Healthcare ergonomics--it takes two to tango

Transfers and mobilization can be the occasion of a very positive experience for both the caregiver and the resident if certain principles are applied: a feeling connection between the caregiver and resident, taking a small amount of extra time to insure that the resident is invited to move and signals their intention to work with the caregiver to accomplish the move, and being aware and working with "normal movements." Obviously, there are some residents who will be able to participate very little, if at all, in mobility and transfers and there are some that will be very resistant. For those individuals, the transfer/mobility task may not need to be done at all, or it may need to done as carefully as possible, mechanically, without the resident's cooperation. However, it is a mistake to make assumptions about the residents' lack of ability to connect and communicate with the caregiver in the transfer/mobility process. Applying the principles outlined above to improve the experience of transfers and and mobility means that the caregiver must think of themselves and the resident as "one unit" much as the tango dancers are one unit when dancing their beautiful dance.