Back in November, I wrote a diddy to my love of Gait Belts. I had recently been teaching a class where a student who knew everything (just ask her) loudly proclaimed to the entire class (of beginners) that Gait Belts were only used in Nursing Homes.
You probably remember the loud crack heard across Washington State as my heart broke.
The fact is that I don't teach any transfers or walking without a gait belt. There are 2 disease processes that I can think of where a Gait Belt is contraindicated, but they are so exceedingly rare that I doubt you would ever see them.
A gait belt is ESSENTIAL for every single transfer and every single time you are doing stand by assist. They:
- Give you something to hold onto
- Of note... If you are ever giving me care and use my pants to lift me and give me a wedgie...I will kick you very hard in the shins
- Also... If I am on a limited income and you tear my clothes because you are holding onto them to help me transfer, I'll fire you
- Gives security to your client. They feel supported and safe
- Protects your back if something starts to go wrong. You NEVER know when something might go wrong. Even our strongest consumers may:
- Trip on the rug
- Have knees that go out
- Fall during an earthquake
- Have an underlying infection you don't know about that would cause them to be weak
- could have a seizure
- etc, etc, etc
I also really believe that you should own your gait belt and not rely on your work to provide you with one. I think it should be worn as part of your uniform (you can wear it under your clothes) so that you have it immediately if you have to help someone up or someone needs to go somewhere.The Cotton Webbed gait belts are the most common. They cost about $10.00. They need to be thrown into the wash every night for infection control reasons.
My favorite and what I personally use is a Nylon Gait Belt that has antiseptic imbedded in it. It's pretty (looks like the American Flag) and it's very easy to wipe down in-between clients with an alcohol wipe. It's much better for infection control. Mine also has a plastic clasp which I find easier to work with than those metal teeth things.I do carry around gait belts when I'm doing classes and sell them at cost because I believe so strongly that caregivers should have them.
If your client doesn't like the gait belt used, try this:
- Explain the importance & safety. Focus the safety on YOU. Clients sometimes make choices they know will hurt them, but they rarely want you hurt. They depend on you. So let them know it is safer for you and they are much more likely to use it.
- Try getting a pretty design or color. Gait belts come in all kinds of colors & designs. I took care of a lady once who was part of the Red Hats group. When I brought her in a Red Gait Belt and told her it looked nice with her dress, I never had a problem again.
One last couple of tips:
- Never leave your gait belt at work. It WILL get taken.
- Always put your name on your gait belt. Otherwise it WILL get taken.
