What Happens When Hospital Staff Are Not Trained with A Machine That a Unique Population Needs

In this blog post, we talk about the mishap Dan had at the hospital where he had hand surgery; he broke his shoulder, on the same side as the surgery, during a Hoyer transfer from the hospital bed to his power chair. 

These types of accidents are unfortunately not uncommon. A Hoyer lift looks simple enough, but there are many ways injuries can happen to the person transferring. The patient's fingers can get caught in the straps and break; limbs can be fractured; Head injuries can occur; and bruising or scrapes can occur.

It is, in the end, a dangerous piece of equipment that is necessary for the transfer of a tetraplegic like Dan. And with proper training, they can be used safely and effectively.

The nurses and aides transferring Dan were apparently not trained. The transfer looked horrible; it was totally incompetent. At home, nurses and aides receive extensive training on the use of the lift from their agency; at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital it is the same. Before Dan was discharged, our family - myself, my sister, Dan's sister and brother-in-law, and our daughter all received training in the correct and safe use of the lift. 

In the hospital emergency room, employees should be trained and periodically retrained and evaluated on the use of the lift. They don't use it as much as we do at home, where we have not had an incident in almost 3 years, hence the need for periodic retraining. 

Dan's broken shoulder caused him intense pain and inconvenience; frankly, he has enough going on without adding to it. There is no excuse in the world for this to have happened to him. 

According to statistics from the Christopher and Dana Reed Foundation, there are approximately 153,000 people living with paralysis in the state of New Jersey. Many may use a Hoyer lift for transfers. We have got to do a better job for them - right now, we are literally afraid to enter an ER. Dan has averaged 2 visits to the ER per year since his discharge from Magee; it is due to his lungs, primarily, and is not optional.