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Bariatric Special Issue
December 2009
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Dear Subscriber,
Welcome to the latest Issue of Safe Lifting News. Our mission is to keep you informed about what's happening in the world of safe patient lifting and caregiver injury prevention.
Sincerely,
Melissa Nowitz
Editor in Chief
888-545-6671
Melissa.nowitz@hill-rom.com
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Results of Last Month's Poll Question
Click here to see the results and read some of the comments from participants.
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From the Reading Room
Bariatric Patient Handling in Australia
The Australian Safety and Compensation Council recently released a research report and four occupation-specific case studies on the manual handling risks associated with the care of bariatric patients in Australia. The report follows up on a previously released scoping paper on the implications of overweight and obesity for workplace health and safety and workers’ compensation. Read more here.
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Patient Transferring Challenges
The manner in which safe patient handling and movement training is provided, including how-to methods for transferring patients, has changed. Training should include use of equipment, which must be integrated into the policies and procedures of the individual facilities. Resources need to be allocated to obtain lifting equipment so that the standards of safe patient handling can be met. Caregivers can be instrumental in communicating their realistic needs for practical resources as well as those of their colleagues and patients. Read more here.
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Safe Patient Handling of the Bariatric Patient: Sharing of Experiences and Practical Tips when Using Bariatric Algorithms
A large percentage of bariatric patients admitted into healthcare facilities will need assistance with activities such as bathing, hygiene care of skin and wounds, repositioning in bed, assisting out of bed, and toileting. The resulting exertion, awkward postures, and spinal loads put the patient and caregivers at risk of injury. This 12-page article reprint allows the authors to share their knowledge and experience using the algorithms developed by the VA's VISN 8 Patient Safety Center of Inquiry. Click here to order a reprint of the article.
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Essentials of a Bariatric Patient Handling Program
The more dependent a patient is, the greater the risk of injury for those providing the care. Further, bariatric patients' co-morbidities make these patients especially vulnerable for health complications during their hospital stay. The authors of this article provide definitions related to bariatrics and describe specific health concerns of bariatric patients. They also discuss the risks of injury for providers caring for bariatric patients, explain the components of a bariatric safe patient handling program, and conclude with a discussion of current issues related to the care of bariatric patients.
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Best Practices for Safe Handling of the Morbidly Obese Patient
The guidelines in this article are original and were developed by a task force of the National Association of Bariatric Nurses. A task force synthesized a group of requirements identified as important for the typical facility to proceed with safety-oriented initiatives. In addition to their recommendations is a bibliography that contains 32 separate article references selected for group review. Click here to order your copy of the article reprint.
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Safe Ambulation of an Orthopaedic Patient
National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses (NAON) has developed a guidance statement on safe patient handling in an orthopaedic setting. The NAON guidance statement was developed to identify the unique high-risk patient-handling tasks in orthopaedic settings and provide evidence-based solutions for reducing the risk of each task identified. This is the fourth in a series of articles presenting high-risk orthopaedic tasks and outlining ergonomic solutions. Read more here.
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Gaylord Hospital Safe Patient Handling Program Significantly Reduces Injury, Costs
Gaylord Hospital, Wallingford, CT, has embarked on a Safe Patient Handling program that provides caregivers with the tools they need to prevent further accidents and injury. Since its implementation, this program has reduced patient handling costs to Gaylord by more than 90%. During the program’s first full year in 2006 the total costs due to back injury have decreased from over $200,000 to just $66,000 a year– a savings of over $134,000 a year. The cost per day has decreased from over $1,100 per day to $182.00 per day. The number of claims due to injury have also been reduced by nearly 30%. Read more here.
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Handling an Uncooperative Patient in a Wheelchair
How do you use lifting equipment with a teenager who is non-compliant and who goes into extensor patterns when we attempt to put her in her wheelchair. It is extremely difficult to flex her hips and trunk. |
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Kim Rothwell
Access Therapy |
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Safe Lifting Weight Limits for Home Care Patient
I have a client that weighs almost 60 lbs and is 4 ft tall, family is waiting for approval for equipment thru Medicaid so I have been helping carry client back and forth to bathroom which is over 30 feet away and lifting out of tub and transferring from chair to chair and floor 3-4 days a week, mom is frustrated because I have told her this is over the limit I believe safe for all of us what do you recommend as safe in this case thank you |
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Theresa Dibart
Private Duty |
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35 Pound Recommended Maximum Weight Limit
Can I get the NIOSH lifting limit reference of 35 lbs please? |
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Dan Donahue
Providence |
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*The Lift Doctor is actually a panel of clinical and bioengineering lift specialists at Liko |
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© 2010 Liko. All Rights Reserved
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