Older patients and patients who suffer from long-term chronic diseases or injuries may struggle with mobility. Some of their limitations are caused by symptoms from medications, while other symptoms come from their diseases or even from weakness caused by surgery or injury.
By understanding why mechanical aides are needed for safe patient handling and mobility, long-term care providers can use appropriate methods to reduce risks and ensure maximum protection when assisting patients with their movement needs.
What Is the Purpose of Implementing a Safe Patient Handling & Mobility Program?
Facilities with high annual fall incidents and employee compensation claims struggle to foster trust among patients and providers. A safe patient-handling program helps long-term care facilities meet safety and efficiency objectives, mitigate risk and liability, improve employee morale, and save costs.
These programs focus on ensuring that care providers use correct body mechanics, medical equipment, and appropriate lifting techniques to reduce the incidence of musculoskeletal workplace injuries like back pain from lifting patients.
A high-performing safe patient handling program ensures that providers understand the right lifting techniques and postures to lift patients. But more importantly, they also train new and existing staff members on how to use equipment and how to maintain that equipment. These interventions help care providers stay healthier and more productive with reduced injury rates.
Why Is Safe Patient Handling & Mobility Important for Nurses and Patients?
Despite the promise of job security and a rewarding career, nurses are leaving their profession at an alarming rate each year. Nurses suffer overexertion injuries at three times the rate of the average worker. Common injuries among nurses include:
- Sprains
- Falls from lifting or carrying
- Injuries from malfunctioning machinery
- Slipped discs
- Broken bones
Safe patient handling practices help minimize the strain on nurses’ muscles, tendons, and joints while transferring a patient or providing other types of care. By reducing these possible strains, nurses can devote their full attention to helping improve patients’ outcomes by providing quality health services.
Why Are Mechanical Aides Needed for Safe Patient Handling & Mobility?
Mechanical aides provide a crucial service in long-term care facilities, allowing patients to safely complete everyday tasks while addressing the ongoing need for adequate patient transfer and walking assistance. Without mechanical devices, patients may be at increased injury risk during transfers or when moving around, as they cannot be adequately supported.
Mechanical Aides for Safe Patient Handling & Mobility From Joerns Healthcare
Providing safe patient care means ensuring access to mechanical aides designed specifically for patient handling. These devices are especially important in helping lower the risk of injury for long-term care professionals and patients, as they help reduce manual lifting and sudden changes in body position.
Understanding the advantages of mechanical aides can also make treatment easier and more efficient, as it helps decrease the levels of physical strain related to medical activities.
