Moving And Handling People The Caregiver Way
Some families hire caregivers to take care of their sick family members at home while others want no other person to take care of them. In this case, as you will be providing care for this person, you should have a little bit of training on the proper way of moving and handling people the caregiver or nurse’s way. Remember that a person who has faced serious injuries must be aided in sitting down, getting up, or assisting him to the bathroom. The elderly and disabled, on the other hand, are also prone to bone fracture so be very careful when you handle them. However, since most of the home caregivers are women, they are also prone to back problems because of the inconvenience of the task. They usually get back problems especially when leaning over the injured person for a prolonged period of time. This is such a hard task especially if the sick person is heavier than the caregiver so better take pieces of advice from the nurses’ manual to learn the basics on moving the person and at the same time caring for your back as well.
Here are some reminders you should remember when aiding patients suffering from bone injury or physical problems.
1.You have to understand that the bones of the physically injured are prone to fractures therefore you must avoid twisting movements of their bodies while assisting or carrying him to get up.
2.Your feet should be wide apart and should be the same distance as with your shoulder and keep your body in proper balance.
3.Use your leg muscles in lifting or pulling the patient to avoid back injury.
4.Do not bend at the waist and try to maintain your spine’s natural curve in its proper position.
5.If the person is too heavy for you, call other people to help you out.
6.Keep your spine, head, and neck in proper alignment every time you exert effort on lifting and pulling.
There are two positions for the home caregivers in moving and handling people the proper way and you must take this in great consideration. While standing up and wanting to lift the person, your face should be facing toward the person while keeping your shoulder and feet on the ground. Tell the patient or the one who needs assistance to place his hands on your shoulders or on the post of the bed and position your hands at the back of the patient and hold your hands together. While holding the person firmly, pull him closer to your body and lean back further to help him shift his weight towards you. In shifting a sick person from the bed to the wheelchair, you have to bring the chair close to the bed and make sure the wheels are firmly locked. Place your arm under the person’s legs while the other arm is supporting his back and then let him sit down. Gently move the patient’s legs to the edge of the bed and turn his body slowly so that he will end up sitting on the edge of the bed. Your feet and shoulder must be wide apart while doing these. Turn towards the chair and bend your knees while positioning the patient in the wheelchair. You have to see that the person’s hands will be firmly holding the handle of the chair to avoid slipping.
Moving and handling risk assessment Moving and handling training
