Assistance to Patients with Compromised Mobility

When a patient arrives to the clinic with compromised mobility and without adequate caregiver assistance or in the instance a patient's mobility becomes compromised after arriving to the clinic without adequate caregiver assistance. 

Staff will not:

  1. Assist with lifting or a lifting transfer. This includes lifting patients in and out of privately-owned vehicles as well as lifting on or off the toilet/commode.

Staff may:

  1. Transfer a patient with the appropriate equipment, such as a Hoyer lift, in-clinic areas suitable for this equipment.
  2. Transfer a patient with a standing assist. (Definition of a standing assist: patient requires small amount of help to accomplish activity. Patient can assume all of his/her body weight, but requires guidance for initiation, balance, and/or stability during the activity.)
  3. Position or reposition a patient when it does not require lifting and excess physical exertion.
  4. Push a patient in a wheelchair only within our clinic or to/from a privately­owned vehicle.
  5. Hold or remove a wheelchair as a transfer is taking place.
  6. Open or close car doors when a patient needs assistance in and out of privately-owned vehicles.
  7. Assist with a shifting bedsheet transfer for high dose radiation (HOR) treatments and simulations.

Exceptions will be granted to the Compass patient visitor policy to allow adequate caregiver support for lifting or a lifting transfer. (Definition of adequate caregiver support: an individual that is physically able to support a patient with Procedure Patients requiring lifting or a lifting transfer.)

Providers cannot ask staff to intervene outside of the guidelines of this policy. 

Patients requiring lifting or a transfer:

  1. An adequate caregiver or medical transport must perform this task. lifting or a lifting transfer. This includes lifting patients in and out of wheelchairs or privately-owned vehicles as well as lifting on or off the toilet/commode.
  2. Staff can assist when the appropriate equipment, such as a Hoyer lift, is available in a suitable clinic area for this equipment.
  3. Staff may assist patients or family members with locating potential medical transport for assistance with this task.
  4. If a patient's mobility is compromised during their treatment, 911 can be called when an adequate caregiver, medical transport or the appropriate equipment is not available for lifting or a lifting transfer.

Patients that are wheelchair bound:

  1. Staff can assist with transfers from a wheelchair to recliner, exam table or treatment table only when it's a standing assist.
  2. Staff can push a patient in a wheelchair within our clinic or to a privately-owned vehicle or hold/remove a wheelchair as a transfer is taking place.

Patients arriving by stretcher:

  1. Only those offices who have large enough rooms to accommodate receiving a patient by stretcher shall treat a patient on a stretcher. Medical transport staff will perform all necessary physical assistance with the task of transferring a patient to a bed or table for treatment or imaging.
  2. These arrangements shall be made prior to patient's arrival for treatment.

Patients receiving treatment or imaging:

  1. When positioning or repositioning a patient is needed, it should not require lifting or require physical exertion.
  2. HDR treatments and simulations: 2-4 staff members may assist with shifting bedsheet transfer from a stretcher to imaging table or when positioning/re-positioning patient for treatment. Number of staff required for the shifting bedsheet transfer is assessed by clinical team members and based on the patient's anatomy.

Patients needing assistance in or out of privately-owned vehicles:

  1. Staff can assist with pushing a wheelchair to or from a privately-owned, hold or remove a wheelchair when a transfer is taking place or open/close a card door.
  2. Staff can help with a standing assist transfer into a privately-owned vehicle.
  3. An adequate caregiver must perform all necessary lifting or a lifting transfer to or from a privately-owned vehicle.

Patient needing restroom assistance:

  1. Staff can help with a standing assist transfer on or off a toilet/commode.
  2. Staff can supply a patient with a bedpan or portable urinal.
  3. An adequate caregiver must perform all necessary lifting or a lifting transfer on or off a toilet/commode.