In my last post, I talked about the strain taking care of a loved one can put on our muscles. Even pushing a wheelchair can trigger a backache, especially when aggravated by other caregiving activities.

Below I’ve listed tutorials, equipment, and tips in hopes that you can avoid becoming a member of the oh-my-aching-back club.

(I am not affiliated with any products or services and include company articles for information purposes only.)

• Learn good body mechanics and remember to practice them.
  • Keep your back straight.
  • Spread your feet shoulder width apart.
  • Use your legs, not your back, to lift.
  • Keep the patient close to you to leverage your center of gravity.
  • Raise the bed (if using a hospital bed) to a comfortable height for you and lower the head all the way to pull the person up in bed or raise the head all the way to get the person out of bed.
  • Ask the patient to raise his knees and assist (if able) in sliding up in bed.
  • Get help whenever possible.

• Watch these youtube videos that demonstrate good body mechanics and search for more in-depth videos if you feel unsure.
  • Body mechanics basics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiE1wxNoxLs
  • Safe lifting techniques in general: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq97LFOSbVI
  • Safe lifting and transferring: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fcWRuIrhwg
  • Safely turning a patient (best one when caring for the bedbound): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JITf8b_0Ono

• Use a washable waterproof pad or draw sheet (flat sheet folded in half and stretched across the bed under the patient’s hips) to help turn or pull the patient up in bed. (See last video above.) I was able to turn and maneuver my mother-in-law by myself most of the time by using a waterproof pad and tucking pillows behind her back.

• Wear a back brace if you have a back injury or are susceptible to one.

• Consider using a gait belt for people who need assistance with walking or transferring and are unstable or in in greater danger of falling. https://medtrica.com/what-is-gait-belt-how-to-use-and-benefits-of-using-gait-belt/

• Request assistance if your loved one has fallen by calling the nonemergency dispatcher number and asking for a first responder (usually through the fire department) if that service is available in your area.

• Look into specialized equipment such as a slide board or camel lift cushion (an inflatable cushion that lifts someone from the floor after a fall) for care recipients with greater mobility issues.

Use these techniques and equipment and avoid sacrificing your back to caregiving.

From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament,
grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Ephesians 4:16 NIV