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Med Sled evacuation slide helps get patients out of danger faster



FLINT TOWNSHIP (WJRT) -- (05/03/10) -- It's a question with life-or-death implications. How quickly can a nursing home be evacuated in an emergency?

One local facility is installing new equipment to speed up the process.

It resembles an oversized snow sled, but it's not designed for fun. Instead of sliding down hills, the Med Sled slides down stairwells and hallways. When patients are being evacuated in an emergency, it's a lot quicker and safer than older methods.

"Two or more employees would put a patient in a blanket and they would have to physically carry them down the stairwell, through three flights of stairs. It's dangerous for the patient. It's dangerous for employees. It's not quick or efficient," Kith Haven Nursing Home Administrator Lorry Tafoya said.

A non-ambulatory patient, for this demonstration a Kith Haven employee, is strapped onto a Med Sled, which is then dragged to the stairwell. Once there, a rescuer attaches the braking system to the railing, allowing the sled to move down the stairs at a controlled rate.

"I helped lower it down the stairwell, which I found very easy," Tafoya said.

There are 140 residents at Kith Haven. Nearly 60 have trouble walking on their own. Tafoya said if there was a fire or tornado, the 10 Med Sleds on site could become their lifeline. "We're much more prepared at this point in time should an emergency come up."

Although they haven't run any mass evacuation drills, Kith Haven workers say the Med Sleds give them peace of mind. "Staff and residents feel much more comfortable knowing that there's a plan in place," said Tafoya.

What's it like to travel down two flights of stairs on the sled? "It's a real smooth ride down the steps," said the employee "patient."

Kith Haven officials plan to have regular drills with the Med Sleds. They believe devices like this could eventually become standard equipment in hospitals and nursing homes.

***View News Story Here

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