Helping someone move from bed to chair sounds simple until it goes wrong. Moving and handling injuries are the most common cause of harm to both older people and the family members caring for them. This guide explains how safe transfers work, when equipment is needed, and why the old fashioned lift under the arms should never be used.
Lifting a person bodily risks a back injury for the carer and skin damage, shoulder injury or a fall for the person being moved. The drag lift, hooking under someone's armpits, is a particular culprit and can dislocate a shoulder in a frail older person.
Professional care in England works on the principle that people are assisted to move themselves wherever possible, and that equipment does the lifting when they cannot. That is not overcaution, it is the difference between a sustainable arrangement and two injured people.
Never lift under the arms or attempt a bodily lift
Assist the person to move themselves wherever possible
Use equipment for any transfer the person cannot manage
Clear the route and check brakes before starting
Explain each step and move at the person's pace
Assessment comes first
Every transfer should follow a moving and handling risk assessment carried out by a competent person, usually an occupational therapist or the care provider's care manager. It records what the person can do, what equipment is required, how many carers are needed and any conditions such as pain or a fragile shoulder.
That assessment is then written into the care plan, so a relief carer arriving for the first time knows exactly how the transfer is done. Improvising a transfer is where injuries happen.
Equipment, from simple to full hoist
Simple aids come first. A bed lever, a rope ladder, a transfer board, a turntable disc or a stand aid may be all that is needed, and each keeps the person actively involved in the movement.
Where someone cannot weight bear at all, a mobile hoist with a sling is used. Slings are individually assessed for size and type, and the wrong sling is genuinely dangerous. A ceiling track hoist is easier and safer in a small room, though it requires installation.
Bed levers and rope ladders for getting up in bed
Slide sheets to reposition without dragging skin
Transfer boards and turntables for seated transfers
Stand aids where the person can weight bear partially
Mobile or ceiling track hoists where they cannot weight bear
One carer or two
Most modern hoists are designed for use by a single trained carer, and many assessments conclude that one is sufficient. Two carers are required where the assessment says so, typically for unpredictable movement, significant pain, bariatric needs, or where a person becomes distressed and resistant during transfers.
Do not treat a two carer recommendation as negotiable. If a package is only funding one and the assessment says two, raise it with the council or the assessor rather than letting a family member make up the difference.
Maintenance and the legal bit
Hoists and slings are lifting equipment and must be inspected by a competent person at statutory intervals, typically every six months for equipment lifting people. Keep the inspection certificate and check slings for fraying, stitching damage and washing label legibility before every use.
Never use a sling that is damaged, unlabelled or not the assessed type for that person and that hoist. Report any concern immediately rather than making do.
Statutory inspection of hoists and slings at required intervals
Visual check of the sling before every single use
Only use the assessed sling type and size for that person
Keep the hoist charged and the route clear
Report damage and stop using the equipment straight away
How our carers work
Moving and handling training is mandatory for our carers, refreshed regularly and recorded. Transfers are set out in the care plan and risk assessment before care starts, and a care manager reviews them after any change such as a fall, a hospital stay or new equipment.
If a transfer is not working, tell us rather than persevering. Small adjustments to bed height, chair position or sling type usually make a difficult transfer straightforward, and comfortable transfers protect skin, joints and confidence.
Frequently asked questions
Can one carer use a hoist safely?
Many modern hoists are designed for single carer use, and the moving and handling assessment decides whether one or two carers are needed.
How do we get a hoist?
Through an occupational therapy assessment arranged by the council or hospital team. Equipment is often provided free after assessment.
Can family members use the hoist too?
Only after proper training from the occupational therapist or supplier. Never improvise with lifting equipment.
How often must a hoist be inspected?
Lifting equipment used to lift people requires statutory inspection at set intervals, typically every six months, by a competent person.
Is it ever safe to lift someone off the floor by hand?
No. Use an emergency lifting cushion or hoist, or call for help. Manual lifting risks injury to both people.
What if my relative is frightened of the hoist?
Fear is common at first. A slow, narrated approach, the right sling and the same familiar carer usually resolve it within a few transfers.
