Safe Patient Handling is now the new norm for healthcare facilities. Many states have safe patient handling laws including Minnesota, Texas, Rhode Island, Maryland, Washington, New Jersey and Illinois.
Safe patient handling means a process that uses safe patient handling equipment rather than people to transfer, move, and reposition patients in all health care facilities, in order to reduce workplace injuries and the risk of injury to patients. Safe patient handling equipment may include lifts, engineering controls or other devices.
Ohio, New York, and Hawaii have enacted legislation which supports SPH but doesn't directly require SPH and resident handling. It's important to ask yourself whether your facility is in compliance with your state law.
Question to ask include:
- Do you have your safe patient handling committee formed?
- Do you have your assessment done?
- Do you have your written plan in place?
- Do you have your safe patient handling equipment?
- Is your staff trained to use the equipment?
- What is working best for your facility?
Medcare Products is committed to finding solutions that meets the needs of your individual facility. Let's help each other out - feel free to leave comments or suggestions about what has worked for you and your facility.
Candy Wolff is the Director of Business Development & Corporate Communications at Medcare Products.