Why Your Facility Needs Lifts

Safe lifting programs benefit everyone in your facility, from residents to caregivers and management. Numerous studies have shown that mechanical lifts are a key component of these programs and are preferable to training caregivers to use body mechanics because lifting adult residents is inherently unsafe.

If you haven’t yet invested in mechanical lifts for your facility, we invite you to consider the following benefits they provide.

Benefits for residents:

• Improved quality of care, safety, comfort and satisfaction
• Reduced risk of falls, being dropped, friction burns and dislocated shoulders
• Reduced likelihood of skin tears and bruises

Benefits for caregivers:

• Reduced risk of injury
• Improved job satisfaction and morale
• Pregnant caregivers can work longer
• Staff can work to an older age
• Caregivers have more energy at the end of their shifts
• Less daily pain and muscle fatigue
• Previously injured caregivers are less likely to be re-injured

Benefits for employers:

• Reduced number and severity of staff injuries
• Lower workers’ compensation medical and indemnity costs
• Improved resident safety
• Reduced lost and restricted workdays
• Less overtime and sick leave
• Improved recruitment and retention of caregivers
• Fewer resources required to replace injured staff

As a general rule, one full-body lift should be provided for every eight to 10 non-weight-bearing residents and one stand-up lift should be provided for every eight to 10 partially-weight-bearing residents.1

Concerned about cost? Research has shown that the monetary investment in lifting equipment and training can be recovered through reduced workers’ compensation expenses and costs associated with lost and restricted work days.

If you’re updating your safe lifting program, we encourage you to review the Sample Lift Program Policy and Guide that we recently added to our website. You can find this guide, which is based on OSHA recommendations, under Clinical Documentation on the product pages that feature lifts.

Whether you’re looking to purchase your first lifts or replace aging equipment, your ProMed territory manager is here to help. To connect with us, contact your territory manager, give us a call at (800) 648-5190 or visit us online at promedsupply.com.

Reference
1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Safe Lifting and Movement of Nursing Home Residents. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2006-117/pdfs/2006-117.pdf. Accessed January 7, 2015.