Resident LiftingSystem

St. Joseph's General HospitalComox, British Columbia, Canada

Presenter:

Sandy Woiden, R.N., B.Sc.N.

Vice President, Residential Services

Prepared for:Northwest Center for Occupational Health & Safety

Occupational Hazards to Health Care Workers Conference

July 31 – August 1, 2002

WCB Injury Rates in Healthcare

More days lost per claim, and higher injury rate than the provincial average for all B.C. industries combined

Strain injuries account for 71% of serious claims Overexertion accidents (pushing, pulling, lifting &

carrying) account for 54% of serious claims Primary care givers incur 60% of serious injuries Y2K base injury rates ↑ 193% over 1999

Hospital Union Surveys its Members

77% felt ↑ workload over past few years55% felt mentally or physically stressed46% had ongoing or chronic pain while working49% used sick time to recover from muscle strain

or injury at work, other forms of pain, or from

stress in the workplace.

creditWCB - financial support Sid Fattedad

HEABC employer support Gary Moser,

Mike Arbogast

OHSAH- evaluation Annalee Yassi

Lisa Ronald

Robert Tate

Michelle Mozel

Jacqueline Sewel

Jerry Spiegel

OH&S Committee-St. Joseph’s

Resident Lifting Steering Committee- St. Joseph’s

Maggie Little - Trillium Lodge

ScopeInitial:

125 bed Extended Care Unit

- resident rooms

- bathing facilities

Subsequent:

Acute - Diagnostic Imaging

- Intensive Care Unit

- All OR’s

- Selective wards, acute care

- Morgue

Perspective

Qualitative

‘Evaluation of the Resident Lifting System Project, St.Joseph’s Hospital, Comox ‘ prepared Dec.2000 OHSAH

Experiential

BackgroundEquipment

Ceiling lift

Floor lifts

Slings

Policy

Lift vs.Transfer

“No lift” policy

Lift Designation

Improved Work Environment

Space constrained

Space unrestrained

Storage

High Risk Work Practices Eliminated

Unsafe Transfers

-due to compromising factors:

-resident

-staff

-equipment

Unsafe Lifts

ie: lift off the floor, moving up in chair or bed

Chicken lift

Mismatched Surface Heights

6 person lift eliminated

Ceiling lift to stretcher

Repositioning in chair

Turning a resident in bed

Weighing residents

Employee accommodation

Quality of Daily Life

Residents are able to:

-plan their own day -be spontaneous

-be more independent

-make use of a wider variety of equipment

Complex seating

Variable chair heights

Family response

Reduction in resident anxiety

Resident operating lift on their own

Retirement of the bed pan

Appreciative Resident

FeaturesEmergency Lowering

Simple Maintenance

Resident Comfort

Power failure release

Simplicity of maintenance

Resident Comfort

Floor Lifts have disadvantages that are eliminated with an Overhead Lifting System

Floor lift spreader bar

Bumping legs

Privacy adaptation for ceiling track gantry

Other ApplicationsIntensive Care Unit

Diagnostic Imaging

Operating Rooms

Acute Care

Morgue

ICU repositioning of patients

Options to fixed power units

Application inoutpatients and radiology

OR-urology

OR orthopedics

Benefits

Residents

Employees

Financial

Reversal of MSI spiral

Effectiveness of Installing Overhead Ceiling Lifts

(AAOHN Journal 2002; 50(3), 120-127)

Summary:

1. Installation of ceiling lifts in combination with an appropriate training program is effective in reducing the number of musculoskeletal injures (MSI) from lifting and transferring patients in an extended care unit.

It is important to divide injury types into tasks being performed at the time of the injury to evaluate the effectiveness of specific types of patient handling equipment.

Assessing subjective views of both staff and patients is essential to an effective evaluation.

Implementing a Resident Lifting System in an Extended Care Hospital

(AAOHN Journal 2002; 50(3), 128-134.)

Summary:

1. Implementing mechanical resident lifting equipment in an extended care facility produced payback from direct savings alone within 4 years. Payback occurred more quickly when the effect of indirect savings or the trend to rising compensation costs was considered.

2. Combining the observations of the occupational health nurses related to staff well being with relevant cost-benefit data is useful in influencing decision-makers and in securing funding for prevention measures.

3. Clear identification of a viewpoint is an important part of an economic evaluation and cost-benefit analysis.

Thank you for inviting me!!

Come and visit our beautiful Comox Valley on Vancouver Island

Skiing Fishing Golf