Transferring doesn't happen a lot. I mean, you have your seat right there so why would you need to move to a chair? But when it does, safety is important. However, just because you are using a board doesn't mean that the chair won't slip and you won't fall.
At our house we have 3 sliding boards and some accessories. There are a lot more - google "transfer board" and see what comes up - some are really strange looking. The white board on the right is called a beasy board. Friends of ours bought it for us. Actually, I don't know who did (although, I have my suspicions) but they bought it because I was helping transfer Jarrad and supposedly, this was going to make it easier on both of us. It did and didn't. It was great if I lifted Jarrad up, placed him on the round disc and then I could slide him over lift his hip again, and pull the board out. The problem was getting the disc under him. I think that this is a tool that requires some practice and skill to use. We used it when he broke his leg. The leg needed special handling and this made it easier for him to transfer. My vote - not very good for independent transfers. It is more for the caretaker/spouse than for the person using it. You can see different varieties here: http://beasyboards.com/ if you are interested. Still, it makes me feel better having it.
The middle, wooden board is a standard transfer board. Great for home. About 24 inches long and 8 inches wide. While Jarrad was transferring without it, until we get the spasms under control, he is more comfortable with it.
The 3rd is a long transfer board that we keep in the car. It is about 30 inches long and the extra inches make getting into the van so much easier. If it were a level transfer, we probably wouldn't need the board. The trip from therapy to home would have been so much easier if we had had this longer boards. Still, we wouldn't have the fun stories of trying to get Jarrad in the car in the rain if we had had it!
Sometimes, you need to cover the board to protect skin as you slide. In therapy, they used a pillow case or towel. Not ideal. By cutting a pillow case in half length wise and sewing the open ends, I could get 2 custom cases that were better than the bulky towel or ill fitting pillow case. Economical too.
Next, is that spongie shelf liner that is also sometimes used under carpets. This is great as it kind of "grabs" the board and sticks it to a surface. I would use this to help stabilize the board but later it can also be used on the lap to help things from sliding off said lap. Not 100% but helpful.
Side note: Sliding boards also make good lap tables! And Hot Wheel car ramps.
Need really is the mother of invention. At some point, someone was faced with a problem so they figured out a way to solve the problem and it benefits others. Pretty cool.
Now, could someone figure out a way to solve the spinal cord injury problem soon, please?
No comments:
Post a Comment