How To Choose A Patient Lifter
A patient lifter / hoyer lift is a handy medical equipment to help transferring patients from one location to another. Since doing patient transfers manually over and over again can lead to back injuries to the caregiver a lifr is a must have for some people. Patient lifters are designed to make the transfer process safe for the patient because it gives full body support so it can be used even by those who don't have the muscle power to move anymore. For the caregiver it is also a very helpful tool because it reduces the risk of patients falling during transfer. Howerver choosing the right lift is not an easy task. To know which one is the right one for your need you have to consider the following factors :
- Does it include the sling?
You really don't want to spend another $50-$100 to buy a patient lift sling. Just because the product image display the patient lift complete with the sling it doesn't always mean that it's included. Make sure the seller explicitly write that the sling is included - Warranty.
A patient lifter is an expensive mobility aid so you really want it to last for a long time so a one-year warranty is not enough. Look for at least 3-years warranty. - Patient's Physical Ability
Abled patient prefer to do the transfers alone whenever possible. This is understandable because they don't enjoy being too reliant to others. If the patient has the muscle ability to participate in the transfer process than a Sit/Stand Lift is enough. However if the patient does not have the ability to move his/her body then you should get a mobile lift which can do the transfer without any effort on the patient side. - Physical ability of the caregiver
Once the patient is transferred onto the lift it is up to the caregiver to move the patient to the designated location (bed, chair, toilet or bathroom) if the caregiver is frail he/she may not be strong enough to push a mobile lift. In this condition a wall mounted lift or a ceiling lift would be a better option.
- Number of rooms requiring access
If the transfer is only required in a single room then a fixed lift like a wall mounted lift or a ceiling lift will do fine. However if the patient need to be transferred from various rooms then a lift equipped with wheels is the choice. Installing a fixed-type lift in many rooms is just too costly. - Lifting Capacity
You can hardly find a lift with low lifting capacity these days. Most of the lift are able to lift up to 400 lbs. However for an overweight patient this may not be enought. If you do need a higher capacity model make sure you check the lifting capacity and that the frame are sturdier than normal models. - Hydraulic or Electric?
Just go for electric model. It's easier to use and maintenance is simple.
Hoyer lift safety concerns
Just a little note. When using a hoyer lift a caregiver must pay attention to the lifting procedure described in the manual. This is really important. Even following the simplest suggestion (like breathing in before lifting the patient) will help reduce the possibility of injuries to the caregiver.
