Transfers

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Here are some consideration when performing a transfer with a patient:

It is important to consider proper positioning when performing transfers with patients. You do not want the patient to have their arms around your neck when you're helping to transfer them. This is also important for the therapist so they do not get injured or they do not injure the patient. The patient should place their arms around the therapists' hips to ensure safety. 

It is important that the therapist does not lift the patient when performing a transfer. It is important that the patient uses their own strength to do the transfer. The use of a gait belt would ensure the safety of the patient if the therapist needed to catch them from falling. 

Understanding what devices are needed for the transfer is important to consider. That could be a sliding board, a walker, wheelchair, or gait belts. To ensure safety of the patient, make sure the brakes on wheelchairs are locked, caster wheels on the wheelchair are out of the way, gait belts are tightly secured around the patient's waist, they are not putting all their body weight on to the walker when going from sitting to standing, and making sure hand placements are correct when using sliding boards for transfers. 

Consider having to move medical equipment such as securing tubes, medicine pump, and monitors. To ensure the safety of the patient, all medical equipment needs to be placed in the correct position to be kept from the patient tripping pr getting tangles in tubes and wires. 

The therapist should stay close to the patient at all times during transfers. The patient should keep their weight close to the therapists' center of gravity. As always, a gait belt should be in use. This will allow the therapist to keep a hand on the patient while completing the transfer and ensure safety if the patient happened to fall or trip, the therapist would be able to catch them before hitting the ground. 

To ensure safe and efficient transfers, the therapist should make sure all devices such as wheelchair and walkers are locked and in the correct position for the transfer. The use of a gait belt should be used when performing a transfer and one hand should be on it at all times. The therapist should make sure the wheelchair is in the correct position along with the sliding board for those kinds of transfers. The therapist should clearly communicate to the patient what they want them to do and may even need to show how to do it properly. 


References

Doyle, G. R., & McCutcheon, J. A. (2015, November 23). 3.7 patient transfers. Clinical Procedures for Safer Patient Care. https://opentextbc.ca/clinicalskills/chapter/3-7-transfers-and-ambulation/#:~:text=Special%20considerations%3A&text=Have%20them%20place%20their%20arms,to%20your%20centre%20of%20gravity

How to transfer a person safely - what you need to know. Drugs.com. (n.d.). https://www.drugs.com/cg/how-to-transfer-a-person-safely.html

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