Why turning matters, and why technique matters

Learning how to turn someone in bed safely protects two people: the person in the bed and you. Lying in one position puts steady pressure on the skin over the tailbone, hips and heels. Regular changes of position are a basic part of preventing and caring for pressure injuries.

Family caregivers often get hurt doing this work, and an injured caregiver cannot give care. The general principles below do not replace being shown in person, with your own loved one, in their own bed.

Ask for hands-on training first

Weight, a recent hip surgery, a feeding tube, a weak side after a stroke or a painful wound all change what is safe. Ask the treating clinician, a home health nurse or a physical or occupational therapist to teach you, and bring these questions:

  • Which positions are fine, and which are off limits?
  • Can you show me, then watch me do it?
  • How do I protect the wound, the dressing and any tubes?

If no one has offered training, ask for it. If a hospital stay is ending, ask before discharge. Gateway can pass a request like this to the care team. See our page for families and caregivers.

Set up before you move anyone

  • If the bed adjusts, raise it to about hip height so you are not stooping, and lower it when you finish
  • Lock the wheels on the bed
  • Clear the floor and wear shoes that grip
  • Check that tubing and catheters are free and will not be pulled

Tell your loved one what you are about to do, and ask them to help in whatever way they can.

Body mechanics that protect your back

  1. Stand close to the bed, feet about shoulder width apart, one foot slightly ahead.
  2. Bend at your hips and knees, not at your waist.
  3. Keep the person close to your body. Reaching with outstretched arms loads your lower back.
  4. Shift your weight from one leg to the other, and let your legs do the work.
  5. Turn your whole body by moving your feet. Do not twist at the waist.
  6. Roll, do not lift. Many caregivers are taught to roll the person toward them, so their own body blocks the edge of the bed.
  7. Move in small stages, and stop if you feel strain.

Never pull on an arm or under the armpits. That can injure a shoulder and tear fragile skin. Do not let your loved one hang on to your neck.

Protect the skin and the wound during a turn

Dragging skin across a sheet causes friction and shear, which can damage fragile skin and make a wound worse. A draw sheet lets you move the sheet and the person together.

After each turn, check that:

  • Your loved one is not lying on the wound, on tubing or on wrinkled bedding
  • The heels are positioned the way the clinician advised
  • The dressing is still in place

For timing, see our guide to a repositioning schedule at home. For equipment, see cushions and mattresses for pressure relief. Gateway also coordinates pressure injury prevention with partner clinicians across Greater St. Louis and the Metro East.

Know when not to do it alone

Do not try a turn or a lift by yourself if:

  • Your loved one is much heavier than you or cannot help at all
  • You have a back, shoulder or other health problem that limits lifting
  • Moving causes severe pain, or your loved one resists or grabs
  • There are movement limits after surgery or a fracture

The options include a second person, a hospital bed or mechanical lift, home health care and paid aides. What a plan pays for depends on the plan and the need. Gateway can help with supply and equipment coordination once an order is written.

If your loved one falls, do not try to lift them from the floor alone. Call 911 if they are hurt or cannot get up. Afterward, ask about mobility and fall risk.

What to tell the care team

Report these to the treating clinician’s office:

  • A new red, purple or dark area, a blister or an open spot
  • New or worse pain with movement
  • A dressing that loosens every time you turn
  • A turning schedule you cannot keep up
  • Any injury to yourself

Our page on support for family caregivers explains what to ask for. To ask about wound care visits, call 314-325-0126 or send a request for care.

Common questions

Can one person turn someone in bed alone?

Sometimes. It depends on the size and strength of both people, how much your loved one can help, the bed and the equipment. Ask a nurse or therapist to watch you and say plainly whether it is a one-person task.

What is a draw sheet, and do I need one?

A draw sheet is a sheet folded to lie under a person from about the shoulders to the thighs. Caregivers hold it to roll or move the person, so the skin moves with the fabric instead of sliding against the bed. Ask the nurse or therapist to show you how to place and use one.

Is it safe to turn someone who has a wound on the tailbone or hip?

Turning is usually part of the care plan for those wounds, because it takes pressure off the area. The details matter: which sides are allowed, how long on each and how to move without rubbing the dressing. Get those instructions in writing, and report any position that causes pain.

My back already hurts. What should I do?

Take it seriously and say so. Tell your loved one’s care team that the routine is injuring you, and ask what can change: equipment, a second helper, home health or a different schedule. See your own clinician about the pain. Pushing through tends to end with a caregiver who cannot lift at all.

Related pages

General information to help you talk with your own clinician. It is not medical advice, and the treating clinician makes every clinical decision. For a medical emergency, call 911.

Updated October 2026