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Safe Patient Handling

Everything You Need to Know About Evacuation Chairs

Everything You Need to Know About Evacuation Chairs
By Hulet Smith, OTR/L, MBA, CEO

Evacuation chairs help people who cannot safely use stairs during an emergency. Designed for short-term use, these chairs provide controlled movement, reduce lifting, and support safe evacuation in multi-story buildings. Proper placement, staff training, and regular maintenance ensure they are ready when needed. Learn how evacuation chairs improve safety, accessibility, and emergency preparedness for diverse occupants.


Top 7 Best Air Transfer Mattresses for Safer Patient Handling and Injury Prevention

Top 7 Best Air Transfer Mattresses for Safer Patient Handling and Injury Prevention
By Hulet Smith, OTR/L, MBA, CEO

This expert-reviewed guide compares the seven best air transfer mattresses for hospitals, rehab facilities, and home care environments. It highlights each mattress's clinical strengths, such as lateral transfer support, pressure injury prevention, and caregiver strain reduction. The article provides a detailed breakdown of reusable, disposable, and advanced rotational systems, making it easier for clinicians and facility managers to select the best model for their specific patient populations and care needs.


How to Choose the Right Shower Commode Chair: A Comprehensive Guide

How to Choose the Right Shower Commode Chair: A Comprehensive Guide
By Hulet Smith

Selecting the right shower commode chair is vital for ensuring an individual's safety, independence, and overall quality of life. By taking into account the user's unique needs, the bathroom environment, and the available features, you can choose a chair that offers optimal support and functionality. However, it's important to consult with a healthcare professional, like an occupational or physical therapist, to get personalized advice based on a detailed assessment of the user's requirements and surroundings before making a final choice.


The 5 Best Sit to Stand Patient Lifts

The 5 Best Sit to Stand Patient Lifts
By Hulet Smith, OT

Mobility challenges, especially as we age, can greatly impact our well-being. A sit-to-stand lift can help you reach a natural standing posture, develop balance and strength, improve range of motion, decrease muscle spasms and contractures, and decrease your fall risk. Our product experts give their top five selections in this article.


How to Choose the Best Transfer Belt

How to Choose the Best Transfer Belt
By Mike Price, OT

Patient transfers are a regular part of every day for caregivers. But injuries from improper lifting techniques are the most common way that both patients and caregivers are hurt. Garments like gait belts and transfer vests are the perfect solution for comfortable and easy transfers. Read on to learn more about them and which ones we recommend!


How To Choose a Handicap Pool Lift

How To Choose a Handicap Pool Lift
By Jeanine Clancy, MEd, BSN, RN

Pool and spa lifts provide safe access to beneficial aquatic activities that contribute to optimal physical and mental health. Choosing the best lift for your pool or spa has many features and benefits. Whether or not the lift needs to be ADA compliant, how the lift is raised and lowered, and the weight capacity all figure into a purchasing decision.


How to Choose the Best Patient Lift Sling

How to Choose the Best Patient Lift Sling
By Mike Price, OT

A properly sized and correctly used patient lift sling helps safely and comfortably transfer patients from one place or position to another. The sling provides comfort, support, and stability for the patient, helping them to accomplish daily life activities and get from one place to the next. Our product experts give their top recommendations in this article.


How to Choose the Best Hoyer Lift

How to Choose the Best Hoyer Lift
By Mike Price, OT

Hoyer Lifts are assistive medical devices which apply specially-designed slings and pads to safely lift a patient from a bed to a wheelchair, toilet, or stretcher. This How to Choose Article will help you determine the features to look for when choosing a Hoyer Lift for you or a loved one!


How to Choose the Best Ceiling Patient Lift

How to Choose the Best Ceiling Patient Lift
By Mike Price, OT

A ceiling lift is a stationary patient lifting device. Mounted on a rail system and either permanently installed or freestanding, ceiling lifts help to transfer patients between a bed, toilet, or wheelchair. This How to Choose article will help you in the process of determining which ceiling lift is best for you or your loved one!


Top 6 Best Patient Transfer Sheets

Top 6 Best Patient Transfer Sheets
By Heather Collins, MSN, RN, CNOR

Patient transfer sheets are critical for ensuring safe and effective patient handling, significantly reducing the risk of injuries to both patients and caregivers. These sheets help minimize friction and strain during transfers. Selecting the right transfer sheet involves considering factors like size, material, and reusability to enhance patient comfort and alleviate caregiver strain.


Top 5 Best Electric Hoyer Lifts

Top 5 Best Electric Hoyer Lifts
By Hulet Smith, OT

Transferring a patient between the bed, chair, toilet, or anywhere else can be one of the most stressful and dangerous of caregiver responsibilities. An electric patient lift provides the easiest way to transfer a patient to or from bed, as it requires no manual labor from a caregiver. Our product experts give their top five selections in this article.


