Best Ways to Move Elderly Parent from Bed to Chair

By Jamie Shapiro | April 6, 2022 | Comments Off on Best Ways to Move Elderly Parent from Bed to Chair

Is your elderly parent having difficulties moving from their bed to a chair in their room? If this is happening, it may be time to get personal care at home services. There are home care providers that offer transfer assistance for the elderly. They can help your parent to move around their home much easier. There are also some great ways to move your elderly parent from the bed to a chair and vice versa. 

Using the Best Body Mechanics

One of the things that you should focus on if you need to move your elderly parent from their bed to a chair is your body mechanics. The tips for using the best body mechanics when performing this movement include:

Personal Care at Home in Glenview, IL: Transfer Assistance

Personal Care at Home in Glenview, IL: Transfer Assistance

  • Standing with your head held up
  • Put your shoulders back
  • Lift your chest high
  • Put your back straight
  • Put your feet shoulder-width apart
  • Put one foot in front of the other using shifting motions while having your knees bent
  • Lift your parent using leg muscles rather than using your arms
  • Don’t turn your waist or reach out when you are lifting your parent
  • Allow them to assist as much as possible

If you can follow these body mechanic tips, there will be less of a chance of you or your elderly parent being injured during these transfers. If these movements are not something you can do, don’t worry. You can always hire elderly care providers to do transferring assistance. 

How to Properly Help Your Parent When They Are Reclining 

Is your elderly parent reclining in their bed, instead of laying or sitting down? Do they need to get up, but can’t move about freely on their own? If this is the case, it is important that you talk to your parent as much as you can while you position yourself. Then, you should put pillows behind their head and back to straighten them. From there, you can follow the body mechanics tips that are noted above. If you just need to move your elderly parent to prevent bedsores, you should adjust the pillows behind their back or head and tilt them to one side. The pillows will then hold them on a different angle for a bit, until they need to be moved again. 

Going from the Bed to a Wheelchair

Does your elderly parent need to move from their bed to a wheelchair? If this is the case, there are some other tips that may help you. First, be aware of your own limits and abilities. If it is too much, you can get senior care providers to offer personal care at home services which include transferring assistance. If you are going to attempt this move, communicate with your parent while you position yourself in the standing position mentioned above. You can hold onto your parent while you lift them when your knees are bent. Then, you can slowly lower them into the wheelchair. Make sure the brakes on the wheelchair are on before lifting your parent in the first place. 

Conclusion

These are some of the best ways to move your elderly parent from the bed to a chair. Now that you have these tips, you can better and safely move your parent.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Personal Care at Home in Glenview, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.

Sources

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000428.htm

Jamie Shapiro
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