Caregiver safety is becoming more of a concern in assisted living facilities and across the healthcare spectrum.
Caregiving for the elderly is a fulfilling career. Many enter into this job field because of their passion for caring for and keeping safe the aging population.
Caregiver Safety Concerns
This job is not without challenges, however. When the safest and most effective mobility and transportation methods aren’t being used in caregiving for seniors, the risks for the patient and the caregivers greatly increase. One of the more common risk factors to caregivers is the possibility of an injury during transitioning patients from one area to another.
According to a white paper recently published by Integrogroup:
Acute care nurses and other healthcare staff are at high risk of injuries, particularly musculoskeletal disorders, due to the intense physical demands of manually lifting and moving patients.
via Effective Patient Mobilization Programs: Improving Caregiver and Patient Safety
in an Increasingly Challenging Healthcare Environment, June 15, 2017
Studies have shown that up to 52% of caregivers will suffer from an injury at work, and a great number of those injured will have hurt themselves while transporting a patient from one spot to another.
This is too many preventable injuries!
As one might expect, for many patients with limited mobility, moving from place to place is a major concern. The same can be said for those in the position of lifting or assisting.
In order to avoid injury, there are things that can be done in an assisted living setting to ensure the safety of both the elderly and their caregivers.
Assistive Furnishings Reduce Caregiver Risk Factors
Chairs and tables that aid the process of seating, moving, transitioning, or positioning a senior are called “assistive furnishings“. With assistive furnishings, the risk to seniors and caregivers is lowered substantially. Ideally, tables and chairs should also be simple to use.
Imagine the ease of effortlessly and safely gliding patients to their required destination, mealtime or otherwise, without lifting, carrying, or even jarring movements. That is the benefit of specialized chairs and tables.
For transition and mobility issues, ComforTek offers an array of assisted living seating options to ensure caregiver safety and security as clients in the facility begin to need more help moving from chair to table. These assistive furnishings are also easy to use, so easy that even a child can do it!
ComforTek knows that in order to care for the elderly, caregivers must be protected from back, neck, and other debilitating injuries incurred in the workplace. Caregiver safety is important to ensure patient/client safety.