Useful Tools and Equipment for Professional Caregivers

Professional caregivers are tasked with managing the health of their patients. This can be a tough task without the right tools and equipment. Some are easily available, like specialized hand trucks for moving healthcare related products and equipment. Others are more specialized and aimed at caregiving, like patient transfer aids. Whether the caregiver is in-home or offers their services a few days per week, each of these tools makes caregiving easier. 

Medication Management and Reminders

Medication management and reminders are essential, especially if a caregiver juggles multiple patients. A calendar detailing which medication should be taken, and when, is vital. Electronic reminders can aid with audio cues to take medication and dosage updates depending on the time of day. A missed dose can trigger a text message to your phone or another emergency contact. A pill splitter or crusher can help the patient swallow the medication more easily. For patients who only need a simple reminder, apps can alert them when it’s time to take medication.

Material Moving Equipment

When a regular hand cart won’t do, consider a stair climbing dolly for moving heavy loads up and down stairs. They’re perfect for transporting gas cylinders, like oxygen cylinders, or other heavy loads up stairs or onto porches. Moving a heavy medical oxygen cylinder is a simple matter with an electric motor doing most of the work. 

For even larger, more cumbersome cylinders, consider an electric hand cart, which is suitable for flatter surfaces than stairs. These dollies and hand carts can also help with moving heavier medical machines and equipment if necessary.

Remote Communication

If you are not an in-home caretaker and only visit a few times per week, consider using remote communication tools to keep in touch with your patients. Consider using an app such as Skype on a tablet, with easy access for your patient. Then, you can check in on them and do a visual assessment, even if you are not present in person. Video chat also enables family members to check in as well, giving them a sense of connection, especially if their family is not nearby. Emergency call buttons that hang around the patient’s neck can alert primary caregivers or emergency services in case of a fall or other issue with the simple push of a button.

Patient Transfer Aids

Patient transfer aids assist you in moving the patient, usually from a sitting position to standing, from laying down to sitting, or one place to another. This could be to or from a chair, wheelchair, car, or bed. Pads help the patient slide, while slings can help you pull the patient up. 

GPS Tracking

Keeping track of dementia or Alzheimer’s patients is vital. With six in 10 dementia patients wandering, a GPS tracking bracelet or pendant can help you quickly find them. Features depend on the model, but some include fall alarms, route sensors that can alert you if the patient goes somewhere unfamiliar, and even two-way communication. Many of these are real-time trackers with an app that can be used with any computer, tablet, or smartphone to track the patient wherever they go. 

About Magline

Magliner products are some of the most well-known and trusted in the material handling industry. A hand truck of any make is often referred to as a “Magliner,” no matter the actual brand. There is, however, no substitute for the Magline brand when it comes to quality. Magline has designed, innovated, and produced the most reliable, durable, and trustworthy material handling equipment available for more than 70 years. While famous for their industry-standard hand truck, Magline also produces a variety of specialized equipment like a lift hand truck line, u boat carts, and motorized hand trucks to reduce employee injuries and increase efficiency.

To learn more about Magliner hand trucks and other material handling products, visit Magliner.com

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