Restore Clinician Invention to be featured in Sammons and Preston’s Catalogue 2010
Posted by: Amy Porter
The “Love Lift” is a new device invented by one of our own clinicians. Read on to learn about its use and benefits.The problem you identified that lead you to design a solution: Patient’s with complaints of shoulder pain, patient’s receiving injuries due to being lifted from under a patient’s arms by the staff or clothing and groin area being compromised by patient’s being repositioned in their chairs by their clothing. We used to use “wheelchair pads”, but when the companies started using briefs for incontinence, the state looked up the use of wheelchair pads, as double padding. Therefore, leaving the patient’s at risk for shoulder injuries and improper lifting from staff.
What your solution does that other devices do not: Other similar devices on the market, that block a resident from sliding, can cause an internal shearing. The devices are designed to slide in one direction (back), so if a resident tries to scoot down their outer skin and clothes remain attached to the non-slick device allowing for the Ischial tuberosities (S.I.T.S.) bone to slide internally over the epidermis. Possibly causing an internal wound that may not be indentified until it has externally abcessed. The device is designed to allow for a 2 person assist, to slide a patient back in their wheelchair, who has slid down in their wheelchair despite the use of seat cushions. It encourages safer lifting practices to decrease injury to the patient’s shoulders. Along with, encouraging proper body mechanics by 2 staff members; therefore, decreasing the risk of back injuries. The “Love Lift” allows for free movement of the resident, is to be placed between the patient and the seat cushion. It is long enough in the front, that if a patient were to slide down and lumbar sit, staff could use the leg straps in the front and back 2 corners to cradle the legs and position the legs higher in the front then in the back, allowing the patient to “slide” to the back of the device and the staff to move the patient back into the proper location of the “Love Lift” and chair. The only amount of lifting required is to “clear” the seat, to allow for movement. Should the resident slide so far out of the wheelchair or end up in a compromised position on the edge of the chair, the device can still be used to “catch” the patient by 2 staff members, position the patient back onto the wheelchair seat then have the patient stand and readjust the “Love Lift”. The device can also be used in the “Rock ‘n Go”, “Broda chairs”, and gerichairs.
Details on one patient use? Cleaning? Cost: It is designed to be patient specific due to the device being billed out to the patient. It is capable of being laundered or taken outside and sprayed with Quat, and hosed off to air dry. The cost is expected to be $100.00, which is drastically cheaper then shoulder injuries, workman’s comp injuries, and state tags.