LIFT – Living Injury Free Together – is a program that was developed to reduce injuries experienced by employees who regularly lift and move residents and patients. The program also increases the safety of residents and patients by reducing the chance for falls or slips during a move.   

Two differentiating components of the LIFT program are the equipment and the extensive training for staff.  Mercy senior living communities will be equipped with portable lifts and lift aids. The five acute hospitals located in Greater Cincinnati will also receive ceiling lifts due to the more serious conditions that may hinder movement but is necessary for quicker recovery and better outcomes.

By far, the most exciting component of the program is the comprehensive training for all staff. All employees who lift residents will have a minimum of two hours training and each unit will have two Transfer Mobility Coaches per shift who will undergo eight hours of training. 

The first facilities to incorporate the LIFT program will be Mercy Sacred Heart Village in Louisville, Kentucky and Mercy Providence Retirement Home in New Albany, Indiana. Once LIFT has been implemented in Mercy’s senior living communities in Greater Cincinnati, the program will next be introduced to the five Mercy hospitals also in Greater Cincinnati.

Mercy Health Partners developed the LIFT program after a yearlong study to explore opportunities to reduce lift-related injuries. The facilities of Mercy Health Partners are piloting the program which, if successful in reducing lift-related injuries, will be considered for all facilities of Catholic Healthcare Partners, Mercy’s parent company.