To avoid skin injuries when moving geriatric patients, what should the first assistant do?

While gently lifting the patient can reduce the risk of skin injuries, it’s essential to acknowledge that the best method for moving geriatric patients often includes using tools designed to minimize friction and shear forces on the skin. In this context, using a slide sheet is specifically advantageous because it allows the caregiver to slide the patient across the surface, which reduces the stress on their skin and helps prevent pressure ulcers.

Gently lifting may indeed be part of the approach, particularly for short distances or to reposition in a bed, but the use of a slide sheet is more effective for safely transferring patients in a way that protects their skin integrity. It’s also important to encourage the patient to assist, as their participation can help reduce the burden on the caregiver and improve comfort, but care needs to be taken to not exert too much upward force that could result in friction or shearing.

Ultimately, while lifting the patient gently can help, employing proper tools, such as a slide sheet, alongside the technique will yield the most effective results in preserving the skin and overall safety of the geriatric patient during movements.