5 Best Patient Ceiling Lifts

5 Best Patient Ceiling Lifts
By Mike Price, OT

Ceiling lifts are used in environments from home care to hospitals to help provide patient comfort and safety. But how do you know that the lift you're getting will be the best for your needs? We took the hassle out of the decision by selecting the five best from our catalog and ranking them. Check out how they stack up!


The 5 Best Hoyer Lifts

The 5 Best Hoyer Lifts
By Megan Smith, PT

A Hoyer lift will assist a caregiver in safely transferring someone who is mostly or completely immobile between bed, the bathroom, and a wheelchair or other furniture. Minimizing the strain on a caregiver and cradling the patient in a sling while the lift is rolled to another location makes this mobility device an important tool in creating a healthy patient environment. Our product experts give their top five selections in this article.


The 6 Best Patient Transfer Devices

The 6 Best Patient Transfer Devices
By Mike Price, OT

Patient transfer devices help caregivers and medical professionals to safely and easily move limited mobility patients between places of rest. This product review covers the 5 top rated transfer products that allow patients and caregivers alike to make transfers comfortable and stress-freefor everyone involved.


How to Choose the Right Patient Transfer Device

How to Choose the Right Patient Transfer Device
By Heather Collins, MSN, RN, CNOR

Patient transfer devices are assistive lifting devices which help keep both the patient and caregiver physically safe during relocation between places of rest. The careful selection of the right transfer aids can make the difference between daily struggle and a healthier, happier lifestyle for both you and the patient you care for!


The Proper Use of Patient Restraints

The Proper Use of Patient Restraints
By Heather Collins, MSN, RN, CNOR

Maintaining a delicate balance between patient safety and personal dignity is crucial in healthcare. Innovative preventative alternatives can reduce the use of patient restraints, creating a nurturing and supportive environment for patients and healthcare teams. However, when restraints are necessary, it's important to understand how to use them correctly and in the least restrictive manner tailored to the patient's condition.


What size sling should I get? [ANSWERED]

What size sling should I get? [ANSWERED]
By Brittany Ferri, OTR/L

If you care for someone who relies on a mechanical lift to get around, you know how important the right sling is. This guide will help you size a universal sling that will safely cradle your loved one. This article is merely a guide to make the selection process easier. Our product experts give their recommendations in this article.


Complete Guide to Patient Transfer Devices & How to Use Them

Complete Guide to Patient Transfer Devices & How to Use Them
By Brittany Ferri, OTR/L

It’s necessary to move, even when mobility is an issue, and patient transfer devices help people safely get to and from a wheelchair, chair, bed, car, tub, or toilet. This equipment reduces the risk of a patient falling, and decreases the physical strain that could cause caregiver injuries. Our product experts give their top recommendations in this article.


Sara Stedy vs Molift Raiser Pro: Which is the Better Sit-to-Stand Lift?

Sara Stedy vs Molift Raiser Pro: Which is the Better Sit-to-Stand Lift?
By Hulet Smith, OT

Want to know how two of the best sit-to-stand lifts in the industry compare? Check out our full review that lays out their best features and how each compares to the other. Read more to find out how each one stacks up!


Maxi Slide or Sally Tube: Which is the Best Transfer Sheet?

Maxi Slide or Sally Tube: Which is the Best Transfer Sheet?
By Hulet Smith, OT

Lateral transfers are a huge part of daily life in caregiving, but what's the best slide sheet to make them safe and easy? We compare two of the top transfer sheets head to head to determine which one comes out on top, then offer some of our honorable mentions. Read more to find out what we discovered!


Safe Patient Handling: Better with Arjo Transfer Tools

Safe Patient Handling: Better with Arjo Transfer Tools
By Hulet Smith, OT

Interested in improving patient handling either at home or in a hospital? Arjo designs and manufactures some of the best tools in the industry to help reduce injuries, improve efficacy, and make both patients and caregivers alike more comfortable through every maneuver. Read on to learn more about how to bring these amazing devices to your facility.


Patient Lift Buying Guide: How To Choose The Best Lift

Patient Lift Buying Guide: How To Choose The Best Lift
By Mike Price, OT

Patient lifts are a huge part of many caregivers' lives, but if you're new to the caregiving world, you may not know how to choose the right lift for your loved one. We know how important this purchase is, so we've gathered all of our expertise in one place to make it easy for you to choose the right lift for your needs. Learn more now!


The Caregiver's Guide to Choosing the Right Patient Lift

The Caregiver's Guide to Choosing the Right Patient Lift
By Mike Price, OT

A patient lift is used to help caregivers transport patients who have limited mobility to and from a bed, wheelchair, shower or toilet. Patient lifts come in a few basic varieties and are used in hospitals, nursing homes and private residents alike for patients with varying degrees of mobility. We've assembled this guide to walk you through the questions you should be asking when it's time to research and choose a new patient lift for your unique needs.