Patent ID: 7945975

Claim:
A patient assistance device configured to be worn on the upper torso of a patient that provides hand holds by which a care giver may assist a patient in moving from one position to another, comprising: a unitary garment member having an inner-facing surface and an outer-facing surface, said garment member including a front panel section, a middle panel section and a rear panel section, said front panel section having a layer of attachment fabric attached to said outer-facing surface, said middle panel section having a head opening formed therethrough; said rear panel section having two flap portions extending laterally on opposing sides of said rear panel section, each of said flap portions having a layer of attachment fabric attached to said inner-facing surface, wherein by pulling said flap portions forward and attaching to said front panel section, a cohesive vest garment surrounding the patient's torso is selectively formed; a plurality of support straps, having a length, fixably attached substantially along the entire length to said unitary garment member, said plurality including a first strap extending longitudinally from an edge of said rear panel section to an edge of said front panel section; a second strap that extending longitudinally from said edge of said rear panel section to said edge of said front panel section; said first and second straps configured on opposing sides of said head opening; a third and fourth strap configured in a crossbuck arrangement across said rear panel section and attached to said first and second straps; and a fifth strap attached laterally onto said front panel section, said fifth strap attached to said first and second straps wherein, the plurality of support straps enhance the structural integrity of the unitary garment member by transferring and distributing a load applied to one support strap to the entire patient assistance device.