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Wednesday August 3, 2011
Due to a recent event and in an effort to keep our customers
informed of risk management issues, we wanted to communicate
potential risk factors regarding mechanical lifts and slings.
There are numerous brands of lifts (Hoyer, Invacare, Reliant,
EZ-Access, etc.) There are also numerous brands of slings and in
most cases, each sling will contain a warning label that states to
utilize the sling only with the same brand of lift.
Therefore, please look at your lift program to determine if the
appropriate slings are being utilized with the appropriate
lifts. (Note: Some distributers may sell some slings as
universal slings but the warning labels may still have a disclaimer
to only utilize with the same brand of lift.) Also, each lift
manufacturer may have their own fit guide to determine how to
measure residents for the appropriate size of sling.
Therefore, if your facility has several different brands of lifts
then your staff may have to be knowledgeable of the different fit
guides to determine the appropriate size of sling. Also, your
staff should be knowledgeable on guidelines to determine what type
of sling should be utilized for the resident, i.e. bathing,
transfers, etc. Will your staff be able to answer questions
on how to measure residents for the appropriate fit of a sling for
each brand? Will your staff be able to communicate how they
assess a resident to determine which type sling is appropriate for
the resident? How will your facility be able to show how you
communicate to your staff the correct size sling and type of sling
for each resident?