What is the best way to help a heavy person up from the ground?

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What is the best way to help a heavy person up from the ground?

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My husband had a stroke a couple of years ago and a knee replacement 6 months later, Although he can walk (very slowly) he is quite week, especially in his knees and legs. Last night he fell off his bed, he was not hurt, but because of his week knees he cannot help himself up. He has osteo-arthritis, and suffers much back ache. So to pick him up on my own was a big mission as he is a dead weight. He has fallen before and most times I am alone with him. I am 69 years old, healthy but not very fit. How can I pick him up without hurting myself as well. We've tried using chairs for him to pull or push himself up but that does not help much.

Falls Family Caregiver Mobility

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Call the fire department. They're very happy to help and they do it all the time.

I had to do it with my father who was hours from dying and couldn't get out of a wheelchair in the middle of the night. He was skin and bones by then, but dead weight is dead weight. They scooped him up and got him back into bed and went on their way. It was the easiest way not to hurt him.

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In many places, if you call them more than a limited number of times, they will call APS. Be careful.

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My mom weighs two hundred pounds and I was able to help her get up using an self inflating air mattress. She slides to the floor sometimes when trying to get out off her recliner. After making sure she was not hurt I lay out the inflatable mattress and she roles onto and then I can help stand up after inflating it.

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I didn’t read through all of your responses so it may have been mentioned, but see what you think of the Liberty Lift. It’s advertised on TV, and you can google it, and I’m going to try one with my physically disabled grandson, who is much lighter in weight but a stubborn, adorable, wiggly little boy.

If I were you I’d buy one (about $20) and ask a physical therapist’s opinion of it.

Hope you have good luck with finding a solution.

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For what it's worth; If you need help financial wise,to purchase some sort of lift to help you get him up, why don't you look into starting a fundraiser on "Gofundme.com" - it's a site where people raise funds for almost any worthwhile cause. Worded correctly, honestly, people will donate to your cause. It's better than sitting there, damaging your health, than doing nothing at all. '( no mam, I'm not saying that's what you're doing.) If he's a veteran, call the Veterans Department in your town - they are awesome.!! Go above and beyond to help the veteran, and you, in so many ways - ways you can't imagine, even financially. There's help out there, you just gotta take a few minutes to find it. Above all, do not take no for an answer. Stand your ground, that's your right. Don't "lose you" in the process of helping your loved one.

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The first thing to do is check to make sure he's not injured. Reassure him that helps on the way, be there in just a few minutes. Call the fire department, the paramedics,somebody, but please don't lift him yourself. That's hard for trained personnel when they're heavy. Note here; call your local fire department, explain your situation in detail, and ask them how long will it take for them to respond - some won't respond at all to these kind of issues. ( some departments are all volunteer.)BUT, if they know ahead of time, they'll be more apt to. Also, call the local EMS station, tell them everything, ask about response time - these are usually manned 24/7. I am a private caregiver for seniors with Alzheimer's - as such, this is one of the first things I learned, the hard way. I was asked what would I do in this situation - I said "pick/help him up." Wrong answer - I did not get that client. So, please have help lined up when this happens again. You could do serious injury to yourself. Good luck.!

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Call 911 and let the pros help. My mother had to do this frequently for dad, he was tall and heavy and she could not help him. EMT's are trained to do this without hurting themselves or the person who fell.

Mom had a few neighbors who she could ask too. Dad hated asking for help but had no options.

Please don’t risk your own health, what happens to your husband if you end up in the hospital with an injury?

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Some places will rent those lift chairs. Call a social worker at the hospital and ask them where you can rent one from.

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If you have help. You get a blanket and put it under neath them. Roll them to one side and stick it under them and roll them to the other side so the person is sprawled out on the blanket. One person lifts one end and then another person lifts the other end. A wheel chair might come in handy to put them in and wheel them back to the chair or bed.

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I am 78, have two bad knees but some arm strength. I often have helped get my neighbors up off the floor in the elderly home where we live. They don't want to call for help because help people often insist on taking them to the hospital. I found a way to help them up myself. I get a medium weight chair with wooden arms (we have a lot of these around). I get the person on their knees facing the seat of the chair and tell them to grab onto arms of the chair. Then I get behind them and put my arms around their waist. Now I am not going to lift them, this is just to stabilize them and hopefully keep them from dropping back down. If you can get a pillow under or in front of the knees this helps but there is no need to put all their weight on their knees. They need to lean on their arms on the chair seat or chair arms. Then they need to shift their weight forward, leaning into the chair. This is an important step. They should not remain in a straight posture. You tell them to put one foot flat on the floor or as flat as possible and push up while you assist the forward and upward movement. This is actually not lifting but pushing them into the forward motion. Also giving them the feeling of support because I have found some people are afraid of falling back. It is important to have them shift their weight forward into the chair. I have shown some people how to do this by themselves if they are home alone and some can do it. Of course this is for people who can follow instructions. You might try practising this with someone not disabled first. Also I find if someone has just fallen it can be good to let them sit there fir a few minutes to get their bearings first because it can be a bit of a shock.

