Facility is suddenly making mom use sit and stand lift, saying no lift rule. Any advice?

EB, isn't it crazy that we have to research what is available and make suggestions to the staff - it should work the other way around! I imagine years ago everyone just had to trust that the "experts" knew what they were doing, thank God for the information available to us on the internet!

The answer is that your mom's facility downgraded their level of coverage for employees. They are not using the lift because 1. It legally takes two worker's to implement it and that's one too many caregivers and 2. It is quite common that lifts are not allowed in assisted living homes, or independent living homes.

Nursing homes have them, but the aide to patient ratio is so overstressed already, that I get they are stopping the use of them. And, they are lowering their own money costs regarding insurance coverage for their facility.

I say if you don't feel your mom is safe or if she doesn't feel safe on her own (even with an assistant), it's time to change nursing homes.

I had never heard of this so I watched a you tube on how to use a "sit and stand lift" and thought how would that work for getting off the toilet. I think it would better if one was wearing a skirt and some kind of snappable underdrawers. Forget standing up on your own to pull up underpants - years ago I found a company called Burke and Burke that supplied what they call "adaptable" clothing - normally for people in wheel chairs, but I bet they might make some undergarment so you don't have to stand up after the toilet and can re-dress your bottom with some amount of privacy and comfort.

So....... what changed? Did a staff member get injured while attempting to lift her?
Then they had to put THE SIT AND STAND methodology in place?

Investigate as to what has changed.

I like the idea of the Occupational Trainer showing how its done.

I used the Sit To Stand for quite a while on my Husband I did make a triangular sleeve from some polar fleece that went over the part of the sling that went under the arm. This padded the sling a bit more so if he did not support himself enough the sling would not rub. When the CNA noticed that he was supporting himself less and less we switched to the Hoyer.

For safety of residents as well as staff many Nursing Homes have a policy that if the person/resident needs two people to transfer they are to use equipment. And many facilities have the policy that they will not use a mechanical device for lifting, if a resident needs that they are transferred to a skilled nursing facility. (This is something that when looking into a facility you should ask what the policy is.)

It sounds like your Mom might be better with a Hoyer rather than the STS. There are different types of slings for the Hoyer. There is a full sling, a full mesh sling with a commode hole, this is what I used when getting my Husband into the shower, and there is a split leg sling. Basically a 3/4 body sling with long leg straps that go under the legs and crisscross. I used this type for brief changes when he was bed-bound and I would put this on him after the shower to transfer back to bed where I would dress him. Then the full body sling to transfer him to his chair. (Thanks to Hospice I got the equipment as well as the knowledge how to use it!)
By the way even with equipment in a facility it should be used with 2 people. (home setting different rules)

A no-lift rule is probably to prevent the nurses & assistants from getting hurt - many nurses do irreparable damage to their backs when lifting a patient.

It is probably also to defer lawsuits. We live in a society that tends to sue.

They can't pick and choose - hence the "no lift" policy.

When my husband was in rehab, they did use the Sit to Stand with him. He was never comfortable in it, and once, when he stood up, he passed out and fell out of it. Here, we have a Hoyer lift. I don’t think a STS would work with him any longer because he can’t bear weight. If your mom has hip pain, I’m sure the STS is not comfortable.. Just before he was released, I was shown by the physical therapists how to use the STS at home. They also trained the aides on its use. Ask if maybe a Hoyer lift would be easier and less painful for her. There are also different slings, including a toileting sling.

I can see that sling hurting. Maybe the aides are not aware of her problem and need a reminder and a note from therapy. Remember there r different shifts and weekends of aides. Then there is the turnover. Your complaint is valid.

Sometimes you may need to look outside the facility for answers, these places won't always admit that they don't know something - when my mom wasn't getting appropriate concern from her nursing home about her wheelchair cushion I brought in an independent OT for a consult.

The lift shouldn't hurt if they are using it properly - perhaps you need an OT to watch what they are doing and make suggestions. While I understand that you can do your mom's transfers without a lift remember that those women working in a facility are transferring many people multiple times a day, and if they are injured on the job they must either work in pain or do without pay - it really is safer for them and the people being transferred to use appropriate devices.