In this video on stroke care, we look at various safe handling and transfer techniques for stroke patients.
Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in Singapore. Stroke survivors may continue to have some form of physical disability after they are discharged from hospital, thus requiring assistance to roll in bed, get out of bed and to sit out on a chair.
Here is an example of a patient transfer technique that reduces risk of injury to the patient and caregiver. If you have not been taught by a healthcare professional on these techniques, please speak to a neurological physiotherapist before attempting them yourself.
Moderate Assistance Transfer: Position a chair in line with the bed. Ensure there is sufficient space at the edge of the bed before rolling the patient over. First, ask the patient to hold onto the weaker arm. Bend the opposite knee. With one hand on the pelvis and the other hand on the shoulder blade, ask the patient to roll towards you with you guiding as necessary. Next, ask the patient to use her stronger leg to bring her weaker leg over the edge of the bed. Stabilise the patient's hip and ask the patient to push up to sitting.
If the patient is sitting too far in the bed, shuffle the patient's bottom forward. Lean the patient on the right and guide the left buttock forward. Then. lean the patient to the left and guide the right buttock forward. Ensure that both the patient's feet are placed flat on the floor.
Place the chair near the patien't strong arm. If it is a wheelchair, ensure the brakes are applied. Stabilise the patient's knees between yours. Lower yourself to the patient's eye level by bending your knees but keeping your back straight. Commuicate to the patient what you are about to do. Place her strong hand on the armrest of the wheelchair. Ask her to participate by leaning forward and turning towards the bed to bring the buttocks across to the wheel chair seat. Make sure your path of view is not blocked by the patient's head. Cue the patient by saying, "1, 2, 3, Up". To transfer, lean the patient forward, pivot at the patient's knees, then bring the buttocks over to the chair.
Assist the patient to sit well. Make sure the patient is seated up straight at the centre of the chair. Secure the footplates.
If you have difficulty in transferring your loved one affected by stroke, ask a doctor to refer you to a neurological physiotherapist.
Check out our other patient transfer videos using the minimal assistance technique and maximum assistance technique.
How do you transfer a patient on wheelchair safely into and out of a car? Ms Lee Shu Hui, Senior Occupational Therapist from SingHealth Community Hospitals [SCH], demonstrates how.
As a dutiful child, you accompany your mom for her medical appointment. Wheeling your mom to the car was easy but the greatest hurdle is how do you transfer her safely into the car? Should you start with her left or right leg first? How do you carry her into the car?
Caregivers are often required to help patients with transportation to and from medical appointments. While some are able to transfer their loved ones easily, others might require ssistance.
Without the proper techniques, making a wheelchar transfer can be difficult and may even result in injury.
“A common mistake that caregivers make while transferring patients [into and out of a car] is parking the wheelchair far away or too near to the vehicle,” shared Ms Lee Shu Hui, Senior Occupational Therapist from SingHealth Community Hospitals [SCH], a member of the SingHealth group.
Having enough space between the wheelchair and the vehicle is essential to allow caregivers to transfer patients safely.
What is the right distance between the patient on wheelchair and the car?
Distance is too far: If the distance requires the caregiver to carry the patient through a longer distance for car transfer, this can lead to an increased risk in falling for patients who are less mobile.
Distance is too near: If there is not enough space for the patient and caregiver to stand and pivot during transfer, the patient and caregiver may injure themselves during car transfer.
While performing wheelchair transfers, caregivers should take note of the following to prevent patients from getting injured.
Safety precautions when transferring a patient on wheelchair to and from a car
Now that you know some safety pointers, here are the steps to transfer a loved one on wheelchair into and out of a car safely.
How to transfer a patient from a wheelchair into a car [passenger side of the vehicle]
Park wheelchair near the car seat and parallel to the vehicle
Lock the brakes on both sides of the wheelchair to prevent the wheelchair from moving
Remove the leg and foot rests on both sides of the wheelchair
Lift the arm rest of the wheelchair, located closet to the vehicle
Move the patient slightly forward and towards you
Place the patient’s right hand onto the vehicle’s seat
Place the patient’s left hand on the wheelchair arm rest
Lift the patient by holding the waist band and let patient sit on the vehicle’s seat first
Bring both legs into the car, starting with the right leg
Don’t forget to help the patient put on the seat belt
How to transfer a patient from a car onto a wheelchair [passenger side of the vehicle]
Lock the brakes on both sides of the wheelchair to prevent the wheelchair from moving
Remove the leg and foot rests on both sides of the wheelchair
Lift up the right arm rest of the wheelchair, which is closest to the vehicle
Bring both legs of the patient out of the car, starting with the left leg
Move the patient slightly forward towards you
Place the patient’s left hand on the left arm rest of the wheelchair
Place the patient’s right hand on the vehicle’s seat
Lift the patient by holding the waist band and let the patient sit on the wheelchair
Bring down the right arm rest of the wheelchair
Attach the leg and foot rests on both sides
Watch the instructional video below!
Ref: K21
Check out other articles on healthy ageing:
Best Foods for the Elderly
Best Exercises for Seniors
7 Common Ageing Problems Faced by Seniors
Must-Know Nutrition and Diet Tips for Seniors
Why Seniors Need to Be Vaccinated
How to Prevent Falls in the Elderly
Depression in Seniors