Definition
Moving or lifting someone or something that is heavy and may cause physical strain.
In social care, manual handling refers to moving, lifting or repositioning a person who is not physically able to move themselves.
People can get training in the best techniques for moving or lifting someone they are supporting as a paid or unpaid carer. Local councils may provide equipment to help make lifting someone easier.
The bigger picture
Manual handing sounds like something we would do to an object, not a person. ‘Moving with dignity’ is a more respectful and compassionate term. Moving with dignity incorporates the use of specialist equipment and different techniques to enable people to move with support from one other person rather than two.
Saying it differently
Moving with dignity