Wednesday, September 17

Today, Tommy walked very well with Shannon at his side; his balance continues to improve. However, he's still not getting the pivots and transfers down, so Red told me that they are going to bring a "sliding board" into the mix. A sliding board can serve as a backup for those times when standing-and-pivoting transfers are too risky. A strong, thin board (the ones I've seen are heavy plastic), it can be inserted partway under the rump of the person and extend to the target sitting spot--it provides a continuous, sliding surface from point A to point B. So, for example, if the person is sitting in a wheelchair, you can line the wheelchair up next to the bed, remove the wheelchair's armrest, insert the sliding board across to the bed, and then (with help from the sitting person) slide that person across the bridged gap, at a slight diagonal angle, without doing any lifting. At least, I think this is how it works....I'll be learning more about it in rehab.