Using a patient lift

• 1). Gently roll the patient on his side. Fold the sling underneath him so half of the sling is rolled out and half is folded. Roll the patient over to the other side and gently pull the folded portion of the sling out from underneath her body. The sling should now be flat.
  
  
• 2). Lay the patient on his back so that the sling is in position underneath him.
  
  Position the patient lift above the patient. Pull the leg loops of the sling forward and cross each one. The left loop should attach to the right hook on patient lifts, and the right loops should attach to the left hook. This cradles the patient's legs and provides a supportive "seat".
  
  
• 3). With both loops in place on their respective hooks, slowly lift the patient by pumping the hydraulic steering handle on the patient lift. Lift the patient so his buttocks is just an inch or two off the bed. If you're using an electric lift, slowly lift the patient by pressing the "lift" button until the buttocks is just an inch or two off the bed.
  
  
• 4). Slowly swing the patient's feet to the side of the bed so that she is clear of the bed. The patient should face the lift operator at this time.
  
  
• 5). Carefully move the patient to the desired location. If the lift is being used to change bed sheets, change the linens only after the patient is safely out of the way. When the patient has been moved to the desired location or bed linens have been changed, position the patient above the bed so that his feet are facing the foot of the bed.
  
  Slowly release the control valve located on the patient lift to lower the patient onto the bed.
  
  Remove the loops from the hooks and roll the patient carefully onto each side so that the sling can be removed safely.