New lifting technique eases employees’ back pain
Friday, August 10, 2005 -- Natalie Miller
By employing a different technique to lift residents, personal support worker Lisa Devall is saving her back.

With moving residents being a consistent part of her duties as a personal support worker at West Lake Terrace, Lisa became accustomed to “incredible lower back pain.” However, after attending a recent half-day seminar with the Canadian Back Institute she learned new techniques for moving residents that are easier on her body. She also received pointers about how to make lifts less stressful for residents of the Picton long-term care home.

West Lake Terrace staff take part in recent training from the Canadian Back Institute.

“It’s comfortable for the residents and doesn’t hurt our backs,” says Lisa.

“My back hasn’t hurt hardly at all. I used to get incredible lower back pain.”

Lisa, along with nurse’s aide Linda May and administrator Mary Lynn Lester, are teaching other staff some of the techniques they learned.

Linda says her duties involve waking residents in the morning and getting them up and out of bed.

“It helps us a lot with our backs,” says Linda about the training.

One of the techniques involves an employee standing with her feet shoulder-width apart and bending her knees slightly while keeping her back straight as opposed to bending over and curling her back.

Lisa and Linda also learned stretching exercises that have made a difference. One involves placing their hands on their lower backs and stretching backwards.

The training was offered to frontline staff during one of two four-hour seminars. Demonstrations using long-term care home beds and staff were part of the course. Lisa says another technique involved rolling the resident in bed instead of lifting.

Lisa says moving residents is a constant part of her shift, from helping them into bed to moving them to the dining room for meals. “It’s a 24-7 thing.”