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GREAT WAY TO DO THIS. SPLENDID ANSWER.!!

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I have called the fire department, they come, put him in bed, he refuses transport to hospital, all is well. However, I also bought but have yet to use, two twin size inflatable Intex air matts. My thinking is, if I can put them both under him, he can just lay flat on them,inflate, they will raise him almost 3 feet off the ground. Then he can sit up, put his feet on the floor,and grab his walker, then stand. As I say, I have not tried this yet as thus far the firemen have come and been very nice, not had any threats or arguments over taking him.

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I knew a family member who once called the fire department after the patient fell to the floor. He was over six feet and too heavy to lift. The firemen were glad to help. That is what I would do.
I lifted a 5 gal bottle once and hurt my back. Take care of your back, pain can be excruciating. I did not use good body mechanics. We use a Hoyer lift when my mother has a bad day, although it is rare, it is safer for both of us.

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Physical therapists are trained to teach you and your husband on how to get him up from the ground. I was trained by my PT on how to fall, also how to get up from a fall. Physical therapy would help your husband in a number of ways, not just help on getting up from a fall. Several people suggested using a Hoyer lift. When I was in hospital, Hoyer lifts were only used by two assistants, never one.

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Call 911 and ask for Public Assist. My husband was a firefighter for 26 years. He went on those calls all the time. Often the same person on the same day and sometimes they had homes they went to everyday. He said it is their job and he was happy to be of assistance.

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Do they have Public Assist in every county or state? I've never heard of it but sounds like a great help.

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I hate to mention it, but if there have been increasing falls - would using a wheelchair or commode occasionally be something to consider?

Can the PT make suggestions to increase his safety? Or a home visit by an OT to maybe fit more grab rails where needed or make other suggestions?

The PT / OT combo really helped my frequent faller stroke survivor relative. Another main improvement was having more supervision when fatigued.

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ASk doc for evaluation for Palliative care of Hospice Care. They should supply you with advice, the least.

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Hoyer Lift,, get trained in it..

OR CALL 911

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My 94yr old mother fell in her bathroom. She was not hurt. She could not get up by herself this time. She has very bad knees. Usually she grabs the sink (with vanity) and pulls herself up. I have back issues so I was no good to her at that point. She scooted herself into her bedroom and tried to climb onto her bed, which had been lowered about 6” for safety. That did not work either. We tried her cedar chest. That also didn’t work. After trying for about 45minutes she was exhausted. She was adamant she was NOT going to call for help! Then I had an idea. If I could get her out of her room, down the long hallway, thru the foyer to the 2 steps down to the family room, she could use the hand rails and pull herself up.
So. I went to the garage, got the furniture dolly, wheeled it into her. She looked at it and said “OH NO” She was sitting, so I slid the dolly as close to her backside as I could get and she wiggled onto it. I leaned her backwards and off we went!! At this point we were laughing so hard and stating how proud Dad would be if he were here to see her being wheeled thru the house on a dolly! We got to the steps, I lowered the dolly, her feet were on the first step going down, she grabbed the handrail, I helped her to stand up, and she stood right up. That was a year ago. I haven’t had to use it again, but we still giggle about it. A 94 yr old woman sitting on a dolly being pushed thru the house by her 69 yr old daughter. That may not work for everyone, but it worked for us that night. Ah. The memories.

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moms2nddaughter - you are brilliant! I love this so much. And it worked!!

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If your husband is not ready for a hospital bed you can still procure rails for his/your bed. Some people have suggested a Hoyer Lift. Look into a Get-U-Up Lift from Invacare. It has one sling that you can easily wrap around your husband’s arms and back and attach to the lift. (Easier than Hoyer’s)

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There are videos on YouTube of multiple ways to get up from the floor. Maybe one will work for you and your husband. Also, there is a lift device that can aid in getting up from the floor. The patient is able to use the lift without any aid. Cost approximately $2000. Just do a search on line.

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Wish I had known about something like this. Even with a Hoyer, they discouraged us from trying to do it ourselves.

