Transfers & Lifting

For children with multiple disabilities, toilet training is a challenging process. This whitepaper describes the effective use of prompts to shape behaviors and function during the toileting process for successful outcomes in children with physical disabilities.

Gerard Dybel PT, ScD, GCS, is an associate professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. His research interests include ergonomics, injury prevention in health care workers and the implementation of no-lift technology by physical therapists practicing in rehabilitation departments. He recently conducted a pilot study on safe patient handling (SPH) to evaluate...

As therapists working in acute care and rehab well know, safe patient handling (SPH) is becoming a widely accepted discipline. Advocating the use of lifts and additional equipment for patient transfers and gait training routines, the safe patient handling movement seeks to eliminate all unnecessary manual handling of patients. This is because statistics have clearly shown that work-related musculoskeletal...

Since introducing our XL Pacer, TRAM, and E-Pacer we have been introduced to a growing body of clinicians who are active in early mobility, a practice that is becoming increasingly accepted and implemented in ICUs across the country. There is growing evidence showing that the provision of early ambulation support to critically ill and injured patients results in more favorable recovery outcomes as...

Safe patient handling is big. Some states have already passed legislation supporting this trend in healthcare and many hospitals and institutions are implementing “no lift” or “zero lift” programs with much success. In these instances success is described in terms of decreased staff injuries, decreased workers’ compensation monies, and improved patient experience. There is a...