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Caregivers' Products
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Ergonomics in Health Care |
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People working in the health care field face the dangers of musculoskeletal disorders everyday. From repositioning a patient in their bed to assist mobility through a lift, caregivers experience risky situations everyday.
It is important to take the necessary precautions to make sure that you prevent injury in the workplace to both your staff and patients. OSHA offers some very simple, yet many times overlooked, questions to help prevent injury to caregivers.
When trying to lift or readjust a patient, certain factors must be taken into consideration:
- What is the size and weight of the patient?
- Is the patient willing to help?
- What degree of help does the patient require?
- Does the patient have any medical conditions to assess before moving them?
The size and the weight of the patient are critical to this process. Predetermining how many health care professionals are necessary to help in the lift or repositioning can help to prevent any serious injury to the lifter or the patient. Also, if the patient is larger than one person can handle, it may be possible to use some sort of equipment to aid in the move. By checking to see if the patient is able and willing to help in any manner, the health care professional helps take some of the strain off of him or herself. Not only is it important to know the ability of the patient, but also the condition. Careful consideration of any medical conditions should take place before deciding to move them. It is important to understand whether moving this patient in a certain manner could worsen their condition or hinder their recovery. It is recommended by OSHA that manual lifting of patients should be minimized in order to reduce the strain endured by the caregivers.
There are ways to lessen the strain on the health caregivers. There are alternate methods of patient lifting and repositioning to help with the prevention of many musculoskeletal disorders. For patients that are partially dependent and are relatively cooperative, the transfer from sitting to standing technique tends to be successful. The patient wears a belt that is fitted with handles, and with a rocking and pulling motion, is transferred to a standing position.
For repositioning a patient, electric powered height adjustable beds are available to ease the strain incurred by the caregiver. If the patient is able to assist in their repositioning, they may find the trapeze style bar to pull themselves up to change positions. It is also possible to do a lateral transfer or repositioning of a patient using ergonomically inclined tools, such as slide sheets or roller boards. Both of these types of transfer "tools" are used with slippery sheets and low friction mattress covers in order to help with a seamless transfer.
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