2003 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Efficacy and useful application of assistive devices for reducinf workloads in transferring aged clients
| Project/Area Number |
13670346
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Hygiene
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| Research Institution | Fujita Health University |
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Principal Investigator |
ONO Yuichiro Fujita Health University, School of Medicine, Professor, 医学部, 教授 (80135334)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
NAGAOKA Kaoru Fujita Health University, School of Medicine, Assistant Professor, 医学部, 講師 (60217974)
IMAEDA Toshihiko Fujita Health University, School of Medicine, Assistant Professor, 医学部, 講師 (00303636)
YOSHIDA Tsutomu Meijo University, Faculty of Phamacy, Professor, 薬学部, 教授 (00158453)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2001 – 2003
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| Keywords | care-giving work / the aged / assistive device / care-giving technique / workload / ergonomics / perceived exertion / posture |
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| Research Abstract |
Before experimental studies we clarified health and safety measures and the present conditions of health management in care-giving workplaces based on existing documents.
In experiments, we studied effects of care-giving techniques and assistive devices on workload and client's assessment in several care-giving tasks including transferring a client from a wheelchair to a bed, sitting a client up in bed, and moving a client up the bed. Use of sling showed the best results for both care-givers and a client when we summarized forward flexion angles of the care-giver's trunk, ratings of perceived exertion and preference of care-givers, and the client's assessment in transferring a client from a wheelchair to a bed. A combination of assistive device, putting the care-giver's right knee on the bed, and rotation method gave the best results in workload and preference of care-givers and client's assessment among five kinds of methods in sitting a client up in bed. Above results among nursing students were confirmed to be highly reproducible among professional nurses. In six kinds of care-giving methods for moving a client up the bed, two methods using a sliding board got the best ratings of perceived exertion and preference among care-givers, while two methods without any assistive device got the worst evaluation. These results by care-givers were almost similar to those by the client. Transferring distance of a client was longer in the methods without assistive device than in other methods. In physiological and biomechanical analyses, we also observed findings that were almost consistent to above results suggesting the effectiveness of assistive devices.
We judge that useful results were obtained in above studies toward making guidelines for useful application of techniques and assistive devices, which aimed at reducing workload and guaranteeing safety of clients in care-giving tasks.
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