MDS400EL
PATIENT HANDLING SOLUTIONS
REDUCE PATIENT FALLS AND CAREGIVER INJURIES
A $1,000 Value Comprehensive
Safe ‘n Easy
Lifting Program
is included with the purchase of two
or more powered lifts/stand assists!
See page 10 for details.
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Solutions for Your Facility
Evaluating Your Program ..............................4
Benefits of a Lifting Program ...........................5
Choosing Medline ...................................7
Your Facility in Action ..............................8-9
Safe ‘n Easy Lifting Program .......................10-11
Patient Handling Equipment
Stand Assists ................................... 12-13
Elevating Floor Lifts ..............................14-15
Comparison Chart ...............................16-17
Slings ......................................... 18-21
SoloLift, SoloVests and Gait Pacer .................. 22-23
Transfer Boards ................................... 24
PolyGlide Transfer Sheets ........................... 25
Stretchers ...................................... 26-27
Mobile In-Bed Scale ................................ 27
Beds .......................................... 28-31
Evaluating Program
Evaluating Your Patient
Handling Program
If you answer “NO” to any of the questions below, there are
opportunities for improvement.
YES NO
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1. Are we designing tasks to limit the amount of
weight nurses lift? (35 pounds is the maximum
weight a nurse should be expected to lift.)
2. Are we avoiding manual handling of patients
as much as possible? (Skin tears and falls can
sometimes be traced back to manual handling.)
3. Are we avoiding light duty as much as possible by
preventing injuries? (Morale problems sometimes
stem from light duty assignments among nurses.)
4. Are we decreasing our workers compensation
claims by enforcing safe patient lifting? (Back
injuries can cost as much as $50,000 in some
cases.)
5. Are we successfully retaining our best nurses?
(12% of nurses exit the profession due to chronic
back pain.)
6. Do we have an effective and consistent means of
determining if and how a patient should be handled
by a mechanical lift? (A proper assessment should
consider a patient’s complete medical history,
current physical condition and cognitive state.)
7. Are we properly training our nurses and do they
comply with our lifting policy? (Lifting policies
are sometimes ignored, with nurses choosing to
manually handle patients.)
8. Do we have enough patient lifts? (You should have
at least 1 lift for every 8 patients who require it.)
9. Are we effectively employing stand assists?
(Stand assists should be used for most patients
who are partial weight-bearing.)
10. Are our lifting equipment and slings always in
safe and working order? (Frequent equipment
breakdowns and frayed or missing slings are two
reasons why nurses get in the habit of manually
handling rather than using lifts.)
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1
3
4
Studies show that approximately
52% of all nurses experience
significant back pain each year,
and 12% of nurses leave the
profession because of chronic
back pain.
1
Financially, a single
back injury can cost an institution
more than $50,000 in workers
compensation claims, lost time,
light duty, and turnover.
2
Despite
these statistics, many healthcare
institutions have been slow to
implement the proper lifting
programs and equipment to
prevent further injuries and
ensure safety for both workers
and patients.
1 Moses, E. B. (1992). The registered nurse
population: Findings from the national sample
survey of registered nurses. Washington DC:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
U.S. Public Health Service, Division of Nursing.
2 Collins, M. (1990). Occupational back pain
in nursing: Development, implementation,
and evaluation of a comprehensive prevention
program in nursing homes
3 Waters TR, When is it safe to manually lift
a patient, American Journal of Nursing, 2007.
4 Department of Health and Human Services,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number
2006-117
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SAFE LIFTING AND MOVEMENT OF NURSING HOME RESIDENTS
Benefits, Cost and Effectiveness
Benefits/Lifting Program
of a Safe Resident Lifting Program
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2006-117
What are the benefits of a safe resident lifting program?
The following benefits can be derived from a safe
resident lifting program that includes mechanical lifting
equipment, worker training on the use of the lifts,
and a written resident lifting policy:
Benefits for Residents
• Improved quality of care
• Improved resident safety and comfort
• Improved resident satisfaction
• Reduced risk of falls, being dropped, friction burns,
dislocated shoulders
• Reduced skin tears and bruises
Benefits for Employers
• Reduced number and severity of staff injuries
• Improved resident safety
• Reduced workers’ compensation medical and
indemnity costs
• Reduced lost workdays
• Reduced restricted workdays
• Reduced overtime and sick leave
• Improved recruitment and retention of caregivers
• Fewer resources required to replace injured staff
Benefits for Caregivers
• Reduced risk of injury
• Improved job satisfaction
• Increased morale
• Injured caregivers are less likely to be re-injured
• Pregnant caregivers can work longer
• Staff can work to an older age
• More energy at the end of the work shift
• Less pain and muscle fatigue on a daily basis
Workplace
Safety and Health
TM
How effective is mechanical lifting equipment in preventing injuries to caregivers?
Research has shown that safe resident lifting programs
reduce resident-handling workers’ compensation
injury rates by 61%, lost workday injury rates by
66%, restricted workdays by 38%, and the number
of workers suffering from repeat injuries (Collins et al.,
2004). Similar findings have been reported by other
investigators (Tiesman et al., 2003; Nelson et al., 2003;
Garg, 1999). Furthermore, this research has shown an
increase in caregiver job satisfaction, and a decrease in
“unsafe” patient handling practices performed. Nurses
ranked lifting equipment as the most important element
in a safe lifting program (Nelson et al., 2003).
