High/low exam tables and stretchers are ideal for ease of transfer. If a staff member has to lift over 35#, the patient should be considered totally dependent, and assistive devices should be used to make the transfer.1 Manual lifting patients should be minimized in all cases and eliminated when possible.2,3,4,5, 22 Gait belts are not used to pick a patient up or assist patients who are uncooperative, have had recent colostomy/ileostomy or other abdominal or back surgery, severe cardiac or respiratory conditions, abdominal aneurysm, or a phobia regarding belts.24 The number of caregivers is determined by patient weight and their ability to assist. If unable to assist and over 200# use 3 caregivers. Add one caregiver for every additional 100# of patient weight.4

In general: We do not recommend the use of gait belts for safe patient handling!

Patient Dignity Alert:

Please make patient dignity a top priority when using assistive equipment. Ceiling lifts should be used to lift the patient up and place them in a transport device for travel. Sometimes patients object to transport through the room to the bathroom on a ceiling lift, so please limit this activity to private rooms. Educate your patient and their family members on safe transport and seek approval to use ceiling lifts as a mode of transport to the bathroom.

Technology Resource Guide

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 22, 24 Footnotes found in the Scoring & Algorithms for Safe Patient Handling & Mobility