An apparatus for nursing immobile patients in bed includes a base, a sheet and a control unit. Both the base and sheet components include magnetic elements. The sheet is placed on top of the base, and the patient is lying on top of the sheet. When activated, the magnetic elements in the sheet and base repel each other. The resultant magnetic force opposes the weight of a patient by that, elevate the patient. Under these conditions, the net force (Normal force) is reduced, leading to reduced friction force between the base and sheet components. Moreover, the magnetic elements produce a force perpendicular to the static magnetic field which creates a torque that may contribute to the rotation of the sheet component. This in turn leads to a reduction in the workload needed to change a patients position.
