making a patient transfer pad on the fast and cheap

I am also caregiver for a family member who is mostly bedbound. As a result, we often need to move or shift them in the bed.
The change to reduced mobility came on suddenly and we had to do that shifting immediately,  with not much in the way of prior supplies.
Luckily,  we had a good stash of fabrics and supplies so I was able to quickly make a transfer pad with stuff we had on hand.
I later found out you can buy them but we like ours better and they work really well for us. I just made a new one and took a few pictures so I could share the process in case anyone else needs them.

I used 2 things, a towel and some "slidey" fabric. You want a towel that is solid but not too plush. It should be big enough to support the main body of the patient and still have enough fabric so you can grab the corners. (Looks don't much matter here so vintage or thrifted work great)
For the other fabric, it needs to be smooth. I used some lining that we have lots of. Silk, satin,  even a windbreaker shell will work.
Then cut or rip the fabric to just be a bit smaller than the towel and sew them together.  (I just ripped to size and didn't even fold over and they gave all held up great) I have done additional lines of sewing down the center of the panels and often several along the length. This makes it stronger and prevents too much bunching.  
To use it, the fabric side goes down on a mattress and the patient "sticks" to the towel side. This let's you slide and shift them around easily.
Using a towel means it is soft and padded as well as  easy to wash and absorbent in case of sweat or accidents. You can also top it with a replaceable pad if they need them.
Not pretty but it does the job and has saved our backs and wallets.