Bill S.1535 194th (Current)

Implements regulations for safe patient handling in hospital settings. Defines “safe patient handling and mobility policy” as a written statement describing the replacement of manual lifting and transferring of patients and equipment with powered transfer devices, lifting devices, and consistent with a needs assessment and mandating the replacement of manual lifting and transferring of patients with techniques using current patient handling equipment and technology to lift patients unless specifically contraindicated for a patient’s condition or medical status. Such technology and equipment includes, but is not limited to mechanical lifting devices, lateral transfer aids, friction reducing devices, fast electric beds, motorized beds, and other equipment, consistent with clinical unit/area patient care ergonomic evaluation recommendations. Such policy shall also require the use of individual patient handling assessments for each patient or resident requiring assistance. Requires health care facilities to establish a Safe Patient Handling Committee to design and recommend the process for implementing a safe patient handling and mobility program. The majority of the Committee shall be made up of non-managerial employees who provide direct care to patients and include nurses, certified nursing assistants, physical therapists, occupational therapists, maintenance staff and infection control employees. Requires the governing body of a hospital or the quality assurance committee of a nursing home shall adopt and ensure implementation of a safe patient handling and mobility program to identify, assess, and develop strategies to control risk of injury to patients and direct caregivers associated with the lifting, transferring, repositioning, or movement of a patient or equipment.