Home health aides / lifting 83-yo dad

[Anonymous]

The home health aide service we have been using for my 83-yo dad (who is no longer ambulatory and suffering from advanced dementia) explained that OSHA rules do not permit their aides to lift more than 50 lbs. This is a huge problem for my also-elderly mother. We have been doing the best we can. We are looking into getting a "Hoyer lift" for him.

Wondering if anyone else has worked with/around this issue?

Many thanks.

[Anonymous]

What is his level of mobility? Is he able to do any work transferring himself?

[Anonymous]

OSHA rules are there for a reason. There is no workaround for not requiring employees to put themselves at risk of serious injury, other than the approved ones, such as a lift assist.

[Anonymous]

He is not mobile at all. Dead weight essentially.

To 15:27, I am reading into your reply a bit of disparagement. I am not looking to get one over on anyone or cut corners. (I don't know why I care about your barb). Perhaps I should have been more clear in that I am asking < whether there are caregiver designations or other types of services where this issue doesn't exist.

It's heartbreakng to watch a parent decline in this way, so I thank the writers of the thoughtful answers (15:27, not so much).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He is not mobile at all. Dead weight essentially.

To 15:27, I am reading into your reply a bit of disparagement. I am not looking to get one over on anyone or cut corners. (I don't know why I care about your barb). Perhaps I should have been more clear in that I am asking < whether there are caregiver designations or other types of services where this issue doesn't exist.

It's heartbreakng to watch a parent decline in this way, so I thank the writers of the thoughtful answers (15:27, not so much).

I'm not 15:27.

Are you asking if there are "caregiver designations or other types of services where this issue doesn't exist," i.e., not bound by OSHA regulations so will routinely lift a "dead weight" adult person without any assistance or safety precautions?

I am not trying to disparage you. I am trying to see if you are asking what I think you are asking, because I don't want to assume you are actually asking that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He is not mobile at all. Dead weight essentially.

To 15:27, I am reading into your reply a bit of disparagement. I am not looking to get one over on anyone or cut corners. (I don't know why I care about your barb). Perhaps I should have been more clear in that I am asking < whether there are caregiver designations or other types of services where this issue doesn't exist.

It's heartbreakng to watch a parent decline in this way, so I thank the writers of the thoughtful answers (15:27, not so much).

I'm not 15:27 either, but wow Op, you are rude.

[Anonymous]

OP, I've been through this with my dad so I get the raw emotion. No, there are no other services that will be able to safely lift someone like your dad. As a nurse and from going through this with my dad, I wouldn't trust anyone who said they could. Not only does it put the caretaker at significant risk, but it puts your parent at significant risk too. A hoyer lift was game changing for us.

[Anonymous]

Many thanks for the feedback about the Hoyer lift. Really appreciate it.

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

I am absolutely certain that OP does not wish to cause harm to anyone.

It's good to remember that home health aides tend to work for relatively little compensation, bear more injuries than most others in the healthcare field, and tend to be overrepresented as POC. It's also worth knowing that the most common injuries in the healthcare field are sprains and strains, and the most common cause is when lifting or handling patients.

There are a lot of links online. Here is one:
https://www.sfmic.com/occupational-injuries-in-healthcare/

[In hospital] Thirty percent of the injuries directly involved a hospital patient. Of those injuries involving a patient, the majority were due to overexertion while lifting or moving a patient.

Hospitals are much more likely to have other people available to assist and mechanical supports, such as Hoyer lifts.

A person with a significant back, shoulder, or other joint injury could well have a permanent disability. If you are already of lower SES, that means even more than someone who is more likely to have good resources and full insurance for disabilities.

The Hoyer lift is a great investment to protect the health and safety of everyone involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

NP and that seems very complicated to learn. I would be nervous I would use it improperly. But I imagine it gets easier with repetition.

[Anonymous]

They have home health aides that specialize in bathing. If bathing is too dangerous to do in the bathtub, they can do it while your dad is lying his his own bed. They have special pads they place underneath to catch water. It's basically a sponge bath with limited movement of the person being cleaned (which is useful if they are in pain). They also have a special tub for washing hair in bed. Perhaps you can contract someone to do it a few times per week.

[Anonymous]

OP - I’m sorry. This is such a hard, exhausting time for you all. Hang in there.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP. I am so sorry to hear about your parent, and the home care challenges that you are experiencing.
We have both a hoyer lift and a sliding board, but we only use a sliding board to transfer a family member.
Normally, a physical therapist would recommend or write a script after accessing a patient’s needs. The PT would also train the family and a HHA how to safely transfer. The benefit of training a family member is so that the family member can train other HHA’s incase the trained HHA leaves.
For the time being, you could search online for “mobility transfer boards or sliding boards.” I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any questions.

[Anonymous]

We faced this too. He needs to be in residential. There is no getting around that. It is a huge liability issue.