Everything You Need To Consider Before Choosing The Right Gait Belt
Whether it is only for support or the caregiver needs to transfer the patient, a gait belt always comes handy. That is why the demand for this belt has risen significantly in the healthcare industry. But with this increasing fame, several new options have also come into the market. So it won’t be easy for you to pick an appropriate transfer belt. In case you get confused with all the different variants, here are some factors that will help you select the best one.
1 Comfort
It is a caregiver’s primary duty to ensure the patient’s comfort. But even they can’t do anything about the strain of the patient’s waist due to the transfer belt. To solve the problem, they recommend broader and correct-sized belts. This helps in distributing the pressure and not straining a person’s waist. Hence, the patient feels comfortable during transfers or movements. You can also go for transfer belts with handles to provide additional support.
2 Material
Gait belt are generally made of some kind of canvas, cotton, or leather. These are comfortable and breathable materials that don’t cause any problem to the patient. However, you can also find transfer belts made of materials like vinyl. These variants aren’t suitable for the unique needs of the patient. Therefore, it is crucial to opt only for breathable fabrics. Plus, the belt’s cloth and buckles should be sturdy and durable. Otherwise, they can bread in between transfers, hurting both caregivers and patients.
3 Size
As mentioned above, the belt should be wider for better comfort. Along with this, you also need to ensure that transfer belts with handles are also suitable for the patient’s weight and waist. Specific variants get designed to provide additional comfort to the caregivers while lifting heavyweight patients. Hence, you must opt for them if the patient falls in the large category. Plus, the belt should appropriately fit the patient’s waist. It should neither be extra tight nor be too loose. Only then will the person remain safe while using it.4 Flexible
It is usually difficult to determine the patient’s exact waist size because a slight change can be observed in it every once in a while. That doesn’t mean you have to opt for multiple gait belts. Instead, you can go for variants that have multiple loops for fixing the belt. The flexibility will enable the caregiver to properly put the belt up at any point in time.
5 Maintenance
It is crucial to consider transfer belt for patients that aren’t difficult to maintain. For example, materials like cotton or canvas can be cleaned easily, and they can also be washed in the machine. On the other hand, vinyl and leather required extra efforts for cleaning and maintaining. So you should pick only the variants that can be handled conveniently.
Apart from these main factors, you can also check the overall quality and hold of the belt. It will help if you avoid variants that can’t be held tightly and adequately. By examining all these aspects, you will be able to pick the most suitable transfer belts.
