In-home carers not allowed to lift patient after fall?

LadyA

Registered User
Oct 19, 2009
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Ireland
A woman I know who worked privately as an overnight carer, even though she was trained and knew not to try and lift a client, did so one night when the man she was caring for fell. She ended up with two broken vertebrae in her back, and hasn't been able to work since. And since it was a private arrangement, she wasn't insured. So it's not just health & safety gone mad.

With my husband, I had to call the paramedics a couple of times to get him off the floor. He was a big man, and heavy, and he couldn't follow instructions to help me get him up. In the nursing home, because he was obsessed with walking around, they put hip protectors on him. It's just like an underpants, with padding around the hip joints.
 

Sirena

Registered User
Feb 27, 2018
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My dad fell out of bed at his care home @Leeds and the carers got him up but they directed and assisted him. If he’d been unable to take direction or help himself they couldn’t have lifted him.

My mum was terrified of hoists. They were used for transfer from bed to wheelchair. I’m not sure they’d have managed to get her off the floor with one.

Yes I agree Bunpoots, if my mother has a fall at the CH but says she is not hurt, the carers will help her to get up. But my mother is still at a stage when she can participate in the process and she can say if she's in pain - plus there are always multiple carers around, whereas at home there would just be one. The CH do use hoists as you say but I've only seen them to do this from chair to wheelchair.
 

TNJJ

Registered User
May 7, 2019
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cornwall
Yes I agree Bunpoots, if my mother has a fall at the CH but says she is not hurt, the carers will help her to get up. But my mother is still at a stage when she can participate in the process and she can say if she's in pain - plus there are always multiple carers around, whereas at home there would just be one. The CH do use hoists as you say but I've only seen them to do this from chair to wheelchair.
You can get someone up from the floor with a hoist but the PWD has to be able to follow instructions as the person has to lie flat on the floor. Then rolled side to side to enable the sling to be fitted. Sometimes it can take up to 3 people depending on circumstances but usually 2.
 

Sirena

Registered User
Feb 27, 2018
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Ah right, thanks TNJJ, I expect they do that if appropriate (I have never been there to witness it).
 

ppm

Registered User
Jun 10, 2014
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So the situation has changed a little...Dad fell again a few days ago and was taken to hospital as it clearly wasn't safe to leave him at home. The hospital has just advised us that he seems to have had a series of "mini heart attacks", which may have explained some or all of the falls. He is being kept in for further assessment, but we're waiting to see what his ongoing care needs will be....
 

Sirena

Registered User
Feb 27, 2018
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Sorry to hear that. It's good that it has resulted in the hospital doing an assessment though, and hopefully it will give you a clearer picture of his care needs. Please let us know how he gets on.
 

ppm

Registered User
Jun 10, 2014
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Interesting feedback from visiting 2 residential care homes yesterday. When asked about how they dealt with falls, both said that they would lift the resident (probably requiring either 2 people or a hoist). This seems to be at odds with the advice given earlier on this post. Does anyone know exactly what the legal position is regarding care staff being able to lift patients after a fall?
 

TNJJ

Registered User
May 7, 2019
2,967
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cornwall
Interesting feedback from visiting 2 residential care homes yesterday. When asked about how they dealt with falls, both said that they would lift the resident (probably requiring either 2 people or a hoist). This seems to be at odds with the advice given earlier on this post. Does anyone know exactly what the legal position is regarding care staff being able to lift patients after a fall?
They are not allowed to. Unless a hoist or if they can get themselves up.They can give instructions to guide them if they can process the instructions.But if you mean physically lifting them up by themselves without a hoist ,not allowed.
 

ppm

Registered User
Jun 10, 2014
52
0
They are not allowed to. Unless a hoist or if they can get themselves up.They can give instructions to guide them if they can process the instructions.But if you mean physically lifting them up by themselves without a hoist ,not allowed.
Hmmm...puzzling. TBH I'm pleased that they are prepared to, as it would avoid a repeat of the previous situation when my father was left lying on a hard floor for more than 4 hours before the ambulance arrived. It's also a strong argument for a care home over a live-in carer, who would not be able to lift him even if they were prepared to overlook the health and safety issues.
 

Sirena

Registered User
Feb 27, 2018
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Am I missing something - I don't think it is at odds with the info is it? It seems to be agreed that if the person can 'assist' by following instructions, two carers can help them up. If not, they can hoist. That assumes they are not concerned about a serious injury.

