Acute Care patients at the Rimbey Hospital and Care Centre are getting a boost, following a generous donation from theWinfield Lions Club.
On February 5, the club presented the Rimbey Health Services Donation Committee with a cheque for $10,000, which will go towards the purchase of new equipment for the hospital, including a Sit to Stand patient lift for the Emergency Department and Acute Care unit.
“Having a lift like this will help us safely move patients who have difficulty getting to a standing position under their own power,” says Acute Care Unit Manager, Janice Gill. “It will assist staff in transferring patients from a seated position to standing, without the need for staff to manually lift the patient. These lifts make patient transfers safer and easier, for both our patients and our staff.
“We’re very grateful for the generous donation from the Winfield Lions Club.”
Although there are detailed safety procedures for lifting or transferring a patient without a lift, manually lifting a patient to their feet can pose injury risks to both patient and staff alike, and can sometimes result in slips, falls, and exertion injuries.
Unlike overhead patient lifts, the Sit to Stand lift is portable so can be used for more than one patient on the unit. Since this lift can easily be maneuvered around the unit, it means manual patient transfers are greatly reduced.
In addition to the purchase of the lift, the donation will also be used towards purchasing items from the hospital’s wish list.
For the Lion’s Club, whose motto is “We Serve,” giving back wasn’t a difficult decision.
“It’s a benefit to everyone,” says Barry Clarkson, president of the Winfield Lion’s Club. “Lots of residents here use the Rimbey Hospital, and when we were approached about the opportunity to consider donating, it was a good fit with our club.”
The Rimbey Hospital and Care Centre provides care and services to residents in Rimbey and the surrounding area, including those in Winfield, Alder Flats, Breton, Crestomere, Bluffton, Hoadley, Bentley and Eckville.