Claims
- 1. The method of turning a bedfast patient from a back rest position to a side rest position in a bed having side rails, comprising,
- laying said patient in a back rest position on a pad means of substantially rectangular shape having first and second opposite parallel sides with first and second strap means extending outwardly from said first and second opposite parallel sides, respectively; with said pad means extending longitudinally from above the patient's shoulders to below the patient's hip area, buckle elements slidably mounted on said strap elements to selectively adjust the effective lengths thereof, and open hook elements being secured to said buckle elements and being adapted for securement to a side rail of a patient's bed to maintain the straps in a predetermined position with respect to the patient,
- extending said first strap means on said first side of said pad means upwardly and thence over said patient in a direction towards the second side of said pad means,
- exerting manual force on said first strap means in a direction generally towards the second side of said pad means to lift said first side of said pad means against said patient to roll said patient from said back rest position to a side rest position,
- sliding said buckle elements on said strap elements so that said hook elements are in the approximate location of the side bed rails of said bed, and
- hooking said open hook elements on said buckle elements to said bed rail to maintain said strap elements in a taut condition to maintain said patient in said side rest position.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first and second strap means are substantially aligned with at least one of the patient's shoulders or hip areas.
- 3. The method of claim 2 wherein said patient is rolled substantially to a vertical side rest position.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein said first and second strap means are pairs of straps secured to opposite sides of said pad means with each pair of straps being comprised of first and second strap elements, said first and second pairs of straps being positioned substantially in alignment with the patient's shoulders and hip areas, respectively; with said manual force being exerted on one strap element of each of said pairs of straps.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION.
This is a divisional application of copending application Serial No. 202,532, filed June 6, 1988 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,226.
Invalid bedfast patients must be moved from position to position at least every two hours to prevent the occurrence of bed sores. Thus, a patient in a back rest position must be rolled to one side or the other periodically to prevent bed sores from occurring through lack of circulation at pressure points on the body.
Semi-invalid patients have a tendency to migrate longitudinally on the bed surface from the head of the bed towards the foot of the bed, particularly when the head of the bed is slightly elevated. It is common that such a patient will have to be moved upwardly towards the head of the bed up to 16 times in a 24-hour period.
It is often extremely difficult to reposition such patients as described above, or to occasionally move them to a sitting position on the bed. Statistically, 50% to 60% of all nursing injuries occur while they are turning or repositioning patients. Many times, two nurses are required to perform the repositioning function. Because of the difficulty in repositioning a patient, and because of the back injuries frequently experienced by nurses in performing this function, some patients are not moved as often as they should be.
It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide a method and means for positioning bedfast patients which will not likely incur back injuries to the nurses performing the repositioning function.
A further object of this invention is to provide a method and means of positioning bedfast patients which will not be harmful to the patients themselves.
A further object of this invention is to provide a method and means of positioning bedfast patients whereby the patients can be easily moved longitudinally in the bed, rolled from side to side, or moved to a sitting position.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
This invention utilizes a rectangular pad means which dwells on the bed surface and extends at least from above the shoulders of the patient to a point at least below the hip areas. Pairs of straps are secured to the pad means and extend transversely across the pad means in substantial alignment with the shoulders and hip areas, respectively, of the patient. Hand gripping loops are formed in the strap elements adjacent the side edges of the pad means. Slide buckles are secured to the strap elements which extend outwardly from the side edges of the pad means, and hook elements are secured thereto for securement to bed rails and the like to temporarily hold a patient in a side rest position, for example.
The straps should be located at the pelvic girdle between the lessor trochanter of the hip joint and the crest of the ilium at the waist within the base of the ilium bones on both sides of the body. This space defines approximately eight inches, and the strap element functioning in conjunction with the hip area can suitably work within that eight-inch space.
The upper strap is located at the shoulder girdle approximately two inches above the inferior angle of the scapula and in a vertical line with the axilla of the arm. This provides an allowed space of approximately six inches, so as to allow the pulling of the strap to exert force directly around the entire shoulder section that also includes the head and the arms, all of which are attached to the shoulder girdle.
These portion of the upper torso are the largest and heaviest parts of the human anatomical body, and the moving force exerted on the patient is eased by pulling on these straps located in the shoulder and hip areas since all skeletal bones, including the spinal column, are attached to both structures.
By utilizing loops attached to the straps attached to the side edges of the pad means, the person doing the repositioning can stand substantially upright while pulling the patient or changing the patient's position. A single person can perform this manipulation with 80% less effort than done by conventional means, and this is normally accomplished merely by the nurse leaning in the direction of the pulling action.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
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202532 |
Jun 1988 |
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Patent Grant
4908889
