Big Slider ™

I spoke with an EMS professional to follow up on the question of how to evacuate non-ambulatory patients. Here are his tips:

(1) ALWAYS pull the patient head first! This keeps the head up and helps keep the head from getting hit. It also helps to keep the arms and legs from getting tangled up as you pull them past furniture and through doorways.

(2) To load the patient on the sheet: (a) get on one side of the patient at chest level; (b) extend the arm closest to you above the head; (c) roll the patient toward you; (d) slip BigSlider™ sheet up next to his back with handle just above the head of the patient; (e) roll the patient on to his back; (f) align rest of body in a straight line on the sheet.

(3) Make a “U” shape by putting a belt or strap across the width of the slider.* This cocoon prevents the patient from rolling off the sheet. It will also keep arms from getting hung up as you pull.

*This will mean cutting slits on either side of the sheet to thread your strap through.

(4) If you haven’t already done so, put extension rope through the handle, tie a knot at what will be your palm height while sledding the patient at ground level, and then pull patient head-first from the bed. If you have time, make a ramp from pillows, cushions or blankets from the bed to the floor.

Be sure to PRACTICE this procedure!

Disclaimer — I am not an EMS Professional and don’t guarantee results. Experiment and practice it for yourself, your patient, and your evac situation.

Our veterinary customer says they use BigSlider™ Professional model as “a ground level stretcher for non-ambulatory patients.” So here’s a question from a potential customer…any comments from evacuation experts, EMS, firefighters, or those in the medical community would be greatly appreciated!

Mag Ruffman's Relative

“I have a bedridden son, age 52, 215 pounds. Live in a mobile home and am terrified of fire and how I would get him out of the house. Do you think this would help me?” — LJW

Here’s what I replied…

“As far as I know, BigSlider has not yet been used for evacuation, so these are NOT proven ideas.
First, you would need a way to safely get him from the bed to the floor. Practice, practice, practice your evacuation procedure to make sure you and your son can do it!

Here’s one idea…Roll your son on his side, place the sheet next to his body, then roll him back on to the sheet. This technique was used by an elderly woman caring for her husband when she needed to get him to the Hoyer lift and back in to the wheelchair.

If he has no upper body strength you may need to loop a webbing strap under his arms; otherwise, can he hold on? Pull him off the bed to a ‘ramp’ of sofa cushions, pillows, comforters, and/or a thick blankets to the floor. Then make sure to start pulling slowly or you’ll leave him behind (like the tablecloth trick). Once up to speed, you’ll be fine.

Since his length will take up the full length of the sheet, you’ll need to attach the rope to the handle and tie a knot at your palm height. That way you can pull standing up straight and use your full body weight and leg muscles. On commercial carpet or driveway concrete, a 215 load is about a 61 lb pull for you. See Mag Ruffman’s video (the “Anything I Can Do” icon) on BigSlider website to watch Mag pulling one of her relatives. [It takes a little while to load, but worth it!]

If you need to get him down the stairs, you can create a sling using the rope and tail holes. The stairs will support at least 1/2 the weight if they aren’t too steep. Clearly you’ll need to practice different ideas, get ropes and straps as needed, then practice again. That way you and your son will ‘know the drill’ in case of an emergency. Note that BigSlider is plastic and only good to 150 degrees F and melts at 266 degrees. (Water boils at 212 degrees.) So you can’t use it to pull anyone out of a fire!”