As you say, the difference at home is there there would only be one carer, so she is unlikely to be able to lift.
 

Chrissie B

Registered User
Jan 15, 2019
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North Yorkshire
All I know, is that when my mum was still walking around, and had fallen over a couple of times, she was asked to attend a falls clinic. They looked at possible reasons why she fell, and offered things such as physiotherapy and a different set of walking sticks, which at the time, my mother decided were given her in order to ensure she was crippled, she wasn't as far advanced in her Alzheimer's then and was still going through drama stage. The falls clinic was referred to her by her doctor.
My temptation here would be to look at the reasons he keeps falling over, even if you know why, and get your dad's doctor to put him forward to what can be done about it first. A full time carer or even a fast track to the "First Response Team" should probably be made a separate issue if still required.
 

Sirena

Registered User
Feb 27, 2018
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@Chrissie B a bit further up the thread, the OP said her father is in hospital being investigated as they think he may have had a series of mini heart attacks causing the falls.

After my mother fell in the CH and broke her hip 18 months ago, she was referred to the falls clinic (they visited her, she didn't have to go the clinic). The senior carer told me that this referral is routine, but in more advanced dementia it is usually pointless, because the first question is 'can she follow instructions' and if not, that's the end of the session. My mother is a bit frail and wobbly but refuses to use any type of walking aid, she just goes on her own merry way.
 

Rosettastone57

Registered User
Oct 27, 2016
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@Chrissie B a bit further up the thread, the OP said her father is in hospital being investigated as they think he may have had a series of mini heart attacks causing the falls.

After my mother fell in the CH and broke her hip 18 months ago, she was referred to the falls clinic (they visited her, she didn't have to go the clinic). The senior carer told me that this referral is routine, but in more advanced dementia it is usually pointless, because the first question is 'can she follow instructions' and if not, that's the end of the session. My mother is a bit frail and wobbly but refuses to use any type of walking aid, she just goes on her own merry way.

My mother-in-law was like this, she was referred to the falls clinic when she was still at home. At the first session it quickly became obvious that she could not follow the instructions or even remember to do the exercises. She refused to use any walking aids as well. The referral was a complete waste of time
 

Sirena

Registered User
Feb 27, 2018
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It's interesting isn't it @Rosettastone57 - I am sure the falls clinic do genuinely good work, but I think that people are too often wrongly referred to them. Several years ago I was unwell and fainted, fell back and hit my head on a wall and sustained a serious head injury. After multiple tests and scans the hospital couldn't suggest any treatment except, guess what, a referral to the falls clinic. Totally inappropriate - I didn't go!
 

Lawson58

Registered User
Aug 1, 2014
4,302
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Victoria, Australia
In the very first post, ppm thought that having a live in carer was a waste of money if she couldn't lift dad after a fall. Both mum and dad were very elderly and mum, self funding wanted a live in carer so that he didn't have to go into care.

Seems to me that all this talk about who can lift and under what circumstances is a little off the point.

If mum is at home trying to care for dad when she is in her nineties and wants a live in carer, is that an unreasonable request? She doesn't want dad to go into care and yes, if he has a fall he is going to be on the floor for a while until help arrives. So if that isn't acceptable, then he goes into a home. Isn't there a quality of life (for both of them), lesser of two evils thing, mum can do what she likes with her money, all those things at question here?

If I got to be 90, I wouldn't want to be caring for a PWD on my own and I think it is very unkind to think it is acceptable.
 

K187

New member
Jun 7, 2023
1
0
Interesting feedback from visiting 2 residential care homes yesterday. When asked about how they dealt with falls, both said that they would lift the resident (probably requiring either 2 people or a hoist). This seems to be at odds with the advice given earlier on this post. Does anyone know exactly what the legal position is regarding care staff being able to lift patients after a fall?
Yes we can lift if all safety and risk assessments are in place and we use correct procedures, live in private care can be more blurred as family can write a consent form for other practices to be used outside of legislation as a family member would be allowed
 

canary

Registered User
Feb 25, 2014
24,920
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South coast
Hi @K187

This is a very old thread. Im also wondering which country you are in as I wouldnt recommend the things you are suggesting and Im not sure that a consent form for illegal practises is itself legal. My OH falls quite a lot, but I can usually get his frame and talk him through how to get up himself. If he couldnt I would not try to lift him myself, nor would I want anyone else to - it requires specialist equipment and training to do so. If I, or someone else, tried to take his weight it could cause serious injuries and if he were dropped it could injure him.