The sliding mats reduce the frictional resistance while moving the patient. They are particularly helpful in easing patient transfers in bed, into the shower gurney, the wheelchair etc. Depending on the patient’s functional capacities, the sliding mat also supports the chest and pelvis for positioning and turning onto the side. The sliding mat can be employed in a multitude of other utilizations, such as repositioning a particularly heavy or a premedicated patient, or a patient that requires a particularly extensive amount of care, from a supine to a prone position when combined with additional aids.