Safe and Effective Toilet Transfers
Building Independence with the Rifton HTS
Learn how proper toilet transfer techniques can build independence and make toileting routines safer for both caregivers and individuals with multiple disabilities. This video explores:
Research-backed connection between sit-to-stand ability and successful toileting task-specific practice methods for improving transfer skills
How the Rifton HTS’s innovative features support easier transfers:
✓ Tilt-in-space functionality
✓ Adjustable footboard
✓ Swing-away laterals
✓ Removable armrests
Discover how each transfer can become an opportunity to build strength and improve functional skills while reducing strain on caregivers. Perfect for healthcare professionals, caregivers, and families supporting individuals with mobility challenges.
Transcript
Transfers onto and off the toilet are essential for fostering independence and play a crucial role in the toileting routine. For many, however, difficulty with transfers can be a major barrier to initiating toilet training and a significant concern for parents and caregivers.
Research shows that the ability to perform a sit-to-stand activity is closely linked to successful toileting, daily living activities, and overall mobility. By incorporating task-specific practice, children or adults with multiple disabilities can gradually learn to participate in transfers with increased independence and efficiency. For example, non-ambulatory children or those with limited weight-bearing ability can be assisted in a pull-to-stand transfer using a vertical changing table or other forms of support, while caregivers adjust clothing and position a commode behind them. In this way, each transfer becomes a valuable opportunity to practice sit-to-stand and weight-bearing skills, simultaneously promoting independence and reducing the manual lifting demands on caregivers.
This approach aligns with the International Classification of Functioning (ICF) model, which emphasizes enhancing activity and participation through environmental modifications.
The Rifton HTS makes sit-to-stand and stand-pivot transfers easier with its tilt-in-space feature. By tilting the chair forward and moving the footboard back, caregivers can assist clients into and out of the toileting position more smoothly. Additionally, swing-away laterals and easy to remove armrests make lateral transfers even more seamless.
With the Rifton HTS, transfers become more than just a necessary step in the toileting process; they become an opportunity to build strength, improve functional skills, and foster independence. The HTS is designed to make every step of the toileting process easier, safer and more effective for everyone involved.
