Advancing Occupational Therapy Outcomes with EZ Way Safe Patient Handling Equipment
- Rick Finch
- Apr 7
- 6 min read
Occupational therapy (OT) plays a critical role in restoring patient function, independence, and quality of
life. Yet, the physical demands of therapy sessions can place significant strain on both therapists and patients. The integration of Safe Patient Handling and Mobility (SPHM) equipment into OT programs plays a crucial role in enhancing both patient care and therapist safety.
Safe Patient Handling and Mobility equipment has many therapeutic applications including:
Functional Mobility - facilitating patient movement and positioning, allowing therapists to work on functional mobility tasks more effectively.
Neuromusculoskeletal Function - supporting exercises and activities that target specific muscle groups and joint movements.
Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) - assisting in practicing self-care tasks and promoting independence.
Progressive Rehab Planning - enabling graded therapy interventions. For example, a ceiling lift can first assist a patient with full support during transfers and gradually decrease assistance as strength improves.
Using SPHM equipment for OT patients leads to increased participation. SPHM equipment enables patients with mobility limitations to engage more fully in therapy sessions. Therapists can work with patients who might otherwise be bed-bound or too unstable to engage in OT sessions. SPH equipment helps therapists safely teach patients how to bear weight and move toward independence. Other benefits include:
Early Mobilization - allows for safe, early, and progressive mobility, which can improve clinical outcomes and preserve functional status.
Dignity and Comfort - ensures patients are moved and positioned with minimal discomfort and maximum dignity.
Reduces fear of falling - Patients feel more secure during movement tasks, which encourages participation in therapy and reduces anxiety.
SPHM equipment benefits therapists too by helping to reduce staff injuries and significantly reducing the risk of musculoskeletal injuries for therapists during patient transfers, exercises and positioning. Other benefits for therapists include:
Expanded Treatment Options - Therapists can safely work with a broader range of patients, including those who are medically complex or bariatric.
Promotes Consistency and Compliance - movements ensure consistent support, eliminating variation due to staff strength, skill, or fatigue.
Optimizes Workflow and Throughput - can reduce the time required to complete therapy sessions, enabling OTs to treat more patients.
EZ Way SPHM Solutions for Occupational Therapy
EZ Way offers a full range of SPHM solutions tailored to the needs of occupational therapy departments. Our products are designed with both caregiver and patient outcomes in mind. Here are a few of the EZ Way solutions for supporting OT programs:
Our powered sit-to-stand helps therapists engage patients early in recovery and supports safe progression from seated to standing to ambulating. It provides help with:
Bed-to-chair, commode, or toilet transfers with powered support.
Enables frequent toileting, crucial for restoring independence and dignity.
Allows therapists to engage patients in ADL tasks.
The Smart Stand supports weight-bearing, muscle activation, and promotes circulation. In addition, it helps to maintains joint mobility and prevent muscle atrophy. The Smart Stand also helps with:
Early Mobility and PT exercises.
Ambulation therapy.
For patients post-stroke, with Parkinson’s, or other neurologic conditions, a powered sit-to-stand facilitates guided motor retraining. It encourages task sequencing ("hold here," "pull up," "stand tall"), and provides sensory input during vertical transitions.
Key Features of the EZ Smart Stand
Weight capacities up to 800 lbs.
Adjustable shin pad (in and out and up and down) to fit multiple body sizes.
Adjustable (3 heights) and removable footplate for EM and PT exercises and ambulation.
Optional walker handles for patient comfort during ambulation.
Ideal for Patients Who:
Can follow basic directions.
Have some upper body control.
Are unable to complete a sit-to-stand movement independently.
Are a fall risk or fatigue quickly.
Our powered mobile floor lift is a vital tool in occupational therapy for patients who cannot bear weight, and/or have significant mobility impairments. Though often associated with nursing care, it has several specific and important applications in OT programming.
Bed-to-wheelchair or commode transfers for patients who are non-weight-bearing.
Enables OT participation for dependent patients, such as those with spinal cord injuries, late-stage neurological conditions (e.g., ALS, MS), or advanced orthopedic injuries.
Lets therapists involve patients in basic ADLs even when mobility is severely impaired.
