By Amber Perez, Clinical Consultant and Amy Villars VP of Clinical Safety

One of the most common requests from SPHM Professionals is, “How do I improve compliance with SPHM?” In this series, we will address this issue and offer SPHM Solutions. Amy and Amber both established and grew hospital based SPHM programs and worked in the industry for over 30 years combined. Let’s dive into the issue and SPHM solutions.

Does this sound familiar, you have a SPHM program in place, you have a variety of equipment, processes, and policies in place.  In the beginning – the numbers looked great and patient falls and patient handling injuries decreased.  Unfortunately, you have either plateaued (if you are lucky) or the injuries have increased. You followed all “best practices” and this just does not make sense?

The good news AND bad news, you are not alone. SPHM programs stalling or regressing is a common complaint among SPHM professionals. Why is this happening? First, let’s consider the current landscape; we have a shortage of nurses, nursing assistants and caregivers overall, combined with a quickly aging generation – the largest we have served in the older and elderly population. This means more work and less staff available to care for patients. Next, we have an increase in skilled nursing facilities that are taking more dependent patients with higher acuities than in the past.

In the early 2000’s-2010’s, SPHM was HOT.  SPHM became the center of healthcare organizations strategic initiatives.  Programs were set up; lifts were purchases and were left to maintain as is.  However, if you don’t adapt and continually progress your program, you become stagnant. Are you working with a 10+ year old program, processes, and policy? Maybe it’s time for a refresh? 

SOLUTIONS:

One very effective, affordable, and efficient solution involves solving a caregiver issue rather than focusing on traditional SPHM. With less caregivers available to help and more tasks demanded, consider solutions to make their ‘lives easier’. While Amy and Amber established programs over 1600 miles apart, they agreed on one common solution that was “one of the most effective interventions for improving compliance” (Perez). Amy says, “It was a game-changer for me”. It’s the Limb Lifter partnered with your ceiling lifts or mobile lifts!

Once you learn about ALL the amazing things you can do with the Limb Lifter, it’s a no-brainer. They are compact and easy to store in the environment of care, they are highly versatile and have uses for ALL caregivers and unis, they are affordable, and best of all – staff LOVES this helpful solution. What can you do with limb lifters?

  • Lift Limbs (of course) for wound care, PT/OT exercises, foley care/insertion, applying compression stockings or non-slip socks, during labor for a mom with an epidural, holding up limbs side lying for hygiene activities.
  • Use to promote therapy- Quadruped (place below patients’ abdomen in a prone or side lying position), assist shoulders up in lying to sitting training, support feet when practicing slide board transfers and transferring into bed, and supporting limb for hip mobility exercise. Support sitting for sitting balance activities, secure at the foot of bed and use as a “ladder” to assist patients on sitting up on their own, (and so much more the PT/OT can dream up).
  • Assist with x-ray plate placement (lift shoulders or hips to allow one person to safely place the x-ray plate).
  • Turn a patient with their skin exposed: Bathing, thoracentesis, wound care, dressing, hygiene.
  • Intubation support: Place under shoulders to allow head to drop back for intubation.
  • Bed Pan placement/removal: Lift hips to assist placing and removing bed pan.
  • Pannus lift for bariatric patients.

The Limb Lifter offers a solution for most bedbound patients. They are easily placed, used, and removed. They are small and portable; they are affordable and most importantly- caregivers consider them an incredibly helpful tool. When you provide something practical, compliance is natural. One Caregiver with two limb lifters can perform many tasks safely alone that once required three caregivers.

Consider refreshing your SPHM program with some Limb Lifters for every unit in your facility. For training, tips & tricks, or help making the financial case – visit www.inovihealth.com