Firefighter in Chagrin Falls Ohio Discovers a New Way to Lift Patient with Weak Shoulders

  • Location Chagrin Falls Fire Department — Chagrin Falls, OH
  • Provider Reporting Ben Speidel, Paramedic/Firefighter
  • Patient Event Patient with history of shoulder problems fearful of being picked up

>The Situation

While conducting a 30-day field trial on the Binder Lift, Chagrin Falls firefighters responded to a woman who was found sitting on the floor and in need of lift assistance. Even though there was no injury to be found, the woman was anxious and tearful. After further assessment paramedic Ben Speidel learned that she had bilateral rotator cuff injuries. She was apprehensive because people who had lifted her in the past had separated her shoulders while attempting to help. Speidel, with the help of a partner, explained to the patient that they had equipment designed to allow them to be able to lift her without putting a significant amount of pressure on her shoulders. “We deployed the Binder Lift and assisted her up without issue,” Speidel says. “She told us multiple times how grateful she was that this piece of equipment is available.”

>The Binder Lift Difference

Prehospital care providers are in the business of moving people. Of course they do a lot more than that as well, but their primary job is to rescue and transport patients. Since patient movement is such a large part of the job it’s time to stop improvising and start investing in equipment that is designed to provide a safe and comfortable experience for the patient. The days of picking up fallen patients by their arms and shoulders are over. Not only is the Binder Lift far less painful for the patient, but it is significantly easier and safer for the caregiver as well. It’s no secret that lifting patients can be the most dangerous part of the job, but it doesn’t have to be. According to Speidel, the Binder Lift has plenty of handles for multiple caregivers to grasp when lifting a patient. These handles are what enable caregivers to team lift while using proper lifting ergonomics.

Binder Lift

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