Hoyer Lift Accidents

According to recent research for disease control, the majority of residents in a nursing home are not able to walk without assistance of some kind.

Common equipment are Hoyer lifts to assist disabled men and women in nursing homes.

Also referred to as a patient lift, a Hoyer lift is a device used to assist individuals to move by way of a sling from one area to the next area.

A Hoyer lift, for instance, from a bed to a wheelchair, can move the patient, or vice versa.

Typically, Hoyer lifts are hung overhead from the ceiling or set on the floor.

The Hoyer lift lifts, once the person is placed in the sling, to enable the individual to be moved.

Hoyer lift accidents, unfortunately, can occur frequently in nursing homes when someone is dropped from the device when the equipment is improperly used.

These accidents can cause severe injuries, and even death at times.

Of the nursing home and members of staff, it is the responsibility to make certain that each resident is safe and secure when going in and coming off a Hoyer lift.

On many occasions, however, on behalf of members of a nursing home staff, behavior that is negligent is what results in plenty of these accidents.

There are various ways in which
Hoyer lift accidents can occur due to negligence of members of a nursing home staff.

Hoyer lift falls, ordinarily, are accidental; however, that doesn’t mean that the staff of a nursing home shouldn’t utilize caution.

It is required for caregivers to have an understanding of how Hoyer lifts operate, and must be extremely cautious when a resident is transferred. Any neglect to use measures of safety can cause sustained injuries.

Failing to cross the straps properly, for example, over a resident could cause a dangerous fall.

The resident being placed into the lift incorrectly, additionally, can pose hazardous risks.

If the staff of the nursing home is discovered to have been negligent with the use of a Hoyer lift, the nursing home may be held liable, which includes suffering and pain, medical expenses, emotional trauma, et al.

The American Nursing Association is knowledgeable of the dilemmas which can happen when a Hoyer lift is used improperly.

The Handle with Care program, as a result, was founded with the purpose to persuade nursing homes and other healthcare facilities to implement policy of zero lift to prevent residents from sustaining injuries.

With the usefulness and convenience that a lift can bring, however, when patients are moved, the policies haven’t been implemented yet.

Hoyer lift accidents can occur as lift falls can increase the likelihood of patients sustaining critical trauma.

In addition to fractures as a major risk, the patient may hit his or her head, and endure a brain injury that is traumatic, which on cognitive function could have 
an extensive impact.

If a member of your family sustained an injury while falling, an attorney can assist you to find the necessary answers to recover entitled damages.

Contact us for a free consultation or call Anzalone Law Firm PLLC, at: 603.548.3797.