For patients post-stroke, with TBI, or in a prolonged ICU stay the Smart Lift:
Supports passive mobilization.
Can reduce complications of immobility like pressure injuries and contractures.
Allows for graded rehab progression, starting from full lift assistance, eventually transitioning to sit-to-stand equipment or self-transfers.
Key Features of EZ Smart Lifts
Available in three weight capacities up to 1,000 lbs.
Floor recovery ability.
Facilitates limb elevation and repositioning.
Gait training ability (with 1,000 lb. weight capacity lift).
Ideal for Patients Who:
Are non-weight-bearing.
Have severe balance, coordination, or strength deficits.
Require full assistance for transfers.
May benefit from graded reintroduction to vertical positioning.
EZ Way’s ceiling lifts alleviate storage constraints while improving patient mobility and transfers. Ceiling lifts are particularly valuable in neurorehabilitation, where repetitive, supported walking, aids in neural recovery. They are also beneficial for stroke patients relearning weight-shifting or standing balance. Ceiling lifts provide many advantages including:
Bed-to-chair, wheelchair, or commode transfers.
Enables toileting and hygiene allowing for real-life occupational engagement.
Frees up hands so the OT can assist with personal care tasks.
Allows early-stage patients (e.g., stroke, TBI, spinal cord injury) to be safely mobilized without overwhelming fatigue or fear.
Promotes sensory input and postural control during vertical movement.
Can be paired with mirrors, visual cues, and task-based training to stimulate neuroplasticity and motor relearning.
Ceiling lifts also help with therapeutic standing, weight bearing, and positioning. They allow for graded exposure to upright positioning in very weak or deconditioned patients (e.g., post-ICU), and are useful for positioning in supine, semi-reclined, or seated postures during therapy sessions.
Key Features of EZ Ceiling Lift Systems
A wide range of track configurations including XY Axis systems for full room coverage.
Supports gait training with walking harnesses or gait training sling.
Integrates seamlessly into OT gym designs or patient rooms.
Available in oval track configuration.
Best for Patients Who:
Have little to no ability to assist in transfers.
Are non-weight-bearing.
Require frequent transfers for therapy, hygiene, or repositioning.
Need high support with minimal caregiver strain.
This manual standing aid supports fall prevention, safe standing, pivot transfers, and early mobility training in a cost-effective, mechanical alternative to powered lifts. The Stand Aid helps therapists preserve their strength while allowing patients to perform active parts of the standing movement.
Chair-to-wheelchair or commode transfers - allows the therapist to assist with short-distance, low-risk transfers without lifting the patient manually.
Toilet training - especially useful in rehab or SNF settings to support patients during toileting routines.
The Stand Aid encourages safe, repeated practice of standing from a seated position. It helps patients engage core, leg, and hip muscles during the movement, promoting recovery of function and muscle tone and can be integrated into therapeutic exercise routines to build strength, balance, and endurance.
For cognitive and neurological rehab, it encourages active participation, decision-making, and sequencing in patients with cognitive impairments. It is useful in stroke rehab or with TBI patients for motor planning and neuroplasticity, as they must engage in coordinated movement and weight shifting.
Ideal Patient Profile:
Can bear some weight through legs.
Has some trunk and upper body control.
Needs support for balance or confidence.
Cognitively able to follow simple commands.
Case Study
An acute care customer integrated an 800 lb. weight capacity Smart Stand into their Early Mobility and care protocols with exceptional results. After utilizing the Smart Stand, they found it not only reduced the physical strain on staff but also provided a safe, structured progression for patients who otherwise would have faced prolonged immobility. Previously bedbound patients were now able to progress through standing exercises within days, reducing the likelihood of deconditioning and accelerating recovery timelines. Positive outcomes included:
Reduction in staff injuries.
Faster mobilizations.
Shorter Length of Stay.
Enhanced patient comfort and safety.
A Smarter, Safer Future for Occupational Therapy
By incorporating SPHM equipment into OT programs, practitioners can enhance patient recovery, ensure safety for both patients and therapists, and expand the range of therapeutic interventions available in rehabilitation settings.
Want to see the difference EZ Way can make?
Contact EZ Way today to schedule a meeting to explore your SPHM strategy to meet your facility’s specific OT goals.
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