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Caregiver handout

Helping With Safe Transfers

A transfer is any move between surfaces: bed to chair, chair to toilet, car to standing. Most caregiver injuries and many falls happen during transfers. These basics protect both of you. Your therapist will show you the specific technique for your situation; this sheet is a reminder, not a replacement for that training.

Before every transfer

  1. 1.Clear the path and lock all wheels: wheelchair brakes on, bed wheels locked, walker in reach.
  2. 2.Bring the two surfaces close together, ideally at similar heights, with the person's stronger side leading toward the destination.
  3. 3.Make sure the person is wearing supportive footwear or grippy socks, never bare socks on hard floors.
  4. 4.Agree on the plan out loud, including the count: 'ready, one, two, three, stand.'

Protect your own body

  • Stand close, bend your knees, and keep your back straight; push through your legs, not your back.
  • Use a gait belt around the person's waist if one was recommended; grip the belt, never the person's arm or under their armpits.
  • Guide and steady rather than lift. If the person cannot help with most of the effort, stop and ask their therapist about equipment or a second helper.
  • Let the person do everything they safely can; scooting forward, pushing up from armrests, and standing pauses all count.

If the person starts to fall

  • Do not try to catch or hold them up; you will likely both be injured.
  • Guide them gently to the floor, protecting the head, sliding them down your leg if possible.
  • Once on the floor, check for injury and pain before any attempt to get up. If they are hurt, hit their head, or cannot get up, call for help rather than lifting them yourself.

Transfer techniques are individual. Use the specific method your occupational or physical therapist taught for this person, and ask them before changing equipment or technique.

Therapist / contact: ______________________________ Date: ____________

Educational material from TheOTBench, reviewed with you by your therapist. It supplements, and never replaces, your care team's specific instructions. Source basis: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries) initiative: older adult fall prevention resources.