July 17, 2025

Safe Lift: Through the Eyes of the Resident Video Now Available

On July 17, 2025 by Julie Apold

Interviews with residents as part of the LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation’s Mechanical Lift Project (Safe Lift) revealed a common and important theme: residents often do not feel like a true member of the team during the transfer process. They also described feeling like the transfer is simply a task to be completed — missing the opportunity for personal, human connection between staff and resident.

The Resident Perspective: An Essential Voice in Safe Lift Training

One of the core practices in the Safe Lift Roadmap emphasizes the importance of including resident perspectives in mechanical lift training. Providers are encouraged to take a person-centered approach by involving a resident in training sessions to directly share what it feels like to be transferred via a lift.

Another option is to utilize the new video resource: Safe Lift: Through the Eyes of the Resident, which features two residents sharing their personal experiences. They discuss what it means to rely on a mechanical lift, their worries, and what staff can do to offer comfort and reassurance.

This powerful tool can help staff better understand the emotional and physical experience of residents, fostering more compassionate care during transfers.

Register for Safe Lift Virtual Training – Aug. 6

LeadingAge Minnesota members are invited to participate in a free Safe Lift virtual training session to enhance safety practices when using mechanical lifts. The training is scheduled for Aug. 6 from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.

This training will help you implement strategies outlined in the LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation’s “Roadmap to Effective Mechanical Lift Safety Practices” and introduce the Safe Lift: STOP for Safety campaign — a simple three-step process to perform a structured safety pause before resident transfers.

What is Safe Lift?

Safe Lift is an evidence-based initiative from the LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation designed to tackle the ongoing challenge of mechanical lift-related falls in care settings.

Unlike traditional training-only approaches, Safe Lift uses principles of human factors and ergonomics to examine equipment and process design issues that contribute to these incidents – ensuring that solutions go beyond staff training to address systemic issues.

How Do I Get Involved?

• Register for the Aug. 6 Training: Training Flyer; Registration
• Visit the LeadingAge Minnesota website to access all Safe Lift Resources.

For questions, please contact Julie Apold at 651-659-1407 or japold@leadingagemn.org.