Image of male nurse pushing senior woman in a wheelchair in nursing facility

MEMIC, a Maine-based company providing workers’ compensation insurance to employers, recently donated newly designed safe assist [gait] belts to its healthcare policyholders across the Eastern Seaboard.

Safety management consultants hand-delivered the belts and provided training, the company said. The newer belts are easier to use and have extra padding.

MEMIC has invested more than $10,000 in its safe assist belt program, the company said. It negotiated a discounted rate from the manufacturer to make it that much easier for facilities to replace their older belts and improve lifting methods. The company said the newer belts and proper training could help dent the estimated $20 billion annually in direct and indirect costs associated with back injuries in the healthcare industry.

Southridge Rehabilitation and Living Center in Biddeford, ME, was the first to receive the safe assist belt from MEMIC.