Helping a patient transfer can be difficult and dangerous for both the caregiver and the patient they are helping. The transfer process presents many challenges for home health care providers as many patients have various degrees of mobility and strength and no one person is alike. At Buddy Bar, we sought to help reduce some of this risk and help both caregivers and patients transfer safely which increases mobility and the likelihood of better home care.
Some challenges or risks of doing traditional transfers without a Buddy Bar device:
- Using tools like the gait belt can help but still puts unnecessary pressure on the abdomen and back of the patient. It also requires the caregiver to bend at the back to support more weight while often times leaning forward.
- Patients can incur body injuries by bending, twisting, or bearing weight through arms, legs, and hips which are found in traditional transfers.
- Caregivers have been known to accidentally dislocate the patient’s arm or damage axillary nerves during this process because they are pulling on the patient to help them out of a seat or up from a seated position.
- Caregivers themselves risk back, hip, or arm injuries, as well as neck and shoulder strains leading to time off work, associated pain, and significant cost to a health facility.
HOW DOES BUDDY BAR WORK?
Buddy Bar is a stable grip structure that easily attaches to a wheelchair or commode. When extended and set in an upright position, the bars allow the patient to pull themselves into a standing position. This is done by focusing the pulling effort on their stronger group of muscles (legs and back) instead of requiring the patient to push up using their arms, and shoulders.
As a caregiver, when working with a patient who has a Buddy Bar attached to their wheelchair or commode, you do not need to reach down to grab the patient, often bending your back at an angle that puts more weight on your back than your legs. Buddy Bar minimizes the opportunities for accidents, pulls, and strains and generally improves good work practices by simplifying the transfer process with greater safety to the caregiver and their patients.
An additional benefit of Buddy Bar is that when used, the patient maintains the proper ergonomic body position for supporting their weight as they transition from a seated position to standing or vice versa. This builds confidence and encourages greater upper body movement and exercise. This factor has been a benefit for those who are typically immobile for long periods during the day.