It may be unsafe to help with a transfer alone when your loved one cannot bear weight, loses balance, needs to be lifted, moves unpredictably, or has experienced new pain, weakness, or a recent fall. Stop before either person is injured and seek an appropriate assessment rather than relying on strength or improvising a transfer.
An unsafe elderly transfer can place the caregiver and older adult at risk of injury. Warning signs may appear while helping someone rise from bed, stand from a chair, use the toilet, or move between surfaces.
Pause the transfer when:
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health explains that handling and moving people can expose caregivers to injury, and safe patient-handling practices may require assistive technology.
Families can learn more about mobility and transfer assistance for seniors.
Knowing when to get transfer assistance is important when the task has changed or now requires more strength than one person can safely provide.
Stop trying alone when your loved one:
Do not continue simply because the same transfer worked previously. A person’s abilities may change after an illness, injury, hospital stay, or period of reduced activity.
The CDC reports that more than one in four older adults falls each year. No care plan can guarantee that a fall will not occur, but recognizing unsafe situations can help families avoid taking unnecessary risks.
A senior transfer assessment may be appropriate when the person cannot bear weight, requires substantial lifting, experiences pain, or may need specialized equipment.
An assessment should also be considered when:
A physical therapist, occupational therapist, healthcare provider, or qualified equipment professional can evaluate clinical needs and provide guidance within their professional scope.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration identifies transfer and lifting devices as important tools for reducing risks associated with moving people. Families should not select, install, or operate transfer equipment without appropriate assessment and instruction.
Contact a healthcare provider about new pain, weakness, dizziness, or rapid functional changes. Call 911 for a serious injury, loss of consciousness, severe breathing difficulty, or sudden inability to walk or move, as advised by MedlinePlus.
Professional transfer assistance at home may be included in a non-medical care plan when the movement has been assessed and can be completed within safe handling guidelines.
Depending on the care plan, a caregiver may provide:
Nana Cares’ personal care services in Indianapolis may include appropriate mobility and transfer support. Nana Cares does not provide physical therapy, occupational therapy, clinical assessments, unsafe manual lifting, guaranteed two-person staffing, or equipment training.
Families arranging post-hospital home care in Indianapolis should share discharge and rehabilitation instructions with all appropriate care providers.
Nana Cares LLC offers free needs assessments for Indianapolis-area families concerned about transfers, mobility, caregiver strain, and daily personal-care routines.
The team can discuss how transfers are currently completed, whether your loved one bears weight, recent changes or falls, the home environment, scheduling needs, and caregiver availability. Nana Cares can then explain whether the requested assistance fits an appropriate non-medical Personal/Attendant Care plan.
Compassionate, non-medical in-home care for seniors and adults with disabilities across Central Indiana.
Nana Cares provides personal care, homemaker services, companion care, respite care, and overnight support with a warm, professional approach.