| |
Dear Subscriber,
Welcome to the latest issue of Safe Lifting News, a pro bono electronic newsletter designed to keep you informed about what’s happening in the world of safe patient lifting and caregiver injury prevention.
Please take our Reader Poll below… and consider asking a question in our popular column, "Ask the Lift Doctor,” using the link below.
Warm regards,
Melissa Nowitz
Editor, Safe Lifting News
melissa.nowitz@liko.com |
|
 |
| |
|
| |
Reader Poll
What is your single most important consideration when faced with the need to lift or reposition a patient?
- Follow existing policies & procedures
- Speed of Response – Get the Job Done
- My patient's safety
- My Personal Safety
- Seek help from colleagues
We'll report the results in next month’s newsletter. |
 |
| |
 New from the Safe Lifting Portal…
At this year's SPHM show, Ascension Health presented their SmartMoves system for safe patient handling. For an overview, we suggest you download the poster used to illustrate their message... |
| |
Safety Days…
We've received feedback from the following two readers regarding safe handling events within their own facilities…
“At St. Vincent Indianapolis, we are having our 2nd Annual Safe Patient Handling Awareness week August 11-15th with the Safe Patient Handling Games in Indianapolis in honor of the Olympics that week. We invite others to join in the fun!”
Karen J. Canfield, MS, PT
Education Consultant
Ancillary Clinical Support
Education and Development
(317) 338-6576
Pager: 338-3550 #1661
POB # 805
“In our facility, I'm working on having a Workplace Safety Week which will include awareness on safe patient handling. I'm looking forward to this event in June, since National Safety Week.”
Moving Towards a Culture of Safety
Sonia Nahhas BSN, CCRN,
Workplace Safety Coordinator
|
| |
RSS Feeds now available from the
Safe Lifting Portal
Now you can access RSS feeds, and even link them directly into your own personalized website (using Google, AOL and many more), quickly and simply. Not familiar with RSS feeds? These feeds, or news channels, are like personally tailored executive summaries containing dozens or even hundreds of headlines on a specific topic. To read more about RSS feeds, click here. To view the latest safe lifting portal RSS feed, click here. |
 |
| |
New Safe Lifting Screensaver
In case you’ve been searching for a nifty screensaver for your PC, here’s a free one compliments of the Safe Lifting Portal. |
|
| |
Legislative Update
Review the latest state-by-state legislative initiatives on safe lifting. |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
International Reading Room
Choosing a mobile hoist
This Factsheet from the UK’s Disabled Living Foundation provides a well-researched summary of facts and considerations regarding purchase of mobile lifts |
 |
| |
Choosing an overhead hoist
Another Factsheet from the UK’s Disabled Living Foundation, but this one focuses on overhead lifts. |
|
| |
|
When going “Solo” makes sense…
Two major hospitals in London’s West End, Hammersmith and Charing Cross, have introduced the use of patient specific, disposable slings. According to their back care advisor, “The slings make good sense for patients and staff alike. They are readily available on the ward, save on laundering costs and improve hygiene.” |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
| |
Lift Team Protocols
Our hospital is a level I Trauma Center. Our patients are beginning to more frequently weigh between 350 to 700 pounds. Is there a protocol to follow in order to implement a LIFTING TEAM? A lifting team could effectively allow us to manage our bariatric population and ease the burden on nursing and therapy to get patients up. Do you have any suggestions or know of any programs that would be willing to let us pilot a program based off of their model if it is successful? |
| |
Noah Fox,
Via Christi |
 |
| |
Ratio of lifts-to-patients
Several of the facilities I work with have experienced a high level of resistance to using gait belts and transfer assistive devices. I attribute some of this to "change". What do you suggest to convince the staff that these devices will help? Resistance is attributed to increased time to use, increased skin tears, resident resistance, etc. |
| |
Florence Francis,
The PMA Insurance Group |
|
|
|
Wheelchair push-pull forces – bariatric patients
I have a 20 stone client who uses a wheelchair when going for an outing. I am 5ft 2 inches tall and 9.5 stones in weight. As I push the wheelchair, I feel a strain on my lower back and pain on the following day. What is the ideal weight and height of a carer who can safely push this bariatric patient. Thanks in advance.
(20 stone is 280 lbs, 9.5 stone is 133 lbs) |
| |
Agnes Alcara
St. Joseph's Centre Ireland |
|
| |
Inclined bed head position
Should bed head be inclined similarly as wheelchair when transferring patient? Why? |
| |
Robert Rankin,
SJSCC |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
© 2008 Liko North America. All Rights Reserved
|
