A smooth toilet transfer with a mobile hoist thanks to the wheelchair pants with side zippers.

We have often been asked whether we have adaptive clothing in our range that makes the transfer with a mobile hoist more comfortable and easier for severely needy people. Well, we contacted WZC De Zeventorentjes in Bruges, one of the residential care centres that asked us this question, and we tested it with the wheelchair pants with side zippers.

Together with 2 enthusiastic occupational therapists we tested our adapted trousers during a toilet transfer using the passive hoist.

See below step by step how we proceeded:

Step 1:

Place the bed at the right height so that you can work ergonomically. Place the sling underneath the client.

Step 2:

Open the side zippers of the wheelchair pants all the way down and put on the adapted pants up to knee height.

Step 3:

Close the belt of the pants above the legs so that the pants do not sag during the transfer and the pants cannot drag on the ground.

Step 4:

Now transfer the client to the toilet with the mobile hoist.

Step 5:

During the transfer to the toilet you have plenty of space to remove the incontinence material, clean the tailbone after the toilet visit and put incontinence material back on.

Step 6:

When transferring from toilet to wheelchair, loosen the strap on the thigh and position the pants in place.

Step 7:

Close the zippers in the side seams as far as possible.

Step 8:

Close the belt using the snaps at the waist. The belt is not meant to be tightened, only to keep the trousers neatly in place.

Step 9:

Remove the sling and the mobile hoist

Step 10:

Close the zippers to the top. Ready!

The video below illustrates how the trousers can be used in combination with the mobile hoist from the wheelchair to the toilet and back.

Benefits

We discovered a lot of benefits for both the client in need of care and the care provider.

• We can reduce a lot of actions. For example, after care someone can be transferred directly from the bed to the toilet and then to the wheelchair. The transfer is also perfectly possible from the wheelchair to the toilet and back. So it is no longer necessary to make the transfer to the bed for dressing and undressing.
• the actions to be carried out by the caregivers can be done in an ergonomic way. No force is required to put on or take off the pants during the transfer.
• replacing incontinence material in bed can be done very easily thanks to the zippers in the side seam. Fewer rotations are required to replace the incontinence material because the pants can be fully opened.
• Because the actions of caregivers are reduced to a minimum, the transfer to the toilet is also much more comfortable for the client.
• fewer actions means time savings for caregivers.

In addition to the above mentioned advantages during the toilet transfer with a mobile hoist, the wheelchair pants with side zippers also has the following advantages:

• regular clothing is made on a fit in stand. The wheelchair pants of So Yes are developed with a seated fit. This makes the trousers extremely suitable for people who are permanently seated in the wheelchair.
• Wheelchair users often have the problem that the pants are much too short and the ankles are exposed. The wheelchairtrousers have longer trouser legs so that they cover the ankles sufficiently.
• When you are in a wheelchair for a long time, there can be seat wounds. Due to the absence of pockets on the seat, we avoid pressure points and work preventively on decubitus.

Thanks to the trousers with side zippers, it is also perfectly possible to catheterise from the wheelchair or use a urinal without the client having to make the transfer to the toilet. This was the initial reason why we developed the pants. We can only applaud the fact that the wheelchair pants with side zippers have many more possibilities.

We would like to thank the people of Mintus, more specifically wzc De Zeventorentjes, for their dedication and enthusiasm. We felt very welcome and admire their willpower to strive for a higher quality of care at all times. It is a great added value for us to be able to involve people from the field in the further development of our clothing line and to work with their feedback.

Do you know any other ways to make toilet transfers easier for severely needy people? We would love to hear from you!

Greetings,

Sofie and Jessie

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