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Imho, it is IMPERATIVE that you do not use your own muscle power to lift him. Suggest non emergency 9-1-1- for a lift assist. Do not throw your back out!

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Have called non emergency 911 to ask for man power assist for non injury fall

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Hoyer lift mentioned below is a possibility if you have room for that and can get one. Another option might be one of the lifting bath chairs. They are portable and go down to about 1-2 inches of bottom of a tub. You could lower it all the way, help him slide onto it and then raise him up. They also have belts that patient wears around waist that might give you a better way to grab and pull up, but his weight versus your lifting strength will determine if that's possible.

If bath chair is not a possibility, then you should not be trying to lift his dead weight from a floor position. That is a back wreck waiting to happen and when your back goes out, his care goes out the window. You need someone on speed dial that can come to you in a very short period of time - neighbor maybe. If you have no one to call, then call ambulance. Fire dept/ambulance crew will help you get him up. Plus, if he needs to go to the hospital, they are there to do it. You could call your nearest fire department/ambulance and explain situation. I'm sure they'd be more than happy to tell you if they can help you out in this situation.

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Gait belts should never be used for lifting. They're not even very popular for supporting people when standing nowadays.

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My wife can not walk. I have a hospital bed for her with half side rails on both sides. I also use a Hoyer lift (patient lift). Both of these are provided by Medicare.
Talk to your doctor. I've used the Hospital bed and the Hoyer lift for 8 years. The bed is semi manual and the Hoyer lift is semi manual. If Medicare does not work for you, go on Amazon and start your education for successful lifting and transporting.

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Did not know Medicare would provide.

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https://www.spinlife.com/Hoyer-Advance-Professional-Quick-Ship-Patient-Lift-Manual-Patient-Lift/spec.cfm?productID=81056&adv=bingshopping&utm_medium=CSE&utm_source=bingShopping&default=1

this might be your only answer.

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My husband weighs around 200 lbs. and I weigh 110. Sometimes I have to call 911, but most times I am able to get him up by myself. I get him on his knees, both are replacement knees, so I put something soft on the floor, Sometimes I need the gait belt to pull him up to his knees, from his side. Once he is on his knees, he gently pulls one leg up and I slip a chair or stool right behind his butt and then pull him back onto the chair. As long as he is not weak from an infection, he is usually able to follow instructions, he has dementia and parkinsonism. It can take 1/2 hr or so, we just go slowly.

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DO NOT TRY TO LIFT HIM! My husband has LBD and has multiple falls and has also fallen out of his bed also. Once he falls, he cannot recover, he is on hospice, but he can still get around with his walker very slowly. I was told when he falls, to call 911 and let them know, "this is a non-emergency, I need a lift assist"' they will send out the fire dept., the men come in and make sure he isn't hurt, take blood pressure and sometimes temperature and will lift him up and put him back in bed or allow him to walk to living room to sit in his recliner. I have had to call twice in one day. I was like you, before I knew about this FREE service, I struggled trying to lift him and hurting my back, because he can't help me either. Please use this service, they come out quickly. Hope this info helps you.

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Call 911. That's what they are for. If you hurt yourself, who will take care of both of you?

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I can honestly tell you that not ONE person can help lift a heavy person. It is impossible. Usually TWO people get together and their shoes meet together and then they both pull the person up. If his man is. falling this often, he cannot stay home. It is very unsafe for him and you can't lift him. I speak from experience. It can't be done. There is no way to get him up alone.

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Also, you are likely to hurt him even more by pulling on his arms or shoulders. And if you try to bear hug and lift them, provided you don't hurt you own back, you will likely bruise them badly and maybe worse. If they can't help themselves at least a little, you best call 911. They are trained to do this!

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Take a look at the RAIZER LIFT CHAIR...https://www.liftup.us/products/raizer/

Yes, it is frightfully expensive and cumbersome, BUT it works and you don't end up with a broken back.

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While you are getting PT for your hubby, have the therapist show YOU ways to A: strengthen your back and B: use your strength 'wisely' to help DH get up.

My old client loved me b/c I was so strong. She would literally just go limp and let me do all the work of getting her in and out of the car. It was brutal on me, and one day at PT the therapist asked me if I'd like a crash course in helping my client. He really helped me to help her. A 'dead weight' of 150 lbs was like picking up a huge bag of sand. I cannot describe how we worked this-it's something that you need to see and practice hands on with the therapist watching.

Brute strength is not necessary to lifting a person.

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What is the best way to help a heavy person up from the ground?

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