The Situation
Paramount EMS is the provider of BLS, ALS, and Critical Care Transport in the Dubuque community. They not only excel in emergency medical transport, but also in providing lift assistance to those in need.
One particular incident involved a geriatric female patient weighing approximately 400lbs. She found herself in a distressing situation when she slipped out of her chair and immediately sought help from the skilled paramedics at Paramount. Her struggles with obesity, bilateral knee replacements, and chronic back pain rendered her unable to get back up on her own. Unfortunately, this wasn't her first fall, so she knew all too well the challenges that lay ahead.
Historically, the medics had to rely on two gate belts that were fastened together and wrapped around her waist. However, these belts had a tendency to slide up her torso during the lift, causing discomfort and fear of being dropped. But this time, a new solution awaited her - the Binder Lift.
“There are numerous handles on it [Binder Lift], you can grab from many different positions, and it secures to the patient and doesn’t move”
The Binder Lift Difference
According to lead paramedic Chad Tatar, upon arrival, they found her on the ground looking scared and anxious. That's when he instructed his partner to go out to the truck to grab the Binder Lift.
While his partner retrieved the Binder Lift Tatar calmly explained to the patient that they had a new device that was specifically designed to help them pick her up. She visibly became more at ease with the comfort of knowing the medics now had special equipment to help. After attaching the Binder Lift, the two medics were able to lift her back into her chair with relative ease. Since then she has fallen several more times and has specifically asked the medics to use the Binder Lift when giving her assistance. “Now when we show up to lift her off the floor she’s not real nervous anymore. She feels a lot more secure with the Binder Lift,” says Tatar.
