Transfer Vest

“I have been a Physical Therapist for eight years and have been blessed with the opportunity to serve patients in the inpatient acute, inpatient rehab, home health, and outpatient settings. Traditionally, we have used the gait belt to ensure safety during ambulation and transfers. It has proven to be an effective tool in controlling center of mass when ambulating a patient with balance and coordination deficits. However, it is less effective with transfers, particularly with patients who require greater physical assist. A belt offers lateral stability but does little to stabilize the patients superiorly. Simply put, it slips upward. This creates an obvious comfort issue, but even more importantly, a safety issue. On the other end of the spectrum we as therapists have effectively used the Hoyer lift for very difficult transfers. This revolutionized our ability to safely transfer obese patients and others who are dependent transfers. It gave independence to otherwise bedbound individuals.
“There seems to be a void in DME available to the clinician and family member for patients who require minimal to maximum assist during transfers. A gait belt does not seem to offer enough stability and support; a Hoyer lift can be “overkill,” and, as a passive technique, it does not allow us to actively engage our patients. We advocate empowering our patients when it does not compromise safety of the patient, family or clinician.
“The vest has key design features that will enable a trained clinician or family member to actively transfer a patient while increasing safety and comfort. I have had the opportunity
to field test the SDS Transfer Vest™ and found immediate benefits to its design. Traditionally, we as clinicians have several options to perform a difficult transfer. One is to
place the hands near the ischial tuberosities – effective for controlling a patient’s center of mass, but next to impossible with patients with extensor tone or who extend their trunk due to fear of falling. You simply run out of hands. In the case of stroke or hemiparetic patients, the unstable shoulder demands careful attention and contraindicates subaxillary assists for fear of glenohumeral dislocation/subluxation. I have used the SDS Transfer Vest in both of these scenarios. In the case of the first, having a continuous vest structure encasing the patient’s trunk enables greater manipulation and control of the center of mass. In the second scenario, the vest has handles placed anteriorly and posteriorly so that the glenohumeral complex is never being distracted during a transfer. There is also an immeasurable factor that is difficult to quantify when using a vest design. My patients report feeling more “secure” having the vest snugly wrapped around them, likely helping to establish trust and building confidence in patients who are anxious with transfers. This effect is even more beneficial to the family/caregiver who may not be as experienced as the clinician at transfer techniques.
“Through clinical trials, the vest shows promise to help transfer patients safely and comfortably. However, the vest is a tool and not a substitution for proper transfer technique. When combined with proper transfer mechanics, the vest serves as a viable option in serving the needs of our diverse patient population.”
Chau Phan MPT, OCS
Advantage Therapy Solutions,
Santa Ana, California