I post the below as FYI for all care givers. If you have a person who U must
help in the bed, then you must have this device in place. Other wise, you will
suffer permanent injury. Regards GaryC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 5, 2004 Houston VA Gives Veterans a Lift New
ceiling-mounted patient lifts reduce staff injuries, advance patient care, and
improve everyone's morale. HOUSTON - The Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
(MEDVAMC) recently completed installation of ceiling-mounted patient lifts for
40 beds on its Spinal Cord Injury Unit and 127 beds on its Transitional Care
Center. In addition, one was installed to assist in the Urodynamic Lab. The
MEDVAMC has taken this action in response to the fact that nursing is the
riskiest occupation for back injuries. According to a report from the Bureau of
Labor Statistics, registered nurses, nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants
top the list of occupations most associated with work-related musculoskeletal
disorders. There are two main risk factors for back injury among nurses: lifting
or transferring patients, and repositioning patients. The Spinal Cord Injury
Unit provides medical care for veterans with spinal cord injury
or dysfunction, while the Transitional Care Center cares for veterans who need
prolonged nursing care, rehabilitation, or pressure sore care before going home,
to a nursing home, or to an assisted-living environment. During a typical shift
on average, a MEDVAMC staff nurse will lift 20 patients into bed, and transfer
10 patients from bed to a chair. Patients typically weight in excess of 100
pounds, a load well above the weight that would be considered 'safe' for
industrial workers for this frequency of lifting. Each of the recently installed
patient lifts handles up to 550 pounds and can be upgraded to handle up to 1,100
pounds by adding another motor to the existing rail. The new lift system allows
nurses to easily turn a patient, transfer patients to and from their bed to a
chair, wheelchair, or stretcher. In the bathroom, the system is used to securely
support the patient during bathing. The overhead lift system is fast becoming a
favorite of the patients for its comfort and
feeling of gliding to their destination. On the staff side, patient lifts
reduce the physical demands for the nursing staff. Because of the sling support
from above, it is much easier for nurses to negotiate around furniture and
equipment in the room. In addition, there is never a requirement to make a bed
while the patient is still in it. "The new lifts have been a great help, not
only to us, the nurses, but also to the therapists and the patients. It's great
how easy it is to now lift a patient without worrying about the bulkiness and
instability of the old system. Nurses are now more able to do more of the lift
transfer themselves without the need for help. I can honestly say the lifts in
each room and each patient assigned their own slings, have made a big difference
in job satisfaction and staff morale on this unit," said Reginald Velasquez,
LVN, Spinal Cord Injury Unit staff nurse. The MEDVAMC plans to install patient
lift systems in the Spinal Cord Injury Outpatient Clinic,
Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Nursing Unit 4D, Radiology, and the Primary Care
Clinics in the near future.



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