What benefits will a safe resident lifting program have for nursing home residents?
Although some residents may be reluctant to try new
lifting devices, studies have shown that the use of
mechanical lifting equipment increases a resident’s
comfort and feelings of security when compared to
manual methods (Zhuang et al., 2000; Garg and Owen
1992). Injuries to residents are also reduced because
the mechanical lifts protect residents from being
dropped. Anecdotal information indicates that a
reduction in skin tears and bruises may result when
residents are handled mechanically rather than
manually (Garg, 1999).
1-800-MEDLINE | www.medline.com 5
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Why Choose Medline for All Your
Patient Handling Needs?
1. Patient Handling Expertise
Medline designs its own patient handling equipment with input from industry
experts in hospitals, nursing homes, and homehealth. Our patient handling experts
are specialists in ergonomics, physical therapy, and human factors engineering —
with years of experience in implementing patient handling programs.
2. The Right Product for Every Move
Whether you are moving patients vertically, laterally, or from the floor, we have
the right product to safely accomplish the move. These include elevating floor lifts,
stand assists, comfortable slings, sliding transfer sheets, transfer boards, stretchers,
multi-positional chairs, air-assisted transfer devices, beds, and much more.
Choosing Medline
3. Competitive Prices
Safe patient handling can be a large capital investment for most organizations, but
Medline can help you with solutions that fit your budget. We also offer flexible financing
programs to help you manage your cash flow better.
4. A Simple, Yet Comprehensive Safe Patient Handling Program
Our program is evidence-based, reflecting the best thinking and practices in patient
lifting. Our Safe ‘n Easy Lifting Program includes training videos, assessment tools,
lift policy, implementation roadmap, financial tools, and much more.
5. Educational Programs in Patient Handling
We regularly hold educational forums to educate your staff on patient handling topics.
Some of our most popular conferences include
a. Safe Patient Handling in the Acute Care Environment
b. Safe Patient Handling in the Operating Room
c. Safe Patient Handling in the Long Term Care Environment
d. Specifying and Selecting Safe Patient Handling Equipment
e. How to Implement a Safe Patient Handling Program in Your Facility
f. Lateral Transfers and Repositioning for Healthcare Facilities
g. Safe Patient Handling for the Developmentally Disabled
1-800-MEDLINE | www.medline.com 7
Your Facility in Action
Medline Has the Right Patient Handling
Equipment For Your Entire Facility
Bariatric Room and Bathroom
n Bariatric Sling
and Trapeze
n Bariatric Bed
n Bariatric
Elevating
Floorlift
n Bariatric
n Wheelchair
n Trapeze
Commode
n Grab Bars
n Bariatric
Transfer
Bench
Bathing Room
n PVC
Shower
Bench
n Walker
n Handling
Belt
n Grab
Bars
n Commode
n PolyGlide
Transfer
Sheet
n Bed
n Powered
Stand Assist
Patient Room and Bathroom
8
n Transfer
Bench
Charging Station
Your Facility in Action
Rehab Room
n Mobile Scale
Exam Room
n Manual
Stand
Assist
Intensive Care Room
n Stretcher
n PolyGlide
Transfer Sheet
n Transfer Board
Waiting Area
Invest in Reducing Caregiver Injuries.
“ Cost-benefit analyses demonstrate that
the initial investment in lifting equipment
and employee training can be recovered
in two to three years through reductions
in workers’ compensation expenses.”
“ Research has shown that safe resident
lifting programs reduce resident-handling
workers’ compensation injury rates
by 61%, lost workday injury rates by
66%, restricted workdays by 38%,
and the number of workers suffering
from repeat injuries.”
n PolyGlide
Transfer Sheet
n Stretcher
Operating Room
Collins JW, Wolf L, Bell
J, Evanoff B [2004]. An
Evaluation of a “Best
Practices”. Musculoskeletal
Injury Prevention Program
in Nursing Homes. Injury
Prevention 10:206-211.
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Lifting Program
A $1,000 Value Comprehensive
Safe ‘n Easy
Lifting Program
is included with the purchase of two
or more powered lifts/stand assists!
Medline is dedicated to providing a safe environment
to all facilities using their equipment. Protect patients
and staff with Medline’s Safe ‘n Easy Lifting Program. Our
program is evidence-based, reflecting the best thinking and
practices in patient lifting.
This includes, for example, work accomplished by the 2001
Technical Advisory Group (a collaboration of the VHA Public
Health and Environmental Hazards, the Patient Safety Center
Inquiry, and the Healthcare Analysis and Information Group), as
well as the 2005 National Task Force (representatives from the
American Association of Rehabilitation Nurses, the American
Physical Therapy Association, and the Veterans Administration).
Medline’s Safe ‘n Easy
Lifting Program Includes:
Expert Phone Support
Our lifting specialists can
help you with your questions
and guide you step-by-step
in implementing a complete
patient lifting program.
Inservicing Video
Train your employees in
the proper operation and
maintenance of patient
lifting equipment. This
short DVD reviews all the
basic moves to ensure
your employees are
competent in moving
and repositioning patients.
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