Thursday, August 16, 2007

how about a lift?

I am sitting here at my computer and looking out the convenient window located right next to my monitor into the hot, August, outside world.

I see a big truck, three guys, and a new washing machine destined for one of my neighbors.

They have this fancy lift on this truck, though. Hydraulic. These guys stepped ONTO this lift, and it LIFTED THEM into the truck. The truck they could have easily gotten into themselves. Now, these guys have the washing machine on the lift, and it is at a working height for them while they put what ever it is they are going to put on the bottom of this spinning new washing machine.

I want one of these lifts.

Our hospital beds are supposed to be able to do all this fancy stuff for us, stand the patient up, trendelenburg, weigh the patient, make it easier on our backs. Half the time they barely work.

And almost every patient, on every exit survey, hates the bed. Its uncomfortable, and there is always the sound of the motor in the room when they turn over. Usually, they want me to unplug the bed. Until I explain to them that if I do so, they won't have a call light. (I think THEY think the call light is a 'perk' to being hospitalized. Where else can they hit a button, and get rewarded with a person at their beck and call? Answer me that Dr. Pavlov.)

Maybe we should just invest in a bunch of these hydraulic lifts like I see on this truck. If my patients are so uncomfortable in the hospital bed, then this shouldn't be much more uncomfortable, should it? With a sheet, and a pillow, it'll do!

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