feature a means to cradle the patient to aid in lifting and movement. Often times, manual patient lifts will provide extended reach capabilities for the caregiver for easier floor lifts and even bed to wheelchair movements. There are a wide variety of manual patient lifts available and many feature steal frames or trapeze bars to make lifting and moving heavier patients less strenuous for the caregiver.
There are also electric patient lifts available. Most electric lifts are designed to handle any patients of any weight and come with varying adjustable arms, grips and straps for helping to move patients. Past problems with electric patient lifts was that they would not do the job in power outage situations, but now most have rechargeable batteries and even emergency functions. It is also for this reason however than many electric patient lifts cost far more than their manual counterparts.
Regardless of the type of patient lift you decide on, it is most important to keep the basic rules of moving patients that we listed earlier in mind. It is also important to know the weight requirements of whatever lifting device you decide to use. Never forget that a caregiver plays a vital role in the life of a patient with limited mobility and an injury causes damage to both provider and patient. Use the right patient lifts and practice the rules of safe lifting.
