Aug. 2025

Safe Lifting in Long-Term Care: A Human-Centered Approach to Preventing Harm

On August 12, 2025 by Julie Apold

Mechanical lifts are essential tools in many nursing homes, helping caregivers safely transfer residents with limited mobility. Yet, when these devices are not used correctly or when processes break down, they can lead to serious harm—for both residents and staff. That’s why the LeadingAge Minnesota Foundation launched the mechanical lift project—a safety initiative that goes beyond traditional staff training to tackle the root causes of lift-related incidents.

What sets this project apart is its use of human factors and ergonomics science, which focuses on how people interact with equipment and processes. Rather than placing blame on individuals, the project investigates how the design of the lift equipment, workflow, and environment can be improved to make safe practices easier and more reliable.

Listening to Those Closest to the Work

In the project’s first phase, the team partnered with the people most involved in lift transfers—nursing assistants, therapy and maintenance staff, nurse managers, quality and staff development leads—as well as residents who use lifts and their families. Through on-site observations and interviews, rich insights were gathered into the day-to-day challenges and risks of mechanical lift use.

These findings were shared with a Mechanical Lift Advisory Group made up of care providers and local and national safety experts. Together, they developed a practical guide called the “Roadmap to Effective Mechanical Lift Safety Practices” to support providers in creating a safer, more respectful lift experience for all.

Introducing: The Safe Lift Initiative

The Roadmap is the foundation of a broader safety campaign called “Safe Lift”, anchored by the message: “We Lift with Care; Because We Care.” The initiative emphasizes dignity, respect, and inclusion of the resident during every lift transfer—alongside a strong focus on safety.

Key Safe Lift practices include:

• Appointing a Safe Lift Champion at each site to lead implementation
• Conducting Safe Lift rounding—regular check-ins that include observation and open dialogue with staff and residents
• Establishing clear roles and routines for managing both internal and external lift slings
• Reinforcing a “Hands-On for Safety” expectation during transfers

A major concern voiced by staff and residents was the pressure to rush lift transfers due to time constraints. To address this, the team developed a standardized safety pause called “Safe Lift: STOP for Safety”. This brief pause includes three simple steps to confirm that equipment, environment, and team members are ready—ensuring everyone is prepared for a safe transfer.

Looking Ahead

The Safe Lift campaign is now being rolled out across LeadingAge Minnesota member sites. It represents a culture shift: from reactive training to proactive system design, from doing for residents to working with them.

By bringing human-centered design into everyday care, the Safe Lift initiative will help make mechanical lift transfers safer, more respectful, and more effective—for everyone involved.