Need carers who can lift

[HermioneWeasley]

My dad falls regularly and I thought that if they had careers coming in a few times a day then at least he wouldn’t be waiting 4+ hours for a paramedics each time. My mum would also feel more confident about him getting up to do his exercises if someone was around who could lift him if his legs give out. She’s spoken to 3 different agencies and they all say their carers aren’t allowed to lift.

surely there must be carers who lift people? What about people who are immobile? It can’t just be a case that only paramedics can do this?

can anyone help?

thanks

It's time for a nursing home, you need a hoist to do this.

Does he have a wheelchair or walking frame?

You will not find anyone able to lift!

He gets about in their flat on a walking frame. My mum uses a wheelchair for him when they have to go out.

she can manage his personal care needs, just can’t lift him up when he falls

Sadly you need residential care. Him being at home isn't safe anymore, for him or for any potential carers.

How often is he falling?
Has he been seen by the falls clinic?

My Mum had a falls call button which went through to a service which was manned by carers with specialist inflable chair equipment to help the person back up. They only help up people who are unjured and have not been on the floor for a long time. Try googling the name of your area and falls response.

It sounds like he may also need a care assessment from SS.

Carers aren’t allowed to lift and rightly so because it presents too much of a risk. Look into purchasing or hiring a hoist just in case it’s needed, don’t expect people on minimum wage to risk injury.

As others have said, no carers will lift. Infuriatingly. I work for the ambulance service and it feels like fifty percent of every shift is lifting uninjured people off the floor. I'm not sure why carers don't have to risk their back but I do! And I'm talking about people who are obviously uninjured and don't need assessing before moving them.

Historically due to workplace injuries lifting is no longer allowed. Even in hospitals/care homes expensive specialty equipment are used and available.

Yes, my DF had this when he was still at home. There was a small cost to this, and the staff were employed by the local authority. They were trained and had equipment to lift elderly frail people who had fallen.

This is what seems so odd - what is special about the ambulance service that you can lift but carers can’t?

I understand there might need to be a hoist, I don’t know if my mum has asked about that. Also that it might need to be 2 of them to do it safely - happy to pay for that. But I’m boggled that the only option is to put strain on the NHS.

he’s had a series of strokes and sometimes his left leg just gives out and he doesn’t have the strength in his legs to get up by himself any more.

The chance of him falling and that coinciding with two carers visiting is slim.

If you contact your local authority they will be able to advise if there is a community alarm company in your area. Where I live we have one run by the council called telecare, it’s about a fiver a month, you have a button to call for help & someone comes with lifting equipment if you fall. Carers only lift or move people with appropriate equipment in place such as a hoist, your local authority will have an occupational therapy team that will be able to do an assessment for equipment.

A) Carers are not medically qualified to assess if someone is injured, whereas a Paramedic is.
B) Paramedics have access to equipment such as a Manga inflatable cushion but carers do not.

I work in a care home and we are never allowed to lift, not just so we don't hurt ourselves but so we don't hurt a resident. We use a hoist or camel which is a blow up chair which we slide under the person who has fallen. Some councils have Falls Teams who just do this. It's much quicker and cheaper than waiting for paramedics. He needs residential care now I think.

Well, Im a HCP and I dont lift unless its with a hoist because Ive had a serious back injury, as have many other care staff. Plus its safer FOR THE PATIENT with the correct equipment.

Ok, so I think it’s the term “lifting” that might be causing an issue. I mean “get him off the floor using equipment if that’s the best way to do it”.

what do we need to be asking for?

thank to those posters saying it’s time for residential care, but we are trying to avoid that, and I’m not sure it would actually solve anything - he’d just be falling there instead.

You've had some links about falls clinics and specialist lifting teams.

What's the financial situation? Is he motivated? I would consider a trial of specialist private physio (3 x a week for a few months?) to work on his ability to get off the floor himself once he falls. Obviously if he were that much stronger he might not fall as much anyway.

thank to those posters saying it’s time for residential care, but we are trying to avoid that, and I’m not sure it would actually solve anything - he’d just be falling there instead

But it would solve it, as nursing homes will have hoists, so if he falls there, they can use the proper equipment to hand, in a timely manner to get him up. Hoists are used for all sorts there, such as getting residents out of bed onto shower chairs etc.

A care home would be a bit drastic. They might well just push him in a wheelchair everywhere to avoid falling which would not be great for his overall mobility.

If he can still walk around with a Zimmer frame there is a chance that he might be able to be taught techniques of how to get up by himself using furniture or specialist equipment. An OT or physio could advise on the matter. My DH falls frequently and the falls team taught him various techniques before coming home from hospital.

Agree with PP that looking into physio to help him safely get himself up on the floor ( perhaps with the help of someone to position items of furniture etc for him) would be the best chance of getting him more independent and confident.

@HermioneWeasley an OT assessment might help .
If he has strength in his arms , torso a standing hoist might help?

Of course care workers shouldn't be lifting people - they could hurt the person or themselves.

In our area the LA pays for a 24/7 falls response service. Basically teams of 2 care workers who will go out to someone who's fallen and support them to get up again, often with an ELK (inflatable piece of kit). It saves the multiple ambulance calls outside for falls without injury.

You should be asking for a full falls assessment.

Ask for referral to a Falls clinic or a revised OT assessment.

Please ensure that they know the truth about frequency of falls and struggles to get back up. If there is a local falls assistance service they will get him registered and set up and alarm/ call system.

Just bear in mind that the OT may ultimately also suggest that residential care is the best option.

I'm a carer in a care home. We are only allowed to lift residents with the hoist, if they have fallen though they need to be checked out by one of the nurses first to give the all clear. We could be sacked otherwise.

I think I understood correctly - I was speaking to my DP's community nurse team and they said they had an "urgent" team who could lift up people who had fallen and check them over, among other things. Rather than waiting for an ambulance - or going into hospital could be worth looking into?

Just checked - it's the "Urgent Community Response" Team.