Hoist Scales

My off-the-top-of-my-head immediate thoughts:

1) I'm not sure about 'in a communal area'.

2) How transportable is the weighing device - i.e. can it be easily moved between the residents' rooms?

3) Have you asked the people who would be weighed what they think about it?

Three thoughts will do for now.

Hi surely the weight could be done in the bedroom first before going into the communal area? Regards Margaret

I would not find it appropriate for the individual to be weighed in the communal area, unless of course that person has made the choice and it is documented that they choose to be weighed this way.

Also aside from the above, as with any scales, different factors will affect the accuracy of the weight. For example, wherever the person is weighed, it needs to be done in the same area every weigh in. So if the individual is being weighed in their room as the are lifted off the bed, this needs to be the same every time. The floor variations will affect the weight, even through a hoist.

Also - as I've seen this happen lots, remember to weigh the sling prior to weighing the individual and remember to deduct the sling weight to get the final weight. Ive seen residents weigh a kilo more in a week only to find it was the sling not being deducted or visa versa.

I think being weighed should be something done in the privacy of the bathroom or residents bedroom. Doing it in communal area before settling resident into comfy chair is purely for convenience of the carer. You're right about the weight of sling. It might be helpful to havethe slings weighed and recorded on tags attatched to them .

Don't think it's appropriate weighing clients in a communal setting privacy and dignity being compromised.
As part of my training over the last 43 years in moving and handling we had to take it in turns being moved in a hoist so we could feel impact in being in a sling and hoisted as to what clients would be feeling .

Us in our home where i work in order to.respect the privacy and dignity of our resident , when.weighing were doing it in their own respected room.

With any scenario like this I ask myself 'if it was me, would I mind?' - I would imagine the majority of people would not like to be weighed in front of others (whether they have capacity to understand the situation or not)

Someone may say they don't mind if asked, but you also need to ask the question are they saying they don't mind because they don't want to inconvenience anyone?