Course Description:

Welcome to this course on Physical Therapy: Skills for Safe Patient Movement. Many patients are accustomed to an active lifestyle, so they may become frustrated when they cannot move around or engage in their occupation in ways they did before an illness or injury, or like they did when they were younger.

Physical therapists understand this frustration, so they help patients, caregivers, and family members recognize and apply safe transfer techniques. These techniques are designed to maximize a patient’s mobility and increase their function in a safe manner.

Some patients require help with their basic needs because they don’t have the ability to take care of it themselves. Helping them safely transfer from one place to another is important and allows them to complete their activities of daily living with as much independence as possible.

This course discusses how physical therapy workers can better understand these concerns, so they can, in turn, assist patients with transfers and teach caregivers the appropriate techniques to help their patients transfer safely.

Please note: This continuing education/professional development activity was planned for physical therapists. Completing this course does not authorize you to add any skill discussed in the content to your practice if this function is not included in your current scope of practice.