The Evolution of the Ceiling Lift: A Glimpse at How a Single Device Has Redefined Caregiver Safety and Patient Care

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most commonly cited injuries amongst nurses. Often these injuries can be severely debilitating or career-ending. Providing caregivers with the tools necessary to minimize or eliminate manual handling in an effort to mitigate patient handling risks is an essential component of a successful safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) program. Ceiling lift technology achieves this better than any other SPHM technology currently on the market. Its ability to facilitate mobilization, perform a wide variety of patient handling tasks, and decrease spinal shear and compression loads, as demonstrated by numerous biomechanical studies, are just a few key benefits of this technology. This article seeks to explore the evolution of the ceiling lift and how it has redefined caregiver safety and patient care.

Latvala SM, Masterman R

Keywords: ceiling lifts, safe patient handling, patient safety, technologies, caregiver safety