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Physiotherapy vocabulary · Gait, Mobility and Walking Aids

Transfer

Meaning in physiotherapy, with examples

/ˈtrænsfɜːr/nounCommon term

In physiotherapy, transfer means: Moving a patient from one surface to another, for example from bed to chair, chair to toilet or wheelchair to car.

In Turkish: transfer, yer değiştirme

How it is used

A key part of ward and community physiotherapy. Notes describe the level of help: 'independent transfers', 'transfers with assistance of one' or 'hoist transfer'. Physiotherapists teach safe techniques and may use equipment such as a sliding board. As a verb, 'transfer' is often stressed on the second syllable.

Example sentences

  1. She can now do the transfer from bed to chair on her own.

  2. He needs one person to help with transfers and a frame to walk.

Common collocations

  • bed to chair transfer
  • independent transfers
  • assisted transfer
  • sliding board transfer
  • sit-to-standThe movement of standing up from a sitting position, practised as a daily skill and also used as a test of leg strength and balance.
  • mobilityA person's ability to move around, such as getting out of bed, standing up and walking; also how freely a joint or part of the body can move.
  • walking frameA light metal frame with four legs, sometimes with wheels, that a person holds with both hands for support while walking.
  • activities of daily livingThe basic everyday tasks people do to look after themselves, such as washing, dressing, eating, using the toilet and moving around the home.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Gait, Mobility and Walking Aids

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