Your Health
Moving People
Always assess the situation and be sure you are confident in carrying it out. Some things that you might take into account.:
- Does the person need moving or can they be encouraged to move themselves?
- Look at the environment
- Plan the task
- Some common manoeuvres - Sit to Stand, Stand to Sit and Rolling in Bed
Does the person need moving or can they be encouraged to move themselves?
- Sometimes when the environment is changed slightly, a person can manage to move him or herself much more easily, e.g. chair and bed should be the right height.
- You should not try lifting or moving a person under the armpits or using his or her arms to pull on as this can injure a person.
- Can the person take his or her own weight reliably? If not, you could ask for further help from Social Services to show you the best way to move the person you care for.
- How co-operative is the person you wish to move? Is he or she able to communicate with you his or her wishes and needs? Is there a way that you can enlist his or her co-operation?
- How fit are you? Can you manage the task? What help might you need to manage it more safely?
- Make it as easy to move in as possible.
- Remove obstacles and ensure adequate lighting and ventilation.
- Make sure that you are not putting yourself at risk of a back injury.
- Avoid twisting, stooping, stretching or taking too much weight.
- Make sure the person you are moving is doing as much for his or herself as possible.
- Make sure you are feeling confident to carry out the task.
- Check brakes are applied to wheelchairs and footplates are moved out of the way.
- Position feet correctly. One should be brought back almost under the chair and the other just a slight step forward, to give a stable base to stand on.
- Wriggle the bottom forward to near the front of the seat.
- Lean forward and bring 'nose over toes'.
- Push up using hands on the arms of the chair or side of the bed. Do not pull up on walking frame.
- If necessary, rock a couple of times to get momentum to stand.
- If assisting a person to stand, stand by his or her side, place one hand on the furthest hip (arm behind the person) and one hand in front of the near shoulder; use the words 'ready, steady, stand' and move forward with the standing person. Remember your own posture - knees bent, back straight, etc. If standing from a bed, sit next to the person you are helping and stand with him or her.
- Make sure that the person sitting has moved back to the chair or bed so that he or she can feel it with the back of his or her legs.
- Get him or her to feel for the arms of the chair or side of the bed, and put his or her hands on them.
- Stand to one side and guide him or her into the seat if necessary. Otherwise let them gently sit down by pushing bottom back and bring the head forward.
- Get the person to look in the direction of the roll.
- Ask him or her to bring the far arm over and move the near arm out of the way so it is not rolled on. If possible, ask the person to hold the edge of the mattress or any equipment attached to the side of the bed and pull.
- Bend the far leg or cross it over the near leg.
- Put your hand behind the far shoulder and hip and, on the count of 'ready, steady, roll', gently roll the person towards you.
This technique may well be useful to enable you to change the bed or place something, such as an incontinence sheet, under the person you are caring for.
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