Transfer From Bed to Chair With Mechanical Lift

Key Points

• Full-body lift transfers require two assistants and policy-compliant age/training requirements for lift operation.
• Safe transfer depends on wrinkle-free sling placement, equal loop lengths, and coordinated communication.
• Resident alignment and limb protection must be maintained throughout lift travel and lowering.

Equipment

• Full-body mechanical lift
• Lift sling
• Wheelchair
• Second trained assistant
• Hand hygiene supplies

Procedure Steps

1. Perform routine pre-procedure actions: knock, identify resident, explain procedure, provide privacy, and perform hand hygiene.
2. Raise bed to working height and coordinate roles with second assistant.
3. Cross resident arms over chest; use lift sheet to roll resident and position sling from shoulders to buttocks.
4. Pull through fan-folded sling from opposite side and smooth all wrinkles.
5. Return resident to supine and verify centered sling placement with appropriate head/knee support and body alignment.
6. Move lift over resident without contacting body.
7. Raise head of bed slightly as needed to reduce sling drag during attachment.
8. Attach top and bottom sling loops per manufacturer with equal lengths on both sides.
9. Position wheelchair, lock brakes, and create clear path for lift rotation.
10. Instruct resident on lift movement; raise until clear of bed while second assistant guides feet/alignment.
11. Move resident over wheelchair, then lower with coordinated control to seat-back alignment.
12. Remove sling from lift, move lift away from head/limbs, and tuck sling smoothly in wheelchair with loops away from moving parts.
13. Complete post-procedure comfort and safety checks, perform hand hygiene, and document/report skin issues, pain, or status changes.

Common Errors

• Unequal sling loop attachment → resident tilt and fall risk.
• Wrinkled sling under resident → pressure and skin-injury risk.
• Lift-frame contact with limbs/head during rotation → impact injury risk.
• Single-operator attempt without second assistant → unsafe control loss risk.

Related

• assisting-clients-to-transfer - Transfer-status selection and mechanical-lift indications.
• positioning-supine-to-lateral-side-lying - Shared lift-sheet turning technique for safe sling placement.