Caregiver Safety:

Using a gait (transfer) belt with all assisted transfers is recommended. This allows patients to have good support, and gives caregivers a grip while holding onto patients. Place the gait belt around the patient’s waist, not their chest. You should never have to lift with our premium transfer boards. Beasy carries premium, padded gait (transfer) belts. They are items: #4200 – Large 34-52” waist (Green) or #4200S – Small 22-36” waist (Orange)

Assistants for Transfers:

As everyone’s medical needs are different, each transfer is also different. Using our premium transfer boards takes practice! For safety, while learning how the transfer board works for you, two assistants are recommended for the first few patient transfers. Know your limitations. Make sure you feel secure with your transferring technique before using one caregiver. We recommend clearance from a physical therapist or doctor for all unassisted transfers.

Make a Plan:

Try a virtual transfer without the patient before attempting a transfer. Remove the arm of the wheelchair and foot pedals to give yourself ample room to transfer. Set the board where you will transfer, and slide the seat back and forth to make sure there are no obstacles in your way, such as the wheelchair wheel, frame of the car, etc. Sometimes angling the wheelchair 30 degrees works well in transferring, but if that is difficult, feel free to try a different angle. Even transferring with parallel surface to surface can work well in some situations.
Talking to the patient about how you will proceed with the transfer will allow them to help you as much as possible, and help them feel comfortable with the procedure. Sometimes “1…2…3…GO” will help you to work together. If using the board on a solid surface, the board may tend to slip. Use a piece of rubber, or a wash cloth in between the surfaces to keep the board from slipping. Beasy carries No Slip Pads. They are items ##1400 for a 7” and #1410 for 10.”

Keep Your Transfer Surface Level:

There should never be more than a six inch incline or decline between surfaces in your transfer. Use of a wheelchair cushion or towels may help level the surfaces. This is important for safety, and will reduce the possibility of injuries. Make sure there is a secure amount of the board on both transferring surfaces. Be careful of soft, cushioned surfaces like a bed that may compress leaving less of the board on the surface.

Get Ready to Transfer:

The patient should be encouraged to lean as far to one side as possible, while the caregiver rocks the seat gently to help place, or to remove the seat from underneath them after the transfer. A soft hug can help the patient tip to one side, if they cannot do it on their own. Now you are ready to transfer. Without lifting, grab the gait (transfer) belt and glide the patient to their destination. Each time you transfer it will get easier, as you will get better at your individual technique. Feel free to contact our customer service team for tips to help.

Protect Your Skin:

When putting the board underneath the patient, leave a small amount of the seat visible in the direction you will transfer. This allows the patient’s body weight to ride on the gliding seat, so the friction is absorbed by the seat and not the patient’s skin. If unusual swelling, redness, or discomfort occurs for any reason, use should be discontinued and a healthcare professional consulted.

Cleaning Your Transfer Device:

Your Beasy Transfer board is virtually maintenance free, but should be cleaned frequently with any sanitizing cleaner. Do not use abrasive cleaners, as they will scratch your transfer board. Rinse well for healthy skin.

Automobile Transfers

Patients can get out into the world again without stress, if they are able to transfer in and out of the car with ease. We recommend the original 40” BeasyTrans Model #1100 for most car transfers. The Beasy Glyder #1300 model may also be used for car transfers where the wheelchair can get close to the car seat. Put the seat of the car back as far as it can go to give you more room to transfer. Sometimes transferring the patient from behind the wheelchair is more successful.

Supine to Supine Transfers

This works well for EMTs, X-ray Technicians, Hospice, Surgery of all types, Police and Fire Rescue.

Beasy premium transfer boards can greatly assist in the supine to supine transfer, such as hospital bed to gurney. Using a draw sheet between the patient and the transfer board, roll the patient on their side. Slide the seat to one end of the board. Position the seat under the patient’s buttocks on one end of the board and the other end on the destination of transfer. Using two caregivers, simply pull on the draw sheet and transfer the supine patient with a smooth, lateral slide.

Boosting the Patient in Bed

Patients who require frequent boosting up, or repositioning in bed, can use the #1100 or #1200 Beasy premium transfer boards to make the process smooth, safe, and easy. Using a draw sheet between the patient and the transfer board, roll the patient onto their side. While the seat is in the middle of the #1100, or at the bottom of the #1200 (vertically positioned), position the seat under the patient’s buttocks. The patient is rolled back onto the transfer board. The caregiver moves to the head of the bed, grasping the draw sheet to slide the patient higher in the bed. Place a pillow in between the patient and the bed to keep them from hitting their head on the headboard.

Basic Steps

• If you use the board on other hard surfaces (such as a toilet seat), the board can slide. You can use a Beasy No Slip Pad, a piece of rubber (such as no slip shelf liner), or a wash rag. Wrap the no slip material around the toilet seat, or place it in between surfaces to keep the board from slipping.
• If the patient tends to glide before the seat does, you can use a Beasy No Slip Pad, or a piece of rubber (such as no slip shelf liner. Place the no slip material on the seat before transferring.
• If your board stops sliding well, you may need to lubricate your board. See below.