Many residents in an assistive living facility have some sore of functional mobility limitations.  Some have difficulty moving around in bed, and others may have trouble transferring from sitting to standing or walking without assistance.

One of the challenges of working with and caring for assistive living facility residents is ensuring that safety is maintained at all times.  Helping a resident transfer from a sitting position to a standing position can be very difficult.  The act of moving from a seated position seems simple enough; just raise your body up from the chair.  But there are some things that caregivers at assistive living facilities can do to assist residents when rising from a chair.

Here are a few tips to help a resident safely move to a standing position from sitting.

• Stand directly in front of the person who needs assistance rising from sitting.
• Place a gait belt or transfer belt around the resident’s waist.
• Instruct and  help the person move forward on the chair so their bottom is close to the front edge of the chair.
• Make sure the person rising has both feet flat on the floor and directly under their  knees.
• Keep your spine in an upright position, and bend your knees.
• Hold the gait belt with both arms on the resident’s side.
• Instruct the resident to use both arms to help rise from the chair.
• Instruct the person to bend slightly forward at the waist.  A good phrase to  say is, “Place your nose over toes.”
• Assist the resident to rise up, and maintain contact with the resident’s waist while rising.

Once you have effectively assisted the resident in rising from sitting, make sure the assistive device that they typically use is within reach, and be certain the person is standing with good balance before removing your hands and the gait belt from the person.

The act of rising from a chair seems like a simple task, but when a person has a limitation with functional mobility, it can be a real challenge. By following some simple tips when helping a resident of an assistive living facility rise to stand from sitting, you can be sure to maintain a safety for both you and the resident.