How To Safely Help Your Senior Parent With Transferring

By James Hughes | January 13, 2025 |

Personal care at home can help with various support for aging seniors including safely transferring from bed.

If you’re taking care of a senior parent, one of the things that you may need to help them with as they get older is transferring. Transferring is really just helping your mom or dad get from one place or position to another. Common transfers that seniors need help with are:

Getting out of bed and into a chair or wheelchair
Moving from a chair or wheelchair to a toilet
Standing up from a sitting position
Laying down in bed from a standing or sitting position

Your mom or dad may need help with transferring because of an injury from a fall, a chronic condition, or an illness like Parkinson’s disease.

Helping your mom or dad transfer can be dangerous for both of you. If you aren’t using the right transfer methods, you could strain your back, shoulders, or neck or injure yourself in other ways. If you can’t complete the transfer, your mom or dad could fall or get hurt.

If you’re nervous about trying to help your mom or dad transfer or if your mom or dad is much larger than you are, it’s a good idea to get personal care at home services for your mom or dad. With personal care at home, your mom or dad will get help from a professional caregiver who has tools and experience that can help them safely transfer your mom or dad.

When you are helping your mom or dad transfer, use these personal care at home tips to protect them and protect yourself from injury:

Learn Proper Body Mechanics

When you’re helping your senior parent, the way you move your body matters. Poor technique can lead to back pain, muscle strains, or injuries. Follow these tips for proper body mechanics:

Keep your back straight and avoid twisting it during the transfer.
Bend your knees and use your leg muscles to lift, not your back.
Stand close to your parent to minimize the strain on your body.
Keep your feet shoulder-width apart for balance and stability.

And if you are not sure whether or not you can bear all of your senior parent’s weight, either get professional help from personal care at home providers or use a tool like a Hoyer lift to help you.

Use Transfer Aids When Needed

Transfer aids can make the process of moving your senior parent safer and easier for both of you. These tools are designed to reduce strain on your body and provide extra support for your parent. Some common aids include:

Transfer belts: These wrap around your parent’s waist, giving you a secure handle to hold during the transfer.
Sliding boards: These allow your parent to move from one surface to another, such as from a wheelchair to a bed, with less effort.
Mechanical lifts: For parents with very limited mobility, lifts can do most of the heavy lifting for you.

Using the right type of transfer tool can make a significant difference, especially if your parent needs help with transferring multiple times every day.

Communicate and Plan the Transfer

Before starting, talk to your mom or dad and explain the steps of the transfer in detail. Good communication helps ensure you’re both on the same page. For example, you might say, “I’m going to help you stand up now. On the count of three, push with your arms, and I’ll boost you.”

Encourage your mom or dad to do as much as they can to help during the transfer. If they can push, pull, or hold onto something, it reduces the effort required from you. Move slowly and avoid rushing. A planned, steady approach prevents accidents and keeps both of you safe.

If you or someone you know needs Personal Care at Home in Gulf Shores, AL, please contact the friendly caregivers at  Hughes Home Care. We provide quality and affordable care for your elderly loved ones in our community. Serving Mobile & Baldwin County. Call us today at (251) 517-9901

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James Hughes

Owner at Hughes Home Care

James Hughes is a graduate of The University of Alabama (Health Care Administration), the University Of Alabama, Birmingham (Physical Therapy) and is a Navy veteran.

He has three teenage children and are actively involved in their church and community – James coach’s youth football, basketball and baseball and serves at 3 Circle Church. He is a member of the Fairhope Youth Football Board and the Rock Creek POA Board.

It is his passion and commitment to providing quality and responsive service that has made their company the fastest growing home care agency in South Alabama.

He believes that being an independently owned and operated company gives him the flexibility to manage his business in a way that better serves their clients.

He understands that you have a choice of care providers and he will do his utmost to earn your trust.