Hospitalization story: Using a strong bedsheet for transfer - 05/24

Recently, my 87-year-old grandmother-in-law fell in her bathroom. Unable to get up on her own, kind neighbors helped her onto the bed. This transfer was excruciating painful for her, since she had broken left hip, and any leg movement caused her agony.

We called for ambulance but there was a challenge? Transferring her from the 7th floor apartment which did not have stretcher lift. Hence, there were two steps of transfer: from bed to wheel chair and then to stretcher of the ambulance. 

Here's where a memory from my 2008 septoplasty surgery came in handy. While under general anesthesia, I recalled nurses maneuvering me from the operating table to the bed. They carefully lifted the bedsheet I was lying on, transferring it along with me to the bed. Then, they asked me to slightly lift myself a few times so they could remove the sheet beneath me.

Inspired by this memory, we replicated the process for my grandmother-in-law. With four people carefully lifting the strong bedsheet beneath her and another person for mid support, we successfully transferred her, minimizing her pain compared to a direct lift.

Disclaimer: It's crucial to remember that such solutions are situational and should only be attempted with medical supervision.

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