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Transfering Using a transfer board vs hoist
I am eager to learn to transfer using a transfer board to enable me to sit on say a friends sofa without needing a hoist. Ever since I had my spinal fusion in 2002 I have been souly reliant on a hoist for all transfers due to the op taking away flexibility and strength. Now a decade later I am still gaining back abilities I had before. Learning to use different muscles to where once I relied on my “curve” to compensate to where my muscles lacked strength. I feel like I am now in a position to “try” to learn to transfer again. But here’s what’s worrying me….
The fusion and my progressive lordosis makes me quite off balance and feeling “top heavy.” I cannot weight bare through my legs but can sit on the edge of my wheelchair and use my feet on the floor for stability, just my legs cannot support my body weight. My arms are quite weak aswell and I have a % degree contracture in each elbow.
Before the operation I used the boards the standard way, bracing myself with my arms, feet firmly on the floor and bum shuffled across. But I have a feeling because of how much different my body is now to then I’ll have to support myself in slightly different ways to get across.
Is there anybody else on this board who still does a “transfer” without a hoist who can maybe give me some tips?
Re: Transfering Using a transfer board vs hoistWell I’m still a regular transfer board user, and find it indispensable.
I’m not really sure if I have any useful tips. Obviously it’s important to take gradient into account. It’s far more difficult to transfer uphill, as it were. Sometimes it may be worth trying to gain a bit of extra height by adding a cushion. I’d never attempt a transfer without someone vaguely sensible to supervise it, and to grab hold of a leg and move it if I get stuck (and only if I ask them to!!). But in general terms slow but sure is the best way. If you make sure that at every point you keep enough of the transfer board underneath your bum, you should be ok.
Oh, and post-shower transfers when you’re wet are assisted considerably by the use of talc. Otherwise, ouch!
Re: Transfering Using a transfer board vs hoistDo you have a good Occ Health peep you can talk to? Mine gave me [on loan] a beasy transfer board to make it easier to ‘glide’ from car into wheelchair. This is the type where you sit on a pad and it slides across to the other end . Sometimes it works sometimes the glide isn’t so much a glide as a shuffle.
As with many aids and adaptions, it maybe a case of getting your hands on one to try before committing especially if you have to purchase the thing.
I'm always the animal, my body's the cage
I blog about nothingness www.amgroves.com
Re: Transfering Using a transfer board vs hoistHi
Before I got my hoist my OT came out with a transfer board to see if we could transfer that way. I cannot weight bear and it takes the slightest knock to put me off balance so for me it did not work. I remember him suggesting and transfer board and slipsheet combo to help with the slide which was still no good for me but might be worth exploring? I agree with AMG about involving an OT, I have also been able to borrow things to try short term and have on long term loan if the equipment proves useful. The downside is that once you start the ball rolling you can a bit of a wait for an assessment but every area is different.
A learning experience is one of those things that say, “You know that thing you just did? Don’t do that.” - Douglas Adams
Re: Transfering Using a transfer board vs hoistThanks for the helpful insights and tips
The Beasy Transfer Board looks ideal! I’ve never heard of these before. What a clever adaptation to the standard transfer board
I imagine as far as transfering onto a friends sofa goes the likelyhood of it being somewhat level to my electric wheelchair is not very high. As it is my chair is quite a great deal higher than OUR sofa in our front room which is a pretty standard height. Definitely a no go for practising on. How does one accomplish transfering from different heights? Afterall I cannot really “adapt” the height of my friends sofa as it’s not mine! LOL. Also has anybody found any good arm positioning during a transfer where you’ve felt more stable?
Thanks again everyone
Fi
Re: Transfering Using a transfer board vs hoistI find the videos on youtube a useful source. I often have trouble visualising transfers or the use of aids etc but the videos can be real helpful, the step by steps ones are great. particularly the videos done by disabled people rather than a able bodied sales person.
Re: Transfering Using a transfer board vs hoistI don’t use a slide board unless I have to. I still use a standing transfer with the hard won permission of the care agency I use. It took me (and a very helpful physio) a very long time to convince them to let me, but it was also partly because using a slide board for a year resulted in my having pressure sores and falling on the floor a lot. But one of my PAs (luckily for me trained as an OT) and I did do a lot of research to find the best boards for me, in case the decision went against the stand. We went to the DLF in north London and spent a good 45 minutes playing around with different bits of kit. The best solution we found was this:
a slightly curved slide board – it’s a green one, can’t remember who by but it’s less curved than the banana board
a hip sling that is designed to go with a stand aid – it’s the sling that goes with the Romedic Return from Nordic Care: https://web82.secure-secure.co.uk/walkeze.co.uk/acatalog/Ross_Return2.htmlPut the sling on – it goes right under your bum and has handles in two positions. Your PA/ friend positions the slide board and kneels on the floor in front of you, then uses the handles to help move you along the board. Because the sling goes under your hips you wont be pulled over sideways as you would using a simple transfer belt.
I know some people use pillow cases as slide sheets on transfer boards as well. I tend to use a plastic bag if I need something slippy!
Re: Transfering Using a transfer board vs hoistNow that was an informative post to read on about the transferring Using a transfer board vs hoist. I am new here and was searching in the site how to transfer using transfer board. The way you have explained things here in a brief manner was very easy to follow and understand.
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