Precious cargo: tips for the safe transportation of residents.

Having staff available to accompany residents to doctors' appointments and group activities is important. But ensuring that the same staff are trained in transportation safety is a facility's number-one priority.

When it comes to safely transporting residents to and from a destination, the first step happens even before the trip is planned.

Assess how many residents, staff, and potential family members are going in the vehicle, says Cindy Frakes, regional vice president for Medicalodge Post-Acute Care Center in Kansas City, KS.

For each resident, ask yourself, "Is this resident okay with one-to-one assistance, or does the resident need three-to-one assistance?" Keep an assessment available for activities, social services, and nursing personnel to access at any time, Frakes says.

For typical residents who are both alert and oriented, generally assign one staff member for every four to six residents. For the physically or cognitively impaired resident, it's appropriate to have one staff member for every two to three residents. Sometimes, …