A transfer or gait belt is a means of putting handles on a persons waist so that easy support can be provided by other person/s during walking or when transferring from chair to standing or wheelchair to bed, for example. The purpose of a transfer belt is to put less strain on the lumbar spine of the patient and the caregiver/s who are transporting the patient.
First made out of cotton webbing, with a durable metal buckle on one end, the tendency for cotton to harbour germs saw an antimicrobial vinyl gait belt patented by Barry Chapman in 2013.
Physiotherapists use the belts for patient safety to reduce falls whilst retraining transfers and walking.
The history of the transfer belt is not known, though it is likely a progression from gripping the patients own belt. The addition of handles, broadening the belt to spread the load and adding padding for patient comfort saw the transfer belt produced.
Description provided by Nancy Cho of Canada and Glenn Ruscoe of Australia
