MAO Manual

SKILL X – Sliding Board Transfers

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Carefully slide the slide board under the persons buttocks by having them lean slightly away from the board. The other end of the slide board is on the surface they will be transferred to. About a quarter of the board should be under the person.

Remove one armrest. Set the brakes. Remove the leg rests. Scoot the person forward in the chair and position their feet flat on the floor.

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Grasp the patient at the hips or shoulders and at a count of 1-2-3, lift them slightly while they push, and help them slide a few inches. DO NOT let them place their fingers under the slide board.

Continue with the count, lift, push and slide sequence until the person has fully transferred to the other surface. Seat the person on the surface and make sure they are stable and secure. Then remove the slide board.

Some patients can be transferred with a sliding board. The use of a sliding board is especially helpful if a patient has some upper body strength and can participate in the moving process. The board is placed between the two surfaces (a chair and a wheelchair for example) and the patient slides with assistance from one surface to another. In some cases the patient has enough strength to lift his own rear end up slightly and slide him/herself down the board towards the other surface in small increments. On other cases, the MAO must assist the patient by helping lift the patient’s weight slightly off the board as the patient makes his/her way down the board. It is critical to understand that the MAO must always be in a good position to intervene should the patient lose his or her balance and be about to fall. The MAO must not let a patient with some strength lull him / her into a